Riddarfjärden (Swedish:[ˈrɪ̂dːarˌfjæːɖɛn], "The Knight Firth") is the easternmost bay of Lake Mälaren in central Stockholm. Stockholm was founded in 1252 on an island in the stream where Lake Mälaren (from the west) drains into the Baltic Sea (to the east); today the island is called Stadsholmen and constitutes Stockholm's Old Town.
The panorama picture featured in this article was taken from the heights of Södermalm, west of Stadsholmen, looking down on Riddarfjärden. Left to right are viewable:
Mälaren (UK: /ˈmɛlərɛn/MEL-ər-en, US: /ˈmeɪlɑːrən/MAY-lar-ən, Swedish:[ˈmɛ̂ːlarɛn] or [ˈmɛ̂ːlaɳ]), historically referred to as Lake Malar in English, is the third-largest freshwater lake in Sweden (after Vänern and Vättern). Its area is 1,140 km (440 sq mi) and its greatest depth is 64 m (210 ft). Mälaren spans 120 km (74.6 mi) from east to west. The lake drains, from south-west to north-east, into the Baltic Sea through its natural outlets Norrström and Söderström (as it flows around Stadsholmen island) and through the artificial Södertälje Canal and Hammarbyleden waterway. The easternmost bay of Mälaren, in central Stockholm, is called Riddarfjärden. The lake is located in Svealand and bounded by the provinces of Uppland, Södermanland and Västmanland. The two largest islands in Mälaren are Selaön (91 km (35.1 sq mi)) and Svartsjölandet (79 km (30.5 sq mi)). Mälaren is low-lying and mostly relatively shallow.
Being a quite narrow and shallow lake, Mälaren has bridge crossings between Eskilstuna and Västerås with two crossings on the western end at Kvicksund and three separate bridges between Strängnäs and Enköping in the central part of the lake. On the eastern end, the entirety of Ekerö Municipality is set on islands within Mälaren. That urban area also has a bridge connection to the mainland in Stockholm along with bridges between various islands in the municipality.
Riddarfjärden in the context of Stockholm City Hall
Stockholm City Hall (Swedish: Stockholms stadshus, Stadshuset locally) is the seat of Stockholm Municipality in Stockholm, Sweden. It stands on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen island, next to Riddarfjärden's northern shore and facing the islands of Riddarholmen and Södermalm. It houses offices and conference rooms as well as ceremonial halls. It is the venue of the Nobel Prize banquet and is one of Stockholm's major tourist attractions.
While the majority of the river flows north of Helgeandsholmen, a small controlled portion known as the Stallkanalen (sv) runs south of the island, between it and Gamla stan.
The river is locked by Karl Johansslussen (Karl Johan's lock), and most of the time is conceived as more like a bay of Mälaren. The area around the lock is known as the Slussenområdet, and beginning in 2016 is undergoing a major revitalization. The channel of an older lock, known as the Nils Ericson lock, still exists just to the north of Karl Johansslussen. This lock is hidden by the steps leading to Karl Johans Torg, but it still allows for the discharge of water from Mälaren into the Baltic. It is planned to convert the channel of this older lock into a fish ladder, as the revitalized area will include two much larger discharge channels on either side of the new lock.
Kungsholmen is an island in Lake Mälaren in Sweden, part of central Stockholm, Sweden. It is situated north of Riddarfjärden and considered part of the historical province Uppland. Its area is 3.9 km (1.5 sq mi) with a perimeter of 8.9 km (5.5 mi). The highest point is at Stadshagsplan at 47 metres (154 ft). The total population is 71,542 (December 31, 2020).
Riddarholmen (Swedish:[ˈrɪ̂dːarˌhɔlːmɛn], "The Knights' Islet") is a small islet in central Stockholm, Sweden. The island forms part of Gamla Stan, the old town, and houses a number of private palaces dating back to the 17th century. The main landmark is the church Riddarholmskyrkan, used as Sweden's royal burial church from the 17th century to 1950, and where a number of earlier Swedish monarchs also lie buried.
The western end of the island gives a magnificent panoramic and photogenic view of the bay Riddarfjärden, often used by TV journalists with Stockholm City Hall in the background. A statue of Birger Jarl, traditionally considered the founder of Stockholm, stands on a pillar in front of the Bonde Palace, north of Riddarholm Church.
