The Museum of Medieval Stockholm

Stockholm has a rich medieval history, much of it still preserved in Gamla Stan, Old Town, making it one of the best places to visit in Europe for travellers who are interested in this period of history. 

It was because of this rich history, that the Museum of Medieval Stockholm was missed. For nearly three years the museum was being renovated. Finally, the museum opened its doors to the public once again. Because I am a history nerd and love museums, I was there.

The museum was crawling with people, many of whom were still in there large winter jackets because of the weather outside. It made for some crowding around the exhibitions, but no one seemed to mind.

The museum itself was beautiful; the only preserved portion of Stockholm’s medieval wall is the center piece of the museum. Around it, you can learn the history of the town. From the morbid exhibition about crime and punishment, to the tunnel leading from the museum to the castle.

The mock medieval building of Stockholm situated right inside the museum brought the history to life to an extent. There is a church, a garden, a town square, and plenty of small shops, all of which give a great medieval feel.

In the end the museum felt very new, which was both good and bad. Good because it is a gorgeous museum, bad because it is a medieval museum. While the exhibitions were interesting, they lacked actual artifacts. I want to see coins dug up from 14th century Stockholm. I want to see household items. I want to see art. They had some… just not enough.

It seemed like the museum was aimed at a younger audience, a kid-friendly audience. As someone who loves medieval history, I love the idea of getting little kids interested in history; I just wish they worked a little harder to keep big kids like me interested.

More Stockholm Tips

You’ll find lots of tips for things do in Stockholm in our best of Stockholm travel tips post.