Stockholm City Hall (Stadshuset) and Tower

Stockholm City Hall, Stadshuset, sits on the Kungsholmen waterfront at Hantverkargatan 1 in Stockholm, Sweden, and is one of the city's best-known landmarks. Designed by architect Ragnar Östberg in the National Romantic style and completed in 1923, the red-brick building holds the city council chambers and the venue of the annual Nobel Prize banquet on 10 December. Entry to the interior is by guided tour, offered in English on most days. The route usually includes the Blue Hall, which despite its name is built of unpainted brick and serves as the banquet hall with a grand staircase used by the laureates, and the Golden Hall, where about 18 million gold mosaic tiles depict Queen Mälaren and scenes from Swedish history. The council chamber, with its ceiling resembling a Viking longhouse roof, is also visited when not in use. Guided tours last around 45 minutes, and a full visit with the garden and tower takes 1 to 1.5 hours. From May to September, visitors can climb the 106-metre tower, partly by lift and partly by stairs, for views over Gamla Stan, Riddarholmen and Lake Mälaren. The riverside garden facing Riddarfjärden offers the classic photo of the building with the tower's three golden crowns, and the best light is in late afternoon from the Riddarholmen side. Tours often sell out in summer, and the tower has a limited number of daily visitors. Mornings and weekdays are less crowded, and clear days give the best tower views. The hall is a short walk from T-Centralen station.