On Day two of our stay in Stockholm we toured an off the beaten path attraction – The Stockholm City Hall. Then walked from the city hall to the charming district of Gamla Stan, the Old Town neighborhood of Stockholm.

Stockholm City Hall

The Stockholm City Hall was my favorite spot on our tour of Stockholm! The Stockholm city Hall is a working functioning seat of the Stockholm Municipality. It houses city offices, conference rooms and ceremonial halls, that are all working offices of government officials.

So why go to this off the beaten bath government office?

This was a recommendation from my daughter Anjali who suggested this beautiful building for two reasons – the Pulitzer Prize banquet is held here. Secondly, there is a gold room in the City Hall where the entire room is made with tiny gold tiles!

The Blue Hall where the Pulitzer Prize banquet is held

Stockholm City Hall ‘s claim to fame is that it’s the venue of the Nobel Prize banquet which is held each year in the Blue Hall on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

Why is it called Blue Hall when it’s not blue?

It turns out the architect had intended to paint the hall blue to represent the blue waters around Stockholm, but when he saw how beautiful the bricks looked, he changed his mind. The name Blue Hall stuck though.

The Meeting Rooms of the Local Municipal Government

The guided tour walks us through the offices of the local municipal council where all local government sessions are held and ordinances passed.

The Golden Hall

Following the presentation of the Nobel prizes and the banquet in the Blue Room, attendees make their way to the Golden Hall where the Nobel Ball is held. Below are pics of the hallway that guests walk through to enter the grand Golden Hall.

18 million tiny gold tiles makeup the Golden Hall!

Decorated with more than 18 million glittering gold mosaic tiles, this is one spectacular hall!

The myriad tiles depict scenes from Swedish history and mythology.

One of the most beautiful sites to see in Stockholm! The Stockholm City Hall

If you ask me, The Stockholm City Hall was an unexpected delight and the most beautiful site we saw in Stockholm.

Truly a beautiful place both inside and outside the building, this is a wonderful detour from the usual tourist sites on Stockholm’s must see list.

The City Hall can only be seen with a guided tour and these tours run every hour.

https://stadshuset.stockholm/

Gamla Stan – Old Town

From the City Hall a walk to Gamla Stan is a great way to see the city by the water. A 20 minute walk which may take longer as you stop to take pictures along the way 😄.

Gamla Stan also known as Old Town is a charming neighborhood with cobblestoned streets, narrow alleys, retail, cafes and restaurants

Partly Cloudy, Drizzle, Sun, Rain, Sun

Did I mention that our holiday in Stockholm was filled with partly cloudy skies, drizzle, full on rain with bursts of sunshine? We had to take our umbrella everywhere!

Raining Cats and Dogs!

Folks, after reaching Gamla Stan and grabbing an ice cream, it started raining. Not just light rain, but full on raining cats and dogs! All the tourists had to take shelter in the shops while waiting for the rain to subside. The streets were empty.

Then 20 minutes later the sun came out

And just like that 20 minutes later the sun came out and the streets filled up with people again.

For a great way to spend the day explore the Old town area of Stockholm, head to the Stockholm City Hall and then take a leisurely walk to Gamla Stan. Truly a wonderful way to see the old town area of Stockholm.