About Stockholm City Hall
While designed to feel older, Stockholm City Hall was built between 1911-1923 in the National Romantic Style by Swedish architect Ragnar Östberg. The function of the building is both political and ceremonial. It is where Stockholm City Council meets, as well as where the Nobel Prize Banquet is held each year in December.
This is a hidden gem of Stockholm and should not be overlooked! We were able to purchase tickets onsite for a guided tour, and learned so much about this beautiful building.
The Blue Room
The Blue Room is the first one you visit on the tour and is where the Nobel Prize Banquet is held. The hall can also be rented for weddings and other private parties or events. While the room was originally intended to be painted blue, the architect decided to keep the exposed brick when he saw how it was coming along – but the name stuck!
The Council Chamber
While on the tour, you actually get to step inside the Council Chamber, where members of Stockholm City Council regularly meet. The most impressive part of this room is the exquisite wooden cieling. Our guide taught us a bit about local government, where we learned Sweden has 7 political parties!
The Gold Room
Our favorite room on the tour was certainly the Gold Room. Its impressive mosaic gold tiles depicting stories from Sweden’s history made the space incredibly impressive. While there is so much to look at in this room, the guide showed us a few important pieces and the relevance behind them.
Stockholm City Hall Tour
The only way to visit Stockholm City Hall is with a tour guide. The tours are offered daily and last about 45 minutes. The times depend on the season and which language you’d like to do the tour in (Swedish or English). Tickets cost 140 SEK (~$14) but there are discounts for Seniors, Students & children. You cannot pre-order your ticket so we recommend showing up 15 minutes before the timed tour you want and buying your tickets in the gift shop. For more information about the tours visit: Stockholm City Hall.
Fun Facts
One of our favorite fun facts we learned while visiting Stockholm City Hall is the comparison to Copenhagen’s City Hall. For many years, the Swiss & Danes have been in competition, so when Denmark finished building a new city hall in Copenhagen in 1905, the Swedes determined their City Hall needed to be taller. They did just that – Copenhagen City Hall’s tower is 105 meters and Stockholm’s is 106 meters making it only one meter taller!
Another fun fact our guide shared was that City Hall hosts many civil services each week for couples looking for an intimate wedding ceremony. It’s one of the most popular places to get married in Stockholm!
Stockholm City Hall surprised us. From the outside, it is an iconic part of Stockholm’s skyline but the inside is what makes this building truly marvelous. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. You don’t have to be a fan of politics or the Nobel Prize to take this tour – there is truly something for everyone!
