Mårten Trotzigs Gränd

Stockholm’s old town, Gamla Stan, is a beautiful maze of centuries-old buildings that tower above the twisting little streets. It was never designed with cars in mind, and this is very clear from the width of the streets.

Some of the old streets of Gamla Stan are so narrow that two people cannot walk shoulder to shoulder without getting intimate. And the most narrow of all is Mårten Trotzigs Gränd.

This street, located in the middle of the old town, connects the two main roads with a very skinny staircase and a few lamps that hang from the wall. At its narrowest, it is just 35 inches wide, barely enough for the lamp to not touch the opposite wall. 

The street is named after the rich German merchant Mårten Trotzig. Trotzig moved to Stockholm in the 16th century and made his fortune selling iron and copper, becoming one of the richest men in the city. He bought up the area around the little alleyway and opened a shop there. The alley did not have a name back then and quickly became named after him.