Stadshuset

Built in the National Romantic style using eight million bricks and completed in 1923, Stockholm’s iconic City Hall is home of the Nobel Banquet, held in the Italianate Blue Hall, which is in fact red. More accurately named is the Golden Hall, a glittering spectacle made with 10kg of gold and 68 million mosaic pieces. Tours of the building are fascinating, while a soulful chill on the waterside terrace (the sculptures are by Carl Eldh) is free. For breathtaking views over Gamla Stan, head to the top of the hulking tower. That the tower is exactly 1m taller than Copenhagen’s slightly older City Hall tower is no coincidence – neighbourly rivalries are hard to quench.