Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Sweden Stockholm Uppland Runic Inscription 53
AO Edited

Uppland Runic Inscription 53

An ancient Viking runestone hidden in plain view in Stockholm's old town.

Stockholm, Sweden

Added By
CoolCrab
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Uppland Runic Inscription 53   Mats Halldin/cc by-sa 3.0
The runestone at Prästgatan and Kåkbrinken.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The runestone in situ.   Mats Halldin/cc by-sa 3.0
Uppland Runic Inscription 53   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  sebbew / Atlas Obscura User
Runic Inscription   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
Uppland Runic Inscription 53   Xavixavir / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  Gogostevie / Atlas Obscura User
Runic Inscription 53   Luis Morato / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Viking runestone embedded on a street corner in Gamla stan, the old town of Stockholm, is believed to be older than the city itself. Though its origin is unknown, it's estimated to date back nearly a millennia, to the 11th century. 

Officially called "Uppland Runic Inscription 53," the Gamla stan stone is prominently located at the intersection of Prästgatan and Kåkbrinken streets, but can be hard to spot without a guide as there are no signs or plaques pointing out its significance. It's about waist height behind the street corner post.

The stone depicts a serpent body in decorative winding loops, and an inscription that has been partially translated as "Torsten and Frögunn had the stone erected after their son." The name of the son is sadly lost. The female name, Frögunn, is a known pagan name, which lent a clue as to the origin of the text. It's believed the stone was brought into Gamla stan from a neighboring area to be used as construction material. 

Inscription 53 is one of three runestones found in Stockholm's old town. Another, known as "U 274" was originally found in a wall and is now displayed in the Museum of Medieval Stockholm. The third was found in a church stairway but has been lost to history.

Related Tags

Language Vikings Pictograms History Ancient Archaeology

Community Contributors

Added By

CoolCrab

Edited By

tza, Meg, Luis Morato, Xavixavir...

  • tza
  • Meg
  • Luis Morato
  • Xavixavir
  • Gogostevie
  • sebbew

Published

July 6, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uppland_Runic_Inscription_53
Uppland Runic Inscription 53
17 Prästgatan
Stockholm
Sweden
59.324724, 18.070018
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Ribbinska Huset

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

Stortorget Cannonball

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

Wooden Horse Museum

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Stockholm

Stockholm

Sweden

Places 129
Stories 5

Nearby Places

Ribbinska Huset

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

Stortorget Cannonball

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

Wooden Horse Museum

Stockholm, Sweden

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Stockholm

Stockholm

Sweden

Places 129
Stories 5

Related Places

  • The park.

    Uppsala, Sweden

    Universitetshuset Runestone Circle

    A large collection of ancient runestones decorates this university courtyard.

  • A pictograph at Bear Gulch.

    Forest Grove, Montana

    Bear Gulch Pictographs

    A scenic ravine with an astounding collection of rock art created by the Indigenous people of the Great Plains.

  •  A whale skeleton on display outside of the museum.

    Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

    Museo de Historia Natural

    Fossilized remains tell the story of the region’s past inside this small, unassuming museum.

  • View from Above; a more recent concrete construction can be seen nearby

    Green Island, Taiwan

    Youzihu

    The ruins of a prehistoric village hide on a remote Taiwanese island.

  • Zempoala, Mexico

    Zona Arqueológica Cempoala

    Palace, temple, and pyramid ruins mark the ancient Mesoamerican capital of Totonacapan.

  • Täby Kyrkby, Sweden

    Fällbro Runestone (Uppland Runic Inscription Fv1946;258)

    This Viking Age memorial contains the oldest known image of a Täby resident.

  • The remnants of the ancient eatery.

    Pompeii, Italy

    Pompeii Thermopolium

    Before it was buried by volcanic ash, this fast-food restaurant fed the hungry hordes of ancient Rome.

  • Ancient Indian pictographs at Fate Bell rock shelter in Seminole Canyon.

    Comstock, Texas

    Seminole Canyon

    Beauty and history abound in this remote West Texas canyon.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.