Joel from Stockholm

About me I grew up in Stockholm and I have distinct early memories of my father taking me on walks around the city explaining the different neighborhoods and history to me. Especially the Old Town made a strong impression, contrasting the northern suburbs where I grew up. Although traveling has always been important to me, even a necessity and at times an obsession, my home rem...

Apr 5, 2025

Rosenporten Stockholm

A blind alley and a very old door

""Rosenporten" Stockholm is what you'd find through a walk down the blind alley Staffan Sasses gränd in the Old Town, which goes back to the medieval days."

A walk down the blind alley Staffan Sasses gränd in the Old Town, takes one back to medieval Stockholm. The alley runs perpendicular from Köpmannagatan (meaning merchant’s street) one of the oldest streets in Stockholm and first mentioned in 1323. At the end of the alley, at number 8, one finds a wooden door, believed to be from the 1580’s and arguably the oldest door in town. It’s fascinating to imagine all the people who have passed through this door during its some 430-years of existence.

If the old door could speak, it could help verify whether indeed this was the one time address of Karin Månsdotter, a commoner whom king Erik IV fell in love with and made his royal mistress before formally marrying her. This was something unheard of during the time and a great scandal. She is said to have had a soothing effect on the insane king (he’d killed a number of noblemen during a fit the previous year) and was one of few persons the paranoid monarch could trust.

Karin would end her days in Finland, part of Sweden at the time, a wealthy widow and well liked amongst the local peasants. The fate of her king and husband was death by food poisoning. Arsenic in a bowl of pea soup would become his final meal and forever place him amongst the kings we still remember from history lessons after graduation.

Art & culture

Relaxing

About this spot

Staffan Sasses gränd 8

SEK

free

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