Skeppsbrokajen (
Swedish: "Ship's Bridge's Quay") is a
quay
A wharf ( or wharfs), quay ( , also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more Berth (mo ...
in central
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
,
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. Passing along
Skeppsbron
Skeppsbron ( Swedish: "The Ship's Bridge") is both a street and a quay in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, capital of Sweden, stretching from the bridge Strömbron in front of the Royal Palace southward to Slussen.
The quay Skeppsbrok ...
, it forms the east waterfront of the old town
Gamla stan
Gamla Stan (, "The Old Town"), until 1980 officially Staden mellan broarna ("The Town between the Bridges"), is the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Gamla Stan consists primarily of the island Stadsholmen. Gamla Stan includes the surrounding islets ...
.
History
Skeppsbrokajen was preceded by a medieval quay called ''Koggabron'' ("
Cog bridge") located a hundred metres inland from the present quay and only stretching along the southern part of the shore. During the 1630s, the work on the foundations of the present quay were begun, probably initiated by King
Gustavus Adolphus
Gustavus Adolphus (9 December N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December15946 November Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 16 November] 1632), also known in English as ...
. While the present name came into use during the period 1640–1700, the quay itself was not completed until 1854 when the area around
Slussen
Slussen (') is an area in Stockholm, Sweden, located at the northern edge of Södermalm, adjacent to Gamla stan. It is known for its locks system between Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea, as well as its historic role as a major transport int ...
was developed in connection to the construction of the lock of
Nils Ericson
''Friherre'' Nils Ericson (born Nils Ericsson; 31 January 1802 – 8 September 1870) was a Swedish mechanical engineer who built canals and railways in Sweden. His younger brother John Ericsson, who emigrated first to England and then the U ...
.
While the quay is still frequently used by ships, including international cruisers and locally well-known ships: a couple of old
steamship
A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...
s, such as SS Blidösund (1911) and SS Saltsjön (1925); and some somewhat less genuine, such as MS Teaterskeppet, ("The Theatre Ship"), a Portuguese
fishing boat
A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish and other valuable nektonic aquatic animals (e.g. shrimps/prawns, krills, coleoids, etc.) in the sea, lake or river. Humans have used different kinds of surface vessels in commercial, arti ...
built in 1959, today serving as a conference centre; and Svea Viking, originally a
minesweeper
A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping.
History
The earliest known usage of ...
built in the UK in 1943 for
D-Day
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
, then serving as ferry on
Öland
Öland (, ; ; sometimes written ''Oland'' internationally) is the second-largest Swedish island and the smallest of the traditional provinces of Sweden. Öland has an area of and is located in the Baltic Sea just off the coast of Småland. ...
for many years before being transformed into a
Viking ship
Viking ships were marine vessels of unique structure, used in Scandinavia throughout the Middle Ages.
The boat-types were quite varied, depending on what the ship was intended for, but they were generally characterized as being slender and flexi ...
in 1996.
In the northern end of the quay, next to the
Royal Palace is the statue of King
Gustav III
Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of King Adolf Frederick and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden.
Gustav was a vocal opponent of what he saw ...
by
Tobias Sergel inaugurated in 1808, and in the southern end is the sculpture ''Sjöodjuret'' ("Sea monster") by
Carl Milles
Carl Milles (; 23 June 1875 – 19 September 1955) was a Swedes, Swedish sculpture, sculptor. He was married to artist Olga Milles (née Granner) and brother to Ruth Milles and half-brother to the architect Evert Milles. Carl Milles sculpted the ...
.
See also
*
List of streets and squares in Gamla stan
Gallery
Image:Sjöguden Skeppsbron 070410 side.JPG, Sculpture ''Sjöguden'' by Carl Milles.
References
External links
hitta.se - Location map and virtual walk(
QTVR)
Stockholm City Museum - Historical image of Skeppsbrokajen from 1947-1951Svea VikingTeaterskeppetBrännvin
Streets in Stockholm
{{Stockholm-road-stub