Mäster Mikaels gata and the gallows hill

You have left Gamla stan, crossed Slussen, still a building site, and climbed the heights of Södermalm. If you came along Fjällgatan, you have already enjoyed one of the best views in the city. But that viewpoint once had a sinister name.

1The gallows hill

For much of the 16th and 17th centuries, the gallows of Stockholm stood at the top of this hill, Stigberget. It was the city's place of execution, clearly visible to ships entering the harbour. In a register of 1674, Fjällgatan appears as 'the street of the gallows hill'.

2The executed executioner

The street you are standing on recalls Mikael Reissuer, Stockholm's executioner from 1635 to 1650. 'Mäster', master, was the title given to executioners. He lived right here, in the block that still bears his name. His end was worthy of a crime novel: in 1650 he was convicted of murder and executed himself. The street received its present name in 1939.

3Houses that rose from the fire

In 1723 a great fire swept through the whole district, from the church down to the harbour. Although building in wood was banned afterwards, these little houses were rebuilt in timber and finished in 1729. They were painted in bright colours, with the log corners hidden so they would look like stone houses. Today they form one of the best-preserved corners of old Södermalm.

4What to look for

• The vertical boards painted with linseed-oil paint.
• The disguised corners, meant to imitate stone houses.
• The dome of Katarina Church, your next stop.