Hotels near Stockholm City Hall (Stadshuset)

Stadshuset, Stockholm City Hall, stands on the Kungsholmen waterfront and is best known as the venue for the annual Nobel Prize banquet held every 10 December. Architect Ragnar Östberg designed the building in a national romantic style, and it took 12 years to complete (1911-1923). The exterior is 8 million handmade red bricks and a copper-topped tower crowned with the Tre Kronor (Three Crowns), the symbol of Sweden, glinting 106 metres above the water.

Interior access is by guided tour only - they run in English roughly every 30 minutes and last about 45 minutes. The Blue Hall (which is actually red - Östberg changed his mind about painting the brick but the name stuck) hosts the Nobel banquet for 1,300 guests each year. Upstairs, the Golden Hall is covered in over 18 million gold mosaic tiles depicting Swedish history, the seasons, and religious iconography. The mosaic work took 12 artisans over two years to complete.

Pro Tip: Between June and September, you can climb the Stadshuset Tower (additional 60 SEK) for one of the best views of Stockholm - Gamla Stan, Södermalm, Riddarfjärden bay, and the Djurgården skyline all visible from the top. The tower closes at 16:00, so plan your visit around that.