Stockholm’s 110km long subway network features over 90 metro stations filled with amazing artworks. Regarded as the world’s longest art gallery, we list our top 5 coolest subway stops with an easy to follow tour map.
We were lucky enough to spend a full 10 days in the Swedish capital of Stockholm. One of those days was spent almost completely underground exploring the coolest metro stations we’ve ever seen. Don’t get the wrong impression – we didn’t get lost and we don’t mean cool as in not heated!
- Best Stockholm metro art stations
- Tickets, tips and the best time to visit
- Metro Stations Tour Free PDF
Far from the usual rundown train stations seen in a lot of big cities, Stockholm’s metro stations are individual works of art, architecture and design. Around 150 artists have been involved as part of an ongoing project started in the 50’s to decorate Stockholm’s Tunnelbana subway system. Some 90 of the 100 total metro stations are part of the acclaimed ‘world’s longest art gallery’, each station decorated in its own theme of sculptures, patterns, coloured walls, mosaic tiles and faux rock formations.
This impressive claim can be a little misleading, however, as a lot of the stations only have smaller artworks or sculptures especially the further out of the city centre you go. Still a beautiful and welcome sight, but if you are only in Stockholm for a short time we recommend maximising your time by hitting up the real show stopper stations first.
The best Stockholm metro art stations on a single ticket
We researched and visited over a dozen different stations before narrowing it down to our top 5. Of course, we encourage you to try and see as many stations you can, but if you are short on time we have done the hard yards for you and picked the biggest and most impressive stations you can easily cover on one single 75-minute subway ticket.
Make sure to save a copy of our PDF map so you can easily self-guide yourself around this Stockholm subway art tour. Starting at Rådhuset station on the Blue line, you should be able to spend 5-10 minutes at all stations looking around before moving on, finishing with time to spare.
If you have a 24 hour, 72 hours or 7-day ticket you can see them in your time and hopefully work a few extras into your itinerary. You may also be interested in a guided metro art walk with SL – the Stockholm metro authority.
1. Rådhuset
Seemingly carved straight from rock and left raw, Rådhuset metro station, painted in a deep red/orange colour, gives off the eerie and unsettling (but true) impression of being deep within the bowels of the earth. Our favourite part though is the gigantic columns that look like they’re being swallowed by the earth, right next to the escalators.
2. T-Centralen
A much lighter theme can be found at T-Centralen, with whitewashed walls and blue painted patterns of vines converging on the ceiling above you. This station has a very Scandi vibe to it and looks simply incredible.
3. Stadion
Any bad day would be brightened by journeying through Stadion metro station. The vivid sky blue walls covered in rainbows make it our favourite metro station so far. We went well out of our way to visit this station, but those colourful rainbows made the journey worth it!
4. Kungsträdgården – King’s Garden
This station is a crazy mix of chequered floor, red and green striped patterns, some random sculptures and roof graphics. Thoroughly retro styling, like you’ve just fallen down the rabbit hole, or entered a time-warp!
5. Odenplan
Wander through the entrance hall to this station and be captivated by the ‘lifeline’, a pattern of fluorescent lights modelled from the heartbeat of the artist’s (David Svensson) son.
© Tom Bjorkstedt – Flickr (Public Domain), © Helen Alfvegren – Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Stockholm Metro tickets, tips and the best time to visit.
Stockholm Metro tickets can be purchased at most stations, SL Centers, newsagents, via SMS or the SL app. Visitor tickets come in single 75 minute, 24 hour, 72 hour and 7-day options. For a low cost it’s well worth it to see some amazing art, and move around the city quickly. Grab yourself the most appropriate ticket for your length of stay in Stockholm, download our map below and explore this amazing underground art gallery!
For up to date ticket information visit: https://sl.se/en/fares–tickets/
- The Metro system is all under Zone A so no need to worry about any complex zoning systems with your ticket.
- The best time to go is super early, in the middle of the day or late evening on a weekday. That way you’ll avoid the rush of peak hour and weekend crowds leaving you plenty of space to enjoy wandering the stations. Sunday afternoons can also be quiet if there are no major events on.
- Board each train near the first or last carriage. This way when you get off at your next stop you can systematically walk your way through the station before moving on again.
Download the app Citymapper – it’s the best way to plan your next train or route from A to B, plus it gives you a guide on how much your journey will cost.
Walk Slow Run Wild’s 5 Most Amazing Stockholm Metro Stations Tour
Designed to tick off the biggest and best metro stations on a single 75-minute ticket.
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Stuart m Lawrence says
I was just looking at the 5 underground station artwork site and it has made me think, because I used to aspire to being an artist until I got taken by cyber stalkers and intellectual property thieves, this is the UK of course where 51% of the a referendum drove the 49 % right out of Europe, so no surprises over tabloid mob rule in these the western Atlantic fringes.
I thought of some you could commission or encourage school art
– where a school winner could communally design a sort of mural on any theme they chose, one for primary 2d art and another for secondary sophisticated.
– Other Scandinavian themes would include Santa’s workshop
– The court of the goblin king,
– Dwarf miners and metal forgers.
– And of course Loki, Thor Freya I see there is an Odenplan
Maybe a Brigid brophy, a moire or a Max Ernst copy.
What do you think, I am not up to it quite frankly I can no longer draw with those Papparazi network projection thieves. They are scum who feed on other peoples psyche.
I live in the Shetland Isles , which from Scandinavian talkers perspective is on the way to Pharoe and Iceland.
please excuse me if you think this is intrusive
Stuart m Lawrence says
SO these tunnels lead all the way to Ibsen’s goblin mines.
Have they been changed over the years because the first picture I saw of a Stockholm underground station
looked to sort of Uderground op art but these one looks like you are in the rocky oesphagus of hell, another a
crude spectrum, and laser projection storm, and a o level art serviette design.
But with another 85 my first impressions must still be out there or under there.
HOws the spring? a sunny day yet, are the Wallender tours of Skane murder sites on thsi summer.
Thank you for your time,
Hugo says
Great stuff! I like the heartbeat one the best. Really cool!