If you're going to Stockholm, be sure to set aside some time to spend underground.
This may seem like strange advice, especially in a city that's as visually appealing as Stockholm. But I promise that there's a good reason for you to spend some time underground.
And that reason is Stockholm's art-covered subway stations.
There are 100 subway stations on Stockholm's Tunnelbana (T-bana), and roughly 90 of them have some sort of artwork in them – making the Stockholm subway system one of the longest art exhibits in the world.
While some stations may only have sculptures or engravings or the odd mosaic, others are completely decked out in striking murals and paints.
After spending some time in Stockholm hopping from station to station, here are my picks for the best subway stations in Stockholm.
The best subway stations in Stockholm
T-centralen
Line: All lines
T-centralen is Stockholm's Central Station. It's where all the lines in the city converge, and also has some of my favorite artwork.
On the red and green line platforms, you'll find a wall covered in colorful glass prisms.
And down below on the blue line platforms, you'll find a series of white-and-blue murals. On the upper level are silhouettes of workers – welders, carpenters, steel workers, engineers, miners – to honor the men who built the subway.
Below, where the trains are, you'll find a vine motif that looks like it's growing up the walls and across the tunnel ceiling.
I won't lie – I went back to this station more than once for photos!
Solna Centrum
Line: Blue line
Chances are you may have seen photos of this station before. One of the escalators leading down to the trains at Solna Centrum has been nicknamed “the Gates to Hell” because of the assaulting red and black paint.
Elsewhere in the station, you'll also find green trees and various animals.
You've likely seen photos of this station before, and I definitely do think it's one of the best subway stations in Stockholm for photos!
Stadion
Line: Red line
I'm not sure you could go to this station and not be happy. The main color here is a sky blue, and there are rainbows everywhere – including one massive one stretching across the tunnel in between platforms.
The artists, Enno Hallek and Åke Pallarp, designed the station to commemorate the 1912 Stockholm Olympics (the rainbows represent the Olympic rings).
And even though Solna Centrum might be more “famous,” I think Stadion was actually my favorite Stockholm station to take pictures of.
Kungsträdgården
Line: Blue line
This station – the King's Garden – is painted in greens and reds and checkered patterns.
Along with the bright colors, you'll also find a mini archaeological museum here (near the Arsenalsgatan exit) with Roman columns and stone sculptures. The items are remnants from Makalös Palace, which once stood above where the station is today.
Rådhuset
Line: Blue line
Stockholm's City Hall station is very cave-like, with reddish-orange walls and a nod to the courthouse above with large cement pillars.
Tekniska Högskolan
Line: Red line
My last stop was at Tekniska Högskolan, which is home to a few sculptures and some ceiling artwork.
While these are my picks for the best subway stations in Stockholm (and certainly the most photogenic ones), these are of course only a handful of them!
Other stations you might want to check out if you have more time include:
- Alby (with a green-based design inspired by local petroglyphs)
- Thorildsplan (which has pixelated, video-game-inspired designs)
- Hötorget (with squiggly neon lights on the ceiling)
- Tensta (which has cave-painting-esque designs)
How to do it: A 24-hour pass on the Stockholm metro costs 120 SEK ($14.75 USD), and a 72-hour pass is 240 SEK. (These passes also work on buses and ferries in Stockholm.) A single metro ticket purchased from a ticket machine runs 43 SEK ($5.28), and is good to use as much as you want for 75 minutes from purchase. You could definitely fit in a few of these stations within 75 minutes if you don't plan to use the metro enough to warrant buying a travel card.
There are also free tours of some of the metro station art in the summer. From June to August, there are guided art walks in English every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, starting at 3 p.m. from SL Center, at T-Centralen Metro station (entrance from Sergels torg). The rest of the year tours are offered only in Swedish.
And here are some other tours in Stockholm to check out:
READ NEXT: An Introduction to Stockholm: A First-Time Visitor's Guide
Who's ready to spend some time underground in Stockholm?
Pin it for later!
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she's actually traveled!
I didn’t know anything about the art on the subway stations in Stockholm until I accidentally stumbled across it. I’d love to go back after having done some proper research and really spend some time exploring them all. Great photos!
Definitely something to check out more thoroughly next time!
Wow! This is a brilliant idea to spice up an underground subway. I’ve never been here but I’m adding this to my radar.
I was so glad I spent some time exploring!
Wow, this actually makes me want to take public transit:)
Haha I know, right?
These places are unreal! Thanks for such a great guide, too. This makes it so easy to find all these. I don’t think I ever would’ve gone *underground* for entertainment! Now I know, lol.
Now you know! 🙂
I have been to Stockholm twice but never found time for the subway stops. That should be remedied. Thank you for the nice post.
Next time you should definitely check them out!
Stockholm looks like quite an artistic city! I mean even the subway stations are so beautiful. It’s kind of intriguing.
I liked Stockholm a lot! It’s definitely a city I’m sure I’ll go back to. (Though it’s quite expensive!)
Wow, so beautiful!
Aren’t they though??
Wow, these are so fun to look at, really incredible!
I had a blast seeking out the coolest stations – who needs sunshine and fresh air when you have cool artwork like this? 😉
I went to Stockholm in June! And I was so fascinated with the Baltic Sea, the palaces and the museums, and everything else above-ground that I forgot to take a peek underground!
I had a marvellous time in Sweden, and very much hope to go back again soon!
And I pretty much only saw Stockholm! (That was the plan, though – I only had a few free days and decided not to try to cram too much in!) Next time you’ll definitely have to check out the subway.
Perfect timing, I’m headed to Stockholm next month! I think I agree with you, Stadion looks the coolest! I’m LGBT and own a ridiculous amount of clothing and accessories with rainbows on them, and so I look forward to taking a cliche picture in that station while wearing as many of them as possible xD
I think that sounds like an excellent idea!
They all look incredible! I love the rainbow one, Stockholm is definitely on my bucket list now! x
The rainbow one was my favorite, too!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful artwork. I enjoyed it immensely.
Glad you enjoyed it – so did I!
I used the subway in Stockholm and somehow managed to miss all these nice stations!
Aww bummer! You’ll have to make a point of seeing some of them if you ever go back!
Fantastic! Makes riding the subway fun, doesn’t it?
It sure does! I had a fun few hours tracking down all this cool artwork!
I love this! What a fun way to spice up the subway stations.
I agree! I don’t think I’d mind having to take the subway if I got to see stuff like this every day!