Riddarhusgränd

Stretching north from the square Riddarhustorget to the bridge Vasabron, it passes between the Swedish House of Knights (Riddarhuset) and the Bonde Palace forming a parallel street to Rådhusgränd.

While the House of Knights was built to the design of Simon de la Vallée in 1641–1674, and the Bonde Palace was originally designed as a private palace by Nicodemus Tessin the Elder and Jean De la Vallée in 1662–1667, the alley passing between them and named after the vicinity to the former, first appears in historical records in 1718 as Riddarhuus Gränden.

[1] Before the bridge Vasabron was constructed in the 1870s, the alley was a peripheral passage leading to a remote quay and, as its width of 7 metres still knows to tell, it was not designed to take up heavy traffic loads.

[2] The eastern façade of the House of Knights is one of the most elaborate of its kind in Sweden, richly decorated with acorns, oak leaves, and a great variety of flowers in sandstone, while the half metre tall letters on the frieze of the roof, ornamented in gold leaf proclaim DULCE ET DECORUM EST PRO PATRIA MORI ("Delightful and honourable it is to die for the Patrimony/Country").

[3] Lately, selected buildings and historical structures in central Stockholm have been the subject for a project entitled Projekt Nattljus ("Project Night Light"), intended to give the city a face-lift by letting spotlights illuminate façades, bridges, fountains, etc.