Stockholm Metro Stations: 8 Beautiful Station Artworks

Looking for the most beautiful Stockholm metro stations? There’s a whole art gallery underground in the Swedish capital just waiting to be explored!

Normally thoughts of a metro station connotate images of dark, dreary platforms crowded with hundreds of people. But not Stockholm. Stockholm metro stations are something of an exhibit.

During our trip to the Scandinavian capital, we spent hours touring the underground exploring all the different sights. And no, we’re neither crazy people nor trainspotters!

The metro in Stockholm is said to be the world’s longest art gallery. And boy, they’re not wrong!

You’ll find platform after platform of bright colours, beautiful patterns, sculptures, mosaics, paintings, and even scenery carved out of wood in little glass boxes. We absolutely loved it!

So, if you’re looking to see the best Stockholm subway art, you’re in the right place.

8 Most Beautiful Stockholm Metro Stations to Visit

These are the best and most beautiful metro stations to visit in Stockholm.

1. T-Centralen Station

The centre point of the Stockholm metro (and of your journey through the city’s underground art) T-Centralen is one of the main lines in the city.

It’s a hub for both local and long-distance trains, as well as the metro, buses, trains, and the city’s airport, Arlanda.

With its gorgeous blue and white walls, T-Centralen first opened in 1957. It was also the first station to feature artwork. The top part of the station’s art installations shows people working, whereas the design down on the blue line platform is covered with beautiful blue and white floral motifs. 

2. Solna Centrum Station

The vibrant colours and shocking red, green, and black of Solna Centrum Station are a stark contrast to the calming blue of the central line.

Since the station is also located on the Blue Line, you can reach Solna within about 20 minutes of T-Centralen station. The art is obvious as soon as you get off the train.

Originally, the Swedish artists had only planned to paint the walls red and green, so a lot of the additional scenery was improvised. But it depicts a lot of controversial topics in Sweden including the environment and deforestation of the country.

As well as the artwork itself, Solna has a few surprises dotted about its platform. For instance, glass boxes showing certain scenes from the past, houses, environments, or, in one case, a lifesize moose!

The station is dramatic, beautiful, and one of the best Stockholm metro lines by far.

3. Odenplan Station

Out of all of Stockholm’s metro stations, this is one of my absolute favourites. But it was definitely the hardest art to find. We were wandering around Odenplan station for a while and, in the end, we had to ask one of the staff where to find it!

Odenplan is located on the Green Line, about 6 minutes from T-Centralen.

To reach the artwork head down the escalator to the commuter rail once you arrive at the station. Keep going down until you reach the bottom, then head to the far right as you get off the escalator.

This will take you to the western entrance hall. Here is where you’ll find the magnificent masterpiece.

Only completed in 2017, this is one of the newest pieces of artwork on the subways. Designed by David Svensson, the dramatic florescent lights look like bolts of electricity running down the escalator. 

The design was inspired by the heartbeat of his son displayed on a monitor – so it’s also one of the sweetest artistic interpretations on the platforms. It’s truly stunning. And definitely worth the extra wandering around to find it!

4. Kungsträdgården Station (King’s Garden)

This was another of my favourite of all the metro stations I visited. It was also possibly the most stunning of all the artworks. 

Kungsträdgården Station is located at the end of the Blue Line, about 4 minutes away from T-Centralen.

The station is named after the nearby Kungsträdgården park, which was the former location of the magnificent Makalös Palace, a beautiful French garden. The garden was the inspiration for the artwork. 

The station features a red, green, and white theme (a reference to the garden) and includes sculptures, mosaics, murals, and miniature garden scenes depicted on either side of the walkway just before you reach the escalator.

On one side of the platform, there’s even a fountain with trickling water along the walls.

5. Stadion Station

To get to this next station, you’ll need to switch lines. Stadion Station is only a 7-minute train from T-Centralen but along the red line as opposed to the blue.

The station is named after the nearby Olympic Stadium and is one of the city’s first cave stations, built in 1973.

To brighten up the originally dreary station, it was decorated with a vivid rainbow design. The centre of the station features the most famous artwork in Stockholm – the rainbow that covers the ceiling of the station.

At either end of the station, there are also wooden sculptures, also painted in bright colours and beautiful rainbows. 

By happy coincidence, this station is also the closest station to the Östermalms IP, the main festival area for Stockholm Pride.

6. Tekniska Högskolan Station

Tekniska Högskolan is named after the nearby Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), one of the most prestigious technical universities in Sweden. It seems only fitting that the nearby subway station would have a similar level of technology in its artwork. Tekniska doesn’t disappoint. 

Located on the red line, about 8 minutes from T-Centralen, the ceiling at the centre of the station is covered with a swirling pattern of blues and whites. Dangling below this is a polyhedron, each representing one of Plato’s five elements: fire, water, air, earth, and ether. 

This is arguably the most impressive artwork on the station. But, you’ll also find other sneaky references to technological advancements along the platform.

Have a hunt around and you’ll find depictions of Leonardo da Vinci’s efforts in creating a flying machine, Polhem’s mechanical alphabet, and Newton’s three laws of motion.

7. Rådhuset Station

Rådhuset is named after the nearby court house of the same name. Just 2 stops from T-Centralen and about 3 minutes journey time, when you get off the train, you’ll be greeted by a stunning pinkish-orange colour. 

At either end of the station, you’ll find what looks like gigantic columns built right into the rock, next to escalators.

The colour of the station is supposed to represent the Atlas Mountains. It also kind of gives the feeling of being deep underground because of the rosy hue.

8. Tensta Station

Walking into this station you’ll feel like you’re in a cave full of ancient carvings. The beautiful white walls of Tensta Station are decorated with a collection of animals and leaves including a woolly mammoth, a moose, and an adorable collection of penguin sculptures.

The station has frequently been used by many immigrants who moved to Sweden, and this art is meant to symbolise how “Everyone is welcome no matter where your roots are”. 

How to see Stockholm’s Metro art?

While you can sometimes see the best stations on the way to Stockholm’s old town, in my opinion, the Stockholm metro art is best seen on a self-guided tour.

If you really want to see the art, I recommend dedicating some time to actually exploring the stations. Afterwards, you can head to the beautiful Gamla Stan and the other wonderful attractions in the centre of Stockholm.

To get to most of the stations, T-Centralen or the central station is a good starting point.

From here, it’s an easy distance to the other stations and, at most, a 20-minute train ride between the central station and the one furthest away. However, I’d allow at least an hour and a half (maybe more, depending on how many pictures you want to take), to see all of the stations above. 

It’s also worth noting that once you’re at the station, the art could be anywhere. I suggest walking the entire length of the station on both platforms to make sure you see everything.

There are sometimes little things like a statue or a sculpture tucked away near the exit elevators that you wouldn’t see if you simply stayed in the middle or on only one side.

How much is a metro ticket in Stockholm?

A single metro ticket in Stockholm is about 38 SEK. This equates to around £3, €3.4 or $3.70. This is the same with other methods of transport across the city such as buses and trams.

One ticket is valid for 75 minutes and you have to tap in and out via the turnstiles at the entrances to the stations (or on the ticket machines on the buses). Technically, if you stay on one line (such as the blue line where many of these stations are located), you can see a lot with a single ticket.

You can purchase tickets via machines at the station or by using a credit card at the terminal. If you’re spending a few days in Sweden, you can also purchase 24-hour tickets and 72-hour tickets from the terminal. But, this may be more expensive depending on how much you plan on using the transport.

Top Tip: It doesn’t always charge the full amount on the card straight away. Our bank statement said that we’d only paid 28p for transport until about 3 days after we’d got back to England. So, you may need to wait a while until the correct balance is shown.

Final Thoughts on The Art in Stockholms Metro Stations…

The capital of Sweden is a wonderful city and exploring the metro was an unexpected pleasure. The best stations show the talent of artists from Sweden and around the world.

Even though these are some of the most popular Stockholm metro stations, there are plenty of other stations full of beautiful artwork that I saw from the train as I was whizzing by. The actual scale and effort that’s been put into each of the stations is incredible. 

All in all, a visit to the Stockholm metro is not only a way to get around but also an opportunity to see a beautiful free art gallery.

P.S. If you want to explore more street art in northern Europe, I recommend Reykjavik city centre, Stavanger in Norway, and Hellisandur, a hidden gem in Iceland.

👉 If you’re planning a trip to Sweden, here are my top recommendations for Stockholm.

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