Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Prästgatan Lane:
Enjoy a quiet wander down this peaceful “Priests'
Lane.” (Västerlånggatan, the touristy drag, parallels this lane one block
over—you can walk back up on it later.) As you stroll this 15th-century lane,
look for hoists (merchants used these to lift goods into their attics), tie bolts
(iron bars necessary to bind the timber beams of tall buildings together), small
coal or wood hatches (for fuel delivery back in the good old days), and flam-
ing gold phoenixes under red-crown medallions (telling firefighters which
houses paid insurance and could be saved in case of fire—for example, #46).
Like other Scandinavian cities, Stockholm was plagued by fire until it was
finally decreed that only stone, stucco, and brick construction (like you see
here) would be allowed in the town center.
