Stockholm City Hall: Why it’s Worth a Visit
I must admit, the first time I heard I was going to be taking people to Stockholm City Hall, I was a little bored by the idea. For many of us, the city hall’s are nothing to write home about. These are government buildings – how exciting can they be?
Well, I was very wrong!
In Scandinavia, so much care and detail is put into the city hall’s. These are impressive buildings that tell the history of their city in such detail. Oslo’s city hall is excellent, but Stockholm’s city hall is the clear winner out of all the countries.
While you have to take a guided tour inside the city hall (compared to Oslo, which has free entry), it is well worth allocating the time on your trip to Stockholm to join one of the tours.
Stockholm City Hall is famous for its architecture and large, grand ceremonial halls, but it is also the location of the Nobel Prize banquet.
Here’s a little about Stockholm City Hall.
In this article...
Construction of City Hall
The decision to build a new city hall was made in 1907. An architectural competition was held, and after several rounds Ragnar Östberg was the winner. His opponent, Carl Westman, got the job of building the Stockholm Court House instead. Östberg didn’t stick to his original plans so much; he kept changing the design and even incorporated elements from Westman’s drafts. Most importantly, it was Westman’s idea to have the tower. Östberg added the lantern on the top of the tower with the three crowns, which is the Swedish coat-of-arms.
Construction of the city hall took twelve years (1911-1923) and almost all the materials were sourced from Sweden. Nearly eight million bricks were used in the building.
Stockholm City Hall was inaugurated on the 23rd of June 1923, exactly 400 years after Gustav Vasa’s arrival in Stockholm.
Architectural Style
Stockholm City Hall is designed in the National Romantic style and is considered the country’s leading example in the style. Inside, there are various architectural styles, most notably Venetian Gothic architecture, as seen in the turrets, decorated balconies, and statues.
Interior Highlights
The most famous room is the Golden Hall. Its name comes from the 18 million tiles, mostly golden, that make up the mosaics around the room. The mosaics tell the story of the history of Sweden, including the Stockholm Bloodbath, Gustav Vasa’s reign, and so on. At the end of the hall is the main attraction – the Queen of Lake Malaren – who is watching over the room carefully. On either side of her are buildings representing the east and the west – including the Hagia Sophia and the Eiffel Tower, amongst other buildings. The mosaics were hugely unpopular when they were completed.
The mosaics were not well planned; pay attention to the mosaics close to the roof. Sweden’s patron saint Erik has lost his head due to some bad mosaic planning.
Outside City Hall
Take the time to explore around the city hall. Wander through the Stadshusparken, a beautiful promenade along the waterfront. You get some excellent views out to Gamla Stan and Riddarholmen from here.
Be Sure Not to Miss This!
This was shown to be on one of the guided tours I attended only because there was a fire alarm in the city hall and the guide had to distract us for fifteen minutes while we waited to go in. Normally, it would not be shown on the guided tour. Around the corner from city hall is the cenotaph of Birger Jarl, the man who founded Stockholm. Since the city hall is rich in details that are symbolically linked to Stockholm’s history, of course they had to include a mock grave for Birger Jarl. The style is that of a sarcophagus with Birger in full knight’s armour and his feet directed towards Riddarholmen. Underneath is a fictional burial vault. The idea was that his remains would be transferred from where he is buried, at the monastery church in Varnhem, to the grave, but Varnhem’s city council said no. It is truly a surreal sight.
Nobel Prize Ceremony
Why is the Nobel Prize awarded in Sweden? Well, Alfred Nobel was Swedish. When he died in 1896, his will stated that he bequeathed his assets to establish the five prizes that became known as the Nobel Prize.
The ceremony takes place every 10th of December, which is the anniversary of Nobel’s death. The Prizes are awarded in the Stockholm Concert Hall, and the City Hall is where the banquet and ‘after party’ takes place. The banquet takes place in the Blue Hall, while the Golden Hall is used as the dance floor.
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, which will be explained in another article.
Practical Information
Finding Stockholm City Hall
The distinctive city hall sits on the eastern tip of Kungsholmen Island, facing the islands of Riddarholmen and Sodermalm. The location is important and provided inspiration to the building, namely the juxtaposition of city architecture and water that represents a central feature of Stockholm’s cityscape as a hall.
Getting Here
Bus number 3 stops right outside the city hall.
To walk, it takes about 10 minutes from central station or 15 minutes from Riddarholmen Church and Gamla Stan.
There is no parking available outside the city hall (but you shouldn’t be driving in Stockholm city centre anyway). It can get a little crowded with tour buses out the front.
Eating
Several small cafes are around the city hall. Inside the city hall is “Stadshuskallaren” (City Hall Cellar), a Swedish restaurant.
Restrooms
Free, inside city hall. Only accessible with the guided tour.
Acessibility
There are stairs between the floors, but elevators are also hidden around the city hall and require a staff member to come with you.
Shop
The shop features souvenirs that commemorate City Hall & Stockholm.
Guided Tours
It is only possible to access Stockholm City Hall on a guided tour. Guided tours in English are held daily, but keep in mind that they can be cancelled at short notice due to events. Also, some parts of the hall are closed on certain days of the year. For example, on Saturdays, one of the rooms is closed because of the weddings that take place.
The tour lasts around 45 minutes and costs 130 SEK for an adult. All the information about the tours can be found on the city hall website.
The tower is open from May to September, and you can climb up the tower, getting a fantastic view of the city.
To know when the guided tours are, visit the city hall’s website: https://cityhall.stockholm/visit-the-city-hall/
