2 Best Sights in Stockholm, Sweden

The architect Ragnar Östberg, one of the founders of the National Romantic movement, completed Stockholm's City Hall in 1923. The headquarters of the city council, the building is functional but ornate: its immense Blå Hallen (Blue Hall) is the venue for the annual Nobel Prize dinner, Stockholm's most prestigious event. Also notable is the Golden Hall, known for its mosaics depicting people and scenes from Swedish history. Admission is by guided tour only. You can also take a trip to the top of the 348-foot tower in the summer months to enjoy a breathtaking panorama of the city and Riddarfjärden. Admission to the tower is separate from the guided tour, and much but not all of the ascent can be accomplished by elevator. Tickets for the tower are timed and often go fast, so stop by early to guarantee a spot.

When in session, the Swedish Parliament meets in this Neoclassical building, which was inaugurated in 1905. Above the entrance, the architect placed sculptures of a peasant, a burgher, a clergyman, and a nobleman. Take a tour of the building not only to learn about Swedish government but also to see the art within. In the former First Chamber are murals by Otte Sköld illustrating different periods in the history of Stockholm, and in the current First Chamber a massive tapestry by Elisabet Hasselberg Olsson, Memory of a Landscape, hangs above the podium. An English-language guided tour is the only way to gain admission; tours are first-come, first-served and limited to 28 persons, so arrive early.