For centuries, Skeppsbron was Stockholm's window on the world and the first glimpse of the city for those arriving by boat. Nowadays it is one of the city's busiest streets, linking up the northern and southern districts. The imposing rows of buildings along the water date back to the 17C and 18C, a time when Skeppsbron was made up of a row of shops belonging to rich merchants, nicknamed the Skeppsbronn nobility.