Drakens Gränd is an
alley
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, footpath, path, or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road (back lane), or a path, w ...
in
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 ...
, the old town of
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 ...
. Stretching from
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 ...
to
Österlånggatan
is a street in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, Sweden. Stretching southward from Slottsbacken to Järntorget (Stockholm), Järntorget, it forms a parallel street to Baggensgatan and Skeppsbron. Major sights include the statue of Saint Ge ...
, it forms a parallel street to
Stora Hoparegränd and
Ferkens Gränd.
It appears in historical records as ''
Bredgränd'' (?), ''brede gränden'' (?), ''Makelerens gränd'' (17th century, after a Jacob Mac Leer), ''Bergsgränd'' (1686), ''Drakens gr''
'änd''(1728), ''Skultans gränd'' (?)
The alley is named after the tavern ''Draken'' ("The Dragon") once found in the western end of the street. During the 1660s it was owned by a Melchior Schipman; in 1682 bought by Jöran Berg and renamed ''Förgyllda Draken'' ("Gilded Dragon"); and finally discontinued after the latter's death in 1722.
The proletarian author
Erik Asklund (1908–1980) wrote the novel ''Drakens gränd'' in 1965 as part of a trilogy.
Drakens gränd is also the name of a company owned by King
Carl XVI Gustav (1946-). The company appeared in Swedish media in early 2006, as a property in the alley owned by the king featured in transactions for which the king was accused of
tax avoidance
Tax avoidance is the legal usage of the tax regime in a single territory to one's own advantage to reduce the amount of tax that is payable. A tax shelter is one type of tax avoidance, and tax havens are jurisdictions that facilitate reduced taxe ...
.
See also
*
List of streets and squares in Gamla stan
References
External links
hitta.se - Location map and virtual walk
Streets in Stockholm
{{Stockholm-road-stub