Stockholm Subway Art Guide: How to Visit the 7 Most Beautiful

When you think of a metro system, what comes to mind? Crowded trains, bustling platforms, and the occasional musician strumming a guitar? You probably don’t think of cool art mural and sculptures, but that’s exactly what the Stockholm metro is like. In Stockholm, the metro offers much more than transportation. Nicknamed “the world’s longest art gallery,” the Stockholm Metro, spanning over 100 kilometers, has 90+ stations featuring art from local and international artists. The Stockholm metro subway art is a must see for both residents and tourists, but which ones are best and how do you visit?

In this blog, we’ll explore the history behind the subway art, highlight must-see stations, and provide practical tips for navigating the metro. No matter how long your stay is in Stockholm, you’re guaranteed to see at least one beautiful station (as long as you take the metro). And even if you’re not an art lover, hopefully you’ll be inclined to visit some stations after reading this post!

History of Stockholm Subway Art

In the 19th century, the Stockholm public felt a need for more accessible art, which at the time was only enjoyed by Swedish elites. After World War II, Sweden (because of its neutrality and high taxes) and the Swedish Social Democratic Party the 1950’s helped user an era of cultural boom, introducing national welfare and medical care. As people moved to the suburbs for work, a subway needed to be built to accommodate the influx of people going to and from the city.

The Stockholms tunnelbana, or Stockholm Metro in English, launched the Stockholm Metro art project to make art accessible to everyone and apart of everyday life. They commissioned artists and also held competitions to find painters and sculptures to bring art to the subway. It was a groundbreaking move to commission artists to create site-specific works that would not only beautify the underground stations but also resonate with the cultural and historical context of each location.

Most works capture the cultural and political sentiment at the time, and now serve as a time capsule for Sweden’s history. As a result, the collaboration between artists and the metro authority, SL (Storstockholms Lokaltrafik) is a captivating mix of contemporary and classic artworks, which regular people like you and me can enjoy.

Stockholm Subway Basics

The Stockholm Metro, or “Tunnelbana” in Swedish and T-bana for short, opened in 1950 and currently has 100 stations. It is the backbone of the city’s public transportation network and is managed by Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL), the regional public transport authority.

It connects the Swedish capital and its suburbs, as well as its many cultural landmarks. Approximately 1.2 million passengers use the metro daily! It is also known as the world’s longest art gallery and 90 of its stations have some sort of art installation.

The Stockholm Metro has three main lines—Blue, Red, and Green—each branching out to cover different parts of the city and surrounding areas. You can see each line’s coverage in the Stockholm metro map below:

• Blue Line (T10/T11): Extends from Kungsträdgården in central Stockholm to Hjulsta and Akalla in the northwest, passing through key stations like T-Centralen and Solna Centrum.
• Red Line (T13/T14): Runs from Norsborg and Fruängen in the south to Ropsten and Mörby Centrum in the northeast, including major hubs such as Slussen and Tekniska högskolan.
• Green Line (T17/T18/T19): Connects Hässelby strand, Alvik, and Åkeshov in the west to Hagsätra, Farsta strand, and Skarpnäck in the south, featuring central stops like Gamla stan and Medborgarplatsen.

Must-See Stockholm Subway Art Overview

Even though 90 stations in the Stockholm subway have art, not all of them have art murals decorating the station walls. Some have art sculptures and art that cover only a small section. So some stations are more impressive than others, and are worth going out of your way to see.

Here, I highlight some of the most iconic and visually stunning stations that are must-sees for any visitor.

1. T-Centralen

Metro line: Blue, Red, Green

T-Centralen is Stockholm’s Central Station connecting all three lines and is the heart of Stockholm’s public transportation. The artist Per Olof Ultvedt painted murals with a blue leaf vine print on a white background seen all throughout the station symbolizing unity.

He also painted murals of the station’s construction workers in the same blue and white color scheme. It’s one of the most beautiful stations in the metro. Most visitors end up transiting to and from central station, so it’s probably the most visited subway art station.

2. Kungsträdgården

Metro line: Blue

Swedish for King’s Garden, Kungsträdgården is the most kaleidescopic art in the Stockholm subway. It’s zany, with a combination of red and green splotches, black and white checkers and stripes, colorful hexagons, and statues. It’s one of my favorite stations in the Stockholm subway! The station is also directly under the Kungsträdgården, one of Stockholm’s oldest parks.

Two centuries ago, the Makalös Palace and its French Garden sat at the present the King’s Garden. The old palace and garden influenced the subway art: the red, green, and white colors refer to the French garden and the statues are replicas of the palace’s. Not only that, but the station also is home to a tiny two millimeter, rare cave spider, Lessertia dentichelis, that normally dwells in caves, mines, and dark, underground areas.

3. Radhuset

Metro line: Blue

Radhuset is known for its cave-like appearance and named after the courthouse it sits under. The artist Sigvard Olsson left the walls in their natural rock state because of its beautiful pink-red color. The reddish-brown hues of the exposed bedrock create a warm, earthy environment.

In terms of decorating the station, he wanted the station to feature historical references, such as replicas of artifacts and displays that tell the story of the area’s past. You’ll see metal objects embedded into the walls and ceilings as you glance around the station. While it may look simple, I think it’s quite elegant and well-executed.

4. Stadion

Metro line: Red

Named after the Stockholm Olympic Stadium, this station is famous for its bright blue skies and rainbow mural. Stadion was one of the first cave stations, built in 1973, but people feared that the underground cave stations would be dirty and cold.

So the artists, Åke Pallarp and Enno Hallek, brought the skies underground. Coincidentally, Stadion is also the gateway subway station for Stockholm’s Pride Festival, which makes the rainbow the perfect welcome to pride.

5. Tekniska Högskolan

Metro line: Red

This station feeds into the Royal Institute of Technology, so it’s no surprise that the art, by Lennart Mörk, in this station is science and technology-themed. The station’s walls feature illustrations of scientific concepts, formulas, and portraits of famous scientists like Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton.

The most famous feature of this station is the giant glass polyhedron structure hanging from the ceiling. It’s a very futuristic station that makes you feel like you’re on a different planet!

6. Universitetet

Metro line: Red

Universitetet station, near Stockholm University, features nature-inspired artwork by Françoise Schein. The artwork features Swedish biologist and physician Carl von Linné and UN Human Rights, reflecting themes of education, ecology, learning, and progress.

The two main features of this station are the life-size exit sign men painted on the doors and the tile map of Carl’s travels across the world.

7. Hötorget

Metro line: Green

This is the most aesthetic station of them all, with a retro 1950’s vibe. The station has gorgeous light blue tile walls that are the original tiles since its opening in 1950. In addition to the walls, the platform signs, benches, wastebaskets are also original and preserved to keep its retro atmosphere.

It didn’t have any artwork until 1998, when artist Gun Gordillo added dynamic, neon-light installations to the ceiling, creating a sense of motion and energy. This is my personal favorite station and I love that they kept the original interior.

Stockholm Subway Tickets

Of course, you’ll need to pay for the subway to see the subway art. Luckily, you only have to pay for one ticket and you’ll get 75 minutes of subway art viewing time.

All of the subway art is within the subway metro gates, and most of the art are on the subway platforms. You won’t need to walk far into the station to enjoy the art—you can even poke your head out the subway car and stay on the same line.

There are 3 main ways you can pay for the Stockholm metro: single-journey ticket, SL travelcard, or using contactless payment.

Single-journey tickets: A single ticket is 42 SEK (~$4 USD) and gives you 75 minutes of unlimited travel.

SL travelcard: This is a top-uppable card that stores different types of metro tickets. You can buy a travelcard for 20 SEK and store different ticket time periods, including 24 and 72 hours, 7, 30, and 90 days, and 1 year. You get unlimited travel during the selected time period. Additionally, you can store single tickets on the card.

Contactless payment: You don’t need to buy a ticket or card; just tap your contactless bank card at the metro gates and hop on! Each tap is equivalent to purchasing one single journey ticket (42 SEK), which is valid for 75 minutes.

Depending on how long you are staying, any of the three above options work. These options also work across the Stockholm public transport system, which is super easy to use and navigate.

But, up next, I’ll share my guide to visiting the artwork!

Guide to Visiting the Best Stockholm Subway Art

Here is a step-by-step guide on visiting the best Stockholm subway art and you can cover it all in ONE single-journey ticket. I visited more than the 7 stations I listed above (and I went kind of crazy…) and narrowed it down to the best ones.

However, before I tell you how to see all the art, here are some things you should know:

• Plan to spend 1.5-2 hours for this art tour.
  • While the stations are relatively close together, this factors in travel time, viewing time, and the time it takes to wait for the next train to come.
• Most subway art is on the platform.
  • It’s convenient that most of the art is concentrated on the platform area, but some of it is seen going further into the station. I encourage you to walk up and down the platform and up the escalators towards the exits if you have time!
• Go during off peak hours.
  • Peak hours are 8:00-9:00 AM and 4:00-6:00 PM on weekdays.
• Use the bathroom ahead of time.
  • Stockholm is notorious for not having public bathrooms, which includes no bathrooms in the station. But if you need to use it while you’re touring, read on to learn about the new public bathroom initiative…
• Some stations are not in the city center.
  • There are 90 stations that have art and some are very far away, so take that into account if you decide to go further!

Recommended Stockholm Subway Art Itinerary

If you want to see the best of the Stockholm subway art, I recommend starting at Kungsträdgården, then to T-Centralen, Radhuset, Hötorget, Stadion, Tekniska Högskolan, Universitet, then ending at T-Centralen.

You basically go in a loop, starting central, going west, then north, and back down to central. This way, you minimize backtracking. You travel on all three lines and ending up back in central Stockholm at T-Centralen for more exploring or connecting to a metro home.

Step-by-Step Stockholm Subway Art Guide

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to take this subway art tour (with metro ride times):

Direction: Take the blue line towards Hjulsta or Barkaby.

1. Start at Kungsträdgården and take the blue line to T-Centralen. (2 min)
2. From T-Centralen, take the blue line to Radhuset. (1 min)
3. From Radhuset, take the blue line to Fridhemsplan and change to the green line. (1 min)

Direction: Take the green line towards Farsta Strand or Skarpnäck.

1. From Fridhemsplan, take the green line to Hötorget. (5 min)
2. From Hötorget, take the green line back to T-Centralen and change to the red line. (1 min)

Direction: Take the red line to Mörby Centrum (NOT Ropsten).

1. From T-Centralen, take the red line to Stadion. (2 min)
2. From Stadion, take the red line to Tekniska Högskolan. (3 min)
3. From Tekniska Högskolan, take the red line to Universitet. (1 min)

Direction: Take the red line to Norsborg or Fruängen.

1. From Universitet, finally, take the red line to T-Centralen. (7 min)

Also, here’s an annotated map to follow for visual reference:

The metro ride time is 23 minutes total. You’ll probably spend 5-10 minutes walking around each platform, for an average total time of 50 minutes. Then, waiting for the next train to come can range anywhere from 2-6 minutes per ride. You’ll change subway cars 9 times, for an average total time of 36 minutes.

So, on average, you’ll spend about 109 total minutes on this tour, which is about an hour and 49 minutes. Basically, two hours!

Stockholm Subway Art Tips

Here are some tips for getting the best art tour experience:

• Most of the subway art is on the platform.
  • If you’re trying to expedite your tour, you can stand near the subway door, peek out and not get off the car, and continue on your journey once the doors close. You can even run out, take a quick pic, and run back in.
• There are dark areas.
  • Because the subway is underground, some areas are not as well lit as others. So if you want nice photos, use flash or go towards the brighter areas.
• Don’t try to see all the stations.
  • Trust me, it takes forever and it’s not worth it. The farther you go, the less frequent trains are…
• Wear comfortable shoes.
• Respect the Space:
  • Be mindful of other passengers. While the art is a highlight, the primary function of the metro is transportation. Avoid blocking pathways or sitting in areas not designated for resting.
• Take a (Free) Guided Tour:
  • SL (Stockholm Public Transport) and the Stockholm Modern Art museum hosts a free guided tour of the metro from June to August on Thursdays and Saturdays once a day. Swedish tours are at 1:30 PM and English is at 3 PM. All tours start at the SL Center near T-Centralen and lasts about an hour. You’ll get some backstory to the art!

Bathrooms in Stockholm

Now, say you went on this tour and suddenly you need to use the bathroom. You try to find one in the metro but to no success. And if you’ve already been in Stockholm for a little bit, you’ll realize that there is a shortage of free public toilets. You usually have to pay a small fee of 10 SEK, but most places take cash only. But fear not, you’re in luck!

The people have complained about the lack of free toilets, so the city took action and in 2018, installed 70 free self-cleaning toilets around the city.

The city administration even created a Google maps with all the free public toilet locations so you have an accurate toilet map. Also, the dark green checkmarks indicate the in-operation toilets.

This is something I never would have thought about had I not experienced it myself! Never have I ever been so happy to find this information than when I was on my own tour. I was about halfway into my subway art tour when I realized the metro had no bathrooms. I was already holding my pee in, thinking I could make it a little longer. Luckily, I was at the Tekniska Högskolan station and there happened to be a free toilet right outside the station. Relief!

Enjoy the World’s Longest Art Gallery!

Hopefully, this guide on how to see the Stockholm metro art helps you have a smooth and great experience! The Stockholm metro being the world’s longest art gallery is so unique. No where else can you enjoy world-class art in multiple stations on public transportation. The sheer number of stations with art is overwhelming, but this breaks down how to see the best and maximize your time. Don’t forget to use the bathroom before you go and take in all the great underground art and architecture while you’re in Stockholm. Happy travels!