Riddarhuset, Stockholm, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

Riddarhuset, the House of Nobility, is a Baroque palace on Riddarhustorget in Stockholm, built in the 17th century as the meeting place of Sweden's noble estate. It is one of the finest surviving examples of Baroque civic architecture in Scandinavia, and it still serves as the home of the Swedish nobility's records and representation.

The story behind it

Construction ran from 1641 to 1674, in the years when Lord High Chancellor Axel Oxenstierna was the dominant figure in Sweden during the minority of Queen Christina. The first architect, Simon de la Vallée, died in 1642, and his son Jean de la Vallée carried the project through to completion. The decorated facade is attributed to the Dutch architect Justus Vingboons.

For more than two centuries the building was one of the four chambers of the Riksdag of the Estates, where the nobles met to debate and vote. That system ended with the parliamentary reform of 1866. The house has stayed linked to the nobility ever since, and its archives, which record centuries of aristocratic families, remain a useful source for historians.

What to look for

• The facade is the best place to start: look at how the red brick is set off by pale stone detail, a Dutch-influenced Baroque style.
• Notice the sheer scale of the building against the open square, which was clearly meant to show the weight of the noble estate in the 17th century.
• If you can see the main hall, look at the walls, which are covered with coats of arms, one for each noble family introduced to the Swedish nobility.
• Only a little over a quarter of those families, roughly 600, are still extant, so the many arms of vanished families tell their own story.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 20 minutes for the exterior and the square, and more if you manage to join a visit inside.
• Access to the interior can be limited, so check current opening hours and visiting arrangements before you plan around it.
• The building sits close to Riddarholmen and Gamla Stan, so it combines easily with a longer walk through the old town.
• Morning or late afternoon light is kind to the facade, and the square is usually calmer outside the busiest midday hours.

See it on a quest

Secret Societies of Stockholm passes Riddarhuset, so you reach it on foot as one stop of a longer route through the area. The app tells you about the place when you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. It suits a building that was a seat of power and exclusive membership. One ticket covers the whole group, and you can start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join.