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Charting the long story of Sweden from prehistory through the Viking Age and the Middle Ages, the Swedish History Museum, called Historiska museet, ranks among the most important museums in the country. It was founded in 1866 and has occupied its purpose-built home on Narvavagen in the Ostermalm district since the 1940s, holding immense collections of archaeological and historical material gathered from across the land. The jewel of the museum is the Gold Room, a secure vault sunk into the building that holds a dazzling array of prehistoric and medieval treasures in gold and silver, including magnificent collars, brooches and buried hoards fashioned by early Scandinavians. The museum is particularly renowned for its treatment of the Viking Age, whose major exhibition gathers weapons, ornaments, runestones and the objects of daily life to present a thoughtful, rounded portrait of the Norse world that goes beyond the familiar clichs of horned helmets and plunder, and its collections of medieval ecclesiastical art, with their painted altarpieces and carved wooden figures, are among the richest in existence. Offering free entry, absorbing displays and a vigorous programme of research and temporary shows, the museum gives an authoritative yet welcoming overview of Sweden's ancient and medieval past. Opened in the 1990s, the Gold Room is a highlight in its own right, a circular chamber sunk deep below the museum to protect and show off some fifty kilograms of gold and twice as much silver, fashioned into objects of astonishing skill by the peoples of prehistoric and early medieval Scandinavia, the hushed and shadowy vault sharpening the thrill of standing before real treasure. The Viking exhibition beyond has won praise for its modern, evidence-led approach, which draws on recent archaeology and on the viewpoints of groups often missing from the popular picture, including women and the enslaved, to offer a richer and more truthful portrait of the era. The medieval collections, brought together from churches throughout the land, preserve a great store of painted and gilded altarpieces, carved figures of saints and other sacred art that might otherwise have perished. The museum also stages temporary exhibitions on historical subjects and runs a lively programme for schools and families, while its garden and cafe make agreeable places to rest. Free to enter and set in the elegant Ostermalm district within easy reach of the city's other sights, the Swedish History Museum is an indispensable destination for anyone seeking to understand the deep history of the country.