Åsöberget, Historic hill in Södermalm, Sweden

Åsöberget is a historic hill in Södermalm with red wooden houses that line cobblestone paths rising to about 37 meters in elevation. The buildings sit close together and create narrow street passages that have retained the appearance of an older residential quarter.

Åsöberget was long a garden and farm area; Petrus Tillaeus's 1733 map shows only one house in the block. The city bought the buildings around 1900 intending to demolish them for Lindhagen's street plan, but Anna Lindhagen campaigned for preservation. In 1956 the city council approved a cultural reserve, and renovation ran from about 1960 to the 1980s.

The red wooden buildings here reveal how ordinary Stockholmers lived over centuries, with many homes originally built for craftspeople and working families. The narrow streets and close-packed houses still reflect the tight-knit neighborhood character that defined this district.

The hill can be easily reached from surrounding streets, particularly via Folkungagatan and Londonviadukten from the north and east. Visiting works well on foot since the area is compact and the quiet streets make for pleasant walking.

The block Tjärboden at Kvastmakartrappan was renovated only in the early 2000s, when indoor water, sewage and toilets were deliberately left out; new outdoor privies and water pumps were installed in the yards instead, and the five houses now serve as studios.