Gamla stan means the Old Town in Swedish and refers to the historic centre of Stockholm, Sweden, an area comprising the island of Stadsholmen, and the surrounding islets of Helgeandsholmen, Riddarholmen and Strömsborg.
Until 1980, it was officially called the City Between the Bridges (or Staden mellan broarna in Swedish). Present-day Stockholm has its foundations here, with the area substantially being the extent of the city for centuries.
Stan in this instance is a colloquial contraction of the Swedish word staden, meaning “the city”.
