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Founded in 1250, Stockholm has been Sweden’s principal
city since the time of King Gustav Vasa in the early 1500s. The ancient
walls have long since disappeared, and many of the old houses have been
renovated. The medieval city plan can be seen in the narrow, winding,
cobblestone streets and small squares of Gamla Stan (Old Town). Reminders of
Sweden’s period as a great power in the 17th and 18th centuries are the
Royal Palace and the House of Nobilities. Other historic landmarks are the
Stock Exchange, the Foreign Ministry, the Royal Opera House, and the Riksdag
or Parliament building. The burial place of Sweden’s nobility, the
Riddarholmen Church, dates from the city’s beginnings. |