Home to the Nobel Prize

The Stockholm City Hall where city business is transacted with 101 council members (!) is also the site of the annual Nobel Prize Awards Banquet. Atop the city hall is a gold emblem of the "3 crowns" (rich symbolism of Swedish history but of uncertain origin). It was fascinating to take an English tour of City Hall and learn of its history and current usage. The grand stairway (pictured) is where prize winners descend to the level where dinner is served to nearly 1300 guests and members of the royal family. We were told that the one who designed the staircase had several wooden models made with differing heights between steps and widths of each step so that women in long gowns could practice descending in order to determine the best model!
On display was a sample place setting for the grand occasion. We both agreed that the tour of the City Hall was one of the real plusses of our time in Stockholm. - rw