Excursion tour in Stockholm. Top architecture - monuments, castles, temples and palaces

» The Royal Palace in Stockholm simultaneously performs two functions: an official government institution and a museum and historical monument of Sweden open to visitors all year round.
»  In the 13th century, a fortress was built on the site of the present-day palace. In the 16th century, it was rebuilt into a more modern palace named Tre Kronor. The palace was reconstructed again in 1690-1697, but was immediately destroyed by fire.
»  The restoration of the palace was done by architect Nicodemus Tessin. Only 63 years later (1760), the palace was finally restored. The 120-metre building has 1,430 rooms (660 with windows).
»  Apart from royal offices, the palace has a royal chapel, the Armory, the Tre Kronor museum, the Bernadotte Library, Gustav III’s Museum, a treasury with royal regalia and precious jewellery.
»  The palace is guarded by the Royal Guard. Tourists like to watch the change of the guard.

» The Stockholm City Hall was built between 1911 and 1923. The building houses city government offices, conference rooms, and several luxurious ceremonial halls: Golden, Blue, Oval, and Prince Eugen’s Gallery.
»  The Golden Hall hosts an annual ball in honor of the Nobel Prize winners. It is the most magnificent hall in the city hall. Its walls are covered with mosaic gold panels.
»  The Blue Hall hosts a traditional banquet after the award ceremony on 10 December.
»  A 106-metre tower rises next to the city hall. The tower houses a museum and exhibits the copies of statues and busts found in the City Hall.
»  The most remarkable statue is the statue of St. Erik. It is 7.5 metres high. The statue was supposed to be installed on top of the tower, but the architects changed their mind and made an observation deck there instead.
»  There are 9 bells on the bell tower. One of them, weighing 3 tons, was presented by Holland and named St. Erik in honor of the patron saint of Stockholm. Three golden crowns top the tower in honor of Sweden, Denmark and Norway.

» The Globe Arena was built in 1989, within just two years. The building is shaped like a 130-metre-high white sphere that is 110 metres in diameter. It is the largest spherical structure in the world.
»  It is used for competitions in different sports and large concerts. It can accommodate up to 16,000 spectators. Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake performed at the arena. The Eurovision Song Contest was held here in 2000 and 2016.
»  In 2010, two rail tracks were laid on the outer side of the sphere, along which transparent spherical SkyView cabs move. The cabs can accommodate 16 people and take visitors to the top of the arena. From there, you can see all of Stockholm. The “amusement ride” is very popular among tourists.
»  In 2009, Ericsson bought the ownership of the arena, after which it was renamed Ericsson Globe.

» The Royal Dramatic Theatre has a long history. The first plays were staged for the royal court in 1667. Only foreign actors performed here.
»  In 1773, the passionate theatre-goer Gustaf III invited Swedish talented actors and dismissed all foreigners. In 1788, a separate building was built for the theatre.
»  120 years later, in 1908, the theatre building that has survived to this day, was constructed. Its interior was designed not only by professional designers, but also by Prince Eugen, the youngest son of Oscar II, an artist and art collector.
»  Such famous people, as actress Greta Garbo and director Ingmar Bergman, worked at the Dramatic Theatre of Stockholm. During the year, up to a thousand plays are staged here.
»  At the entrance to the statue of actress Margaretha Krook. She often smoked here. In winter and summer, the temperature of the statue is within 37 degrees.

» The Church of Saint Clare was built together with a convent on the initiative of Magnus Ladulas in the late 13th century.
»  In 1527, the convent was demolished.
»  In 1751, there was a large tower. The interior of the church was damaged and one of the towers collapsed.
»  The church gained its modern appearance after the reconstruction in 1886. The modest and dark facade contrasts with a white and golden luxurious interior. There is an altar that has been preserved since 1766.
»  The church tower is the highest in the city. It is 116 m high. It is crowned by a spire in the shape of a gilded cockerel. The bell tower has 35 bells that weigh 8.5 tons. A modern and electric clock was hung on the tower in 1965.
»  At the cemetery of the church, you can see preserved gravestones of famous people living in Stockholm.
»  Nowadays, the major activity of parishioners is charity. They feed homeless people and drug addicts, visit detainees in jails and help them.

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Facts: » Riddarholm Church was built at the abbey in the 80s of the 13th century.
»  In the 16th century, the abbey was reconstructed and a tower with a wooden spire was added to it. In 1835, the wooden spire was replaced by an iron one.
»  In 1807, church workers were dismissed and religious services stopped being held.
»  At the church, Swedish monks were buried. The oldest grave here is of Magnus Ladulas who died in 1293. He was the king of the Folkung dynasty and the son of Birger Jarl, the founder of Stockholm. Since that time, 17 royalties and members of their families were buried at the church.
»  At Riddarholm Church, legendary Charles XII found his final resting place. It was his troops that were defeated at Poltava. In 1950, the deceased started to be buried at the cemetery of Hagaparken.
»  On the walls of the church, there are 1 748 arms of knights of the Royal Order of the Seraphim. Since the foundation of the Order in 1748, every entrant receives his own coat of arms. It is kept in the Royal Palace. When a knight dies, his coat of arms is taken to the church and the bells ring for an hour, from 12:00 to 13:00.