Göta highway
Gota Gota landsväg landsväg or Gamla (old Gota Highway ) was a medieval trail linkage from Stockholm to the south.
History
In the 16th century the Göta landsväg was the only existing road to travel from Stockholm to the south. This trail linkage had precursors back to the Middle Ages ( in Scandinavia about 1100 to 1500 AD) and was probably here already in the Bronze Age ( in Scandinavia ca 1800-550 BC), long before Stockholm existed, created a way.
To the south, the road was starting in the old town of Stockholm, Gamla Stan along today Västerlånggatan. She crossed Södermalm along today Gotgatan and then proceeded via Årsta, the Årstafältet, through the southern municipalities Huddinge, Botkyrka and Salem to Södertälje. From there she stretched by Södermanland after Götaland (today Östergötland, Småland and then Danish Scania). The Göta landsväg lost its importance as the main connection to the south in 1670, when the new highway, later also called Södertäljevägen, was opened.
On this important trail linkage among others traveled in the fall of 1654 Christina of Sweden on their journey to Rome, and on the evening of Midsummer Day in 1634 was led here the remains of Gustav II Adolf back to Stockholm. According to calculations happened in the Middle Ages about 800 passengers each year the Sound at Flottsbro in Botkyrka. In 2007, drove about 90,000 vehicles daily on the European route E4 at the same place over.
Today, only a few remnants of this historic highway are obtained. On the Årstafältet, a green area south of Stockholm, 900 meters have been preserved through the centuries and restored in 1998 and reconstructed a stone arch bridge. This section is a listed building.
South-west of Sodertalje the trail goes cold from the Göta landsväg, newer infrastructure and settlements have changed the landscape considerably. In Södertälje there but with the rune stone ( Holmfastristningen ) from the year 1000 AD a clue that here ran past most likely a predecessor of the Göta landsväg. The runic text is struck directly into the rock, and states that " Holm almost docked this way and built a bridge, God help his spirit."
A country road must be maintained in order not to fall. The experience had King Charles IX and his wife Christine as they drove on the Göta landsväg 1604 to Södertälje. The road was so bad that their coach got stuck several times and threatened to overthrow. In a letter then the king ordered that the road had to be maintained by those who lived closest. This rule was gradually enforced for the country roads throughout the empire.