Stockholm City Hall is one of the most prominent buildings in Stockholm, with its unique silhouette and the exterior designed in the National Romantic Style. This style emphasizes traditional Scandinavian building techniques and materials, such as brick and granite. The building’s facade has several Venetian Gothic elements, particularly in the arches and colonnades. The design of the City Hall was the result of an architectural competition. The competition was for building a council house. Two of the contendants were the architects Ragnas Östberg and Carl Westman. Ragnar Östberg’s initial design was a large building that was more than just a council house. The politicians of that time however liked the design and decided to use Östbergs design as the city hall, and let Carl Westman, who had won the second place, instead design the council house.
The city hall was inaugurated on midsummer eve in 1923. This was the 400th anniversary of when Gustav Vasa marched into Stockholm, in 1523. Today it is the workplace for the politicians in Stockholm, a wedding hall for civil wedding ceremonies and the venue for the annual Nobel Banquet.
There are three places to visit in the City Hall: The City Hall building itself, the City Hall Tower and the City Hall Park overlooking the lake Mälaren, which is one of the best seaside lookout places in Stockholm.
Since the city hall is the place of work for the local politicians in Stockholm, you can only visit the building with a guide. The guided tours are offered in English and Swedish, and take approximately 45 minutes. You will see all the main parts of the building such as the Blue Hall, where the Nobel Banquet is held every year, the Golden Hall, which has several millions of mosaic bricks and the council chamber (Rådsalen) where the politicians gather for meetings, as well as the Prince’s Gallery, which a room with mural painted by Prince Eugen.
Some parts of the building contain hidden artworks and intricate details that are often missed by the casual observer. For instance, the council chamber has a ceiling designed to look like an inverted Viking longboat.
Walking up the 106 meter tall tower will take you to a 360 degree view of central Stockholm. You will need to purchase a pass to enter the tower, and although it is not a guided tour, you will be accompanied by a guide on the way to the top. If you don’t want to walk the whole way up, you can take the elevator half way up to the tower. From there on the way up is mostly flat ground through narrow passages, although the last section does have a few passages with steeper steps.
There is an astronomical clock on the tower’s facade, designed by the famous Swedish artist Einar Forseth, who also designed the mosaics in the Golden Hall. Once you reach the top you have an extraordinary 360 vista over all of Stockholm. Be sure to take some pictures as you enjoy the view.
| Time needed | Approx. 2 hours for both the city hall tour and the city hall tower, including some time in the City Hall Park. City hall tour, 45 min. Tower tour, 35 min. City hall park, 30 min. |
| Photo spots | In the park, by the water with the views to the south banks of lake Mälaren. In the Golden Hall, where the balls after the Nobel Banquet are held. |
| Tips | By the tickets online in advance, and choose your time slot. Visit the tower for some great views of Stockholm, it is well worth the climb. You cannot bring any bags larger than A4 size (9 x 12 inches), however there is a free wardrobe where you can check-in your bags while you do the tours. |
| Highlights | The Blue Hall, where the annual Nobel Banquet is hosted. The Golden Hall, with its unusual interior design. The view from the top of the tower. |
| Prices | Guided tour of The City Hall: 150 SEK. Entrance to the City Hall Tower: 90 SEK. Entrance to the City Hall Park: Free. |
| Food nearby | Stadshuskällaren, inside the City Hall (closed during summer months), or their summer lunch only restaurant Ragnars skafferi. Trattorian. Meno Male Kungsholmen. |
| Website | https://stadshuset.stockholm/en/ |