Lejonbacken

From the crest between the ramps is a panoramic view over the stately bridge Norrbro stretching across the Parliament island Helgeandsholmen over to square Gustav Adolfs torg, the latter flanked by the Royal Opera and the so-called Palace of the Hereditary Prince housing the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

The eastern ramp leads down to Strömbron and Skeppsbron, and the western to Mynttorget, while the quay Slottskajen passes beneath the entire composition along the canal Stallkanalen.

[2] Inside the five metres thick medieval walls and under the large bricked vaults are historical objects and modern models retelling the development of the palace from its Viking origin in the 10th century.

The work on the lower lateral parts were however not begun until after Norrbro, the bridge extending north from the palace, was completed in 1807, and not finished until 1826-1834 when the last stage of the construction was realized to the plans of Per Axel Nyström (1793-1868).

[5] Foucquet used stone lions at the Villa Medici in Rome as prototypes for the commission, while the Crown had to melt sculptures taken from Kronborg Castle in Denmark to assemble the required amount of bronze.