A food market dressed as a palace: dark brick outside, an iron-and-timber hall of delicacies within.
At a glance
Östermalms Saluhall opened in 1888 to bring the open-air food stalls of a smart Stockholm district under one roof. Isak Gustaf Clason and Kasper Salin gave it an ornate brick exterior and a warm interior of iron columns and carved wood. More than a century on, it still trades in fish, game, cheese and bread, and is counted among the handsomest market halls in Europe.
Key facts
- Location: Östermalmstorg, Stockholm
- Architects: Isak Gustaf Clason and Kasper Salin
- Opened: 1888
- Style: brick market hall, Northern Renaissance touches
- Function: covered food market
History
The city wanted its food trade off the streets and into a hygienic hall, as other European capitals were doing. Clason, soon to be one of Sweden’s leading architects, and Salin designed a building good enough to grace the square.
It opened in 1888 and has worked ever since, through a careful modern restoration that kept the historic stalls and ironwork. The hall remains a destination as much for its architecture as for its food.
What you see
Outside, dark red brick rises in arches and gables around the square. Inside, slender iron columns hold a high timber roof over rows of traditional stalls, the counters heavy with seafood, game and Nordic specialities. It is a working market that has never lost its grandeur.
Practical information
- Open: Monday to Saturday, market hours
- Cost: free to enter
- Best for: the brick exterior and the historic stalls
- Time needed: 30–45 minutes
Getting there
The hall is on Östermalmstorg, above the metro station of the same name (red line), a few minutes from the centre. It sits among the smart streets of Östermalm.
Nearby
- Hedvig Eleonora Church — the domed baroque church on the square
- Strandvägen — the grand waterfront boulevard, a short walk south
Sources
- Wikipedia — Östermalms saluhall
- Stockholms stad / Östermalms Saluhall — official information
- Wikimedia Commons — image source and licence
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