Stockholm photo spots
One of the must do’s on my list when we visited Stockholm was to get beautiful photos of Stockholm. The city is so pretty and charming, not to mention a place with almost never-ending light in the summer time, making Stockholm one of the most photogenic cities. I’ve shared my favorite Stockholm photo spots for you here, if you’re also looking to capture the beauty of this city. I Check out my Stockholm travel blog guide below on where to take photos in Stockholm.
Looking for more great tips in Europe? Check out these posts:
- Europe’s most romantic getaways
- The Netherlands’ best hidden gems
- Calella de Parafrugell: A local’s retreat outside of Barcelona
The best spots for Stockholm photography
To get your photo of Gamla Stan, you want to get to the viewpoint on Södermalm’s north shore, along a walking path called Monteliusvägen. Monteliusvägen is oddly reminiscent of the views of Manhattan from Brooklyn Heights. Maybe this sounds like a bit of a stretch, but still, I was reminded of Brooklyn when we set off to take pictures of Gamla Stan.
How to reach Monteliusvägen for a photo of Gamla Stan
If you’re already in Gamla Stan, you can easily walk to Monteliusvägen, especially if you don’t mind doing a bit of uphill walking. Cross the Centralbron bridge into Södermalm (here you’ll already be able to get lovely photos of Södermalm’s architecture), and start heading up the stairs at the end of the bridge.
You’ll want to reach Söder Malarstrand street, which you will follow to take the stairs on Maria Trappgrand, and then turn right onto Monteliusvägen. Simply follow the Monteliusvägen walking path for a beautiful viewpoint over Stockholm to get the iconic shot of the city. The view from Monteliusvägen is one of the best photo spots in Stockholm and one of the most iconic.
You can also get great shots of Gamla Stan and Södermalm from Katarina Hissen (Katarina Elevator). To enter Katarina Elevator the route seems a bit strange, but trust me, its worth it! From the Slussen metro stop (just on the end of Centralbron bridge, navigate to Eriks Gondolen. Don’t be shy, take the elevator up to the top floor, to the bar of Eriks Gondolen, where you can walk out on the platform to get views to take the best Stockholm photos.
Be sure to bask in the view and have some drinks up there afterward, it is a great place to chill out after a day of tourist-ing and capturing Stockholm photography.
Where to get the best shots in Stockholm: Gamla Stan
The spice colored buildings of Gamla Stan are the perfect subjects of any photography in Stockholm. There are some particularly charming spots and alleyways within Gamla Stan that you definitely don’t want to miss for your Stockholm pictures.
The iconic square: Stortorget
It should go without saying that Stortorget in Gamla Stan is one of the best places to take photos in Stockholm. I don’t think I really need to put this one on the list, since you’d definitely visit if you are going to Stockholm, so I’ll just leave my Stockholm photography below to prove how lovely it is.
The streets and alleyways
Take your time to wander around Gamla Stan – you’re on a vacation, so no need to rush! Gamla Stan is filled with dozens of photo spots, so this isn’t a complete list, but just a few places not to miss:
Tyska Brinken
The view of Södermalm from Tyska Brinken (street) is simply beautiful, the heigh of this street makes it one of the best photo spots in Stockholm. With the German Church at your back, follow this street toward the Ben & Jerry’s – sorry, but that’s the best spot to call out! – and get some great shots of Södermalm’s architecture from afar.
I took this photo below from Tyska Brinken just below sunset when the sun was perfectly hitting the hills of Södermalm. This is easily one of my favorite Stockholm photo spots.
Storkyrkobrinken
Another one of the best places to take photos in Stockholm is Storkyrkobrinken (street), looking toward Storkyrkan (church). This is just a short walk from Vassabron foot bridge and a few minutes away from Stortorget. Everything in Gamla Stan is within a short walk, so be sure not to miss this Stockholm photo spot.
Stockholm’s best instagram spots: the metro stations
You might be asking yourself – is Gabby joking? C’mon, I would never lead you astray! The subways are some of the best places to take photos in Stockholm. Some of Stockholm’s subways are works of art that are totally worth a visit. There are 14 artistic metro stations to visit, but don’t stress yourself to visit all of them. If you buy an hour-long metro pass you can make it to many of the stations within the time limit. I’ve listed out the best metro stations below to help you get your best photos of Stockholm.
Stockholm metro stations
T-Centralen
T-Centralen is one of the best places to take photos in Stockholm and probably the most popular metro station to visit. Head over to the Blue Line to see this station in all its glory. Unfortunately all of my photos from T-Centralen ended up being dark somehow, so I had to borrow this pic from Visit Stockholm
Solna Centrum
Solna Centrum is conveniently located on the Blue Line as well, just like T-Centralen. This mural takes a more serious note than T-Centralen, and illustrates the environment and deforestation.
Kungsträdgården
The name of this station mean’s King’s Garden in English, and its no surprise to see why. The station artwork tells the story of the history above ground – the King’s Garden used to be located above where this station is currently located until 1825, then was used as a public park from 1875 onward. In this metro station you’ll come across some statues that may seem a bit out of place at first… but this is all part of the whole “garden theme.”
Red line metro art
Stadion
Look, a rainbow! Not much to say about this one other than “aww!”
These are some of my favorite metro stops, but if you want to check out more, visit the Visit Stockholm website for a complete guide.
Take a step back in time with a visit to Skansen
Located on museum island, Skansen is undeniably one the best places to take photos in Stockholm. Skansen is the world’s oldest open air museum, and is like a miniature version of Sweden, with whole villages recreated and authentic houses, farms and churches that have been moved across the country for you to visit. In the buildings you’ll find actors dressed as the caretakers who are happy to explain to you what life used to be like in Sweden, making it one of the best Stockholm photo spots.
At first Skansen may sound a bit like a kid’s attraction, but rest assured it is a great visit for adults and kids alike. One thing I appreciate most about Skansen is also the wildlife that is houses – but don’t worry, this isn’t a zoo. In fact Skansen is busy with wildlife conservation, and aims to educate the public about the importance of conserving Sweden’s wildlife.
You’ll need to give Skansen a whole day to visit it in all it’s glory, and to capture the photos of this charming place. This is one of the few places on the list that you actually have to pay for, so keep that in mind!
Where to stay in Stockholm
We stayed at Motel L which is located on the edge of Södermalm. Motel L was the only place I could find that had a reasonable price, looked cute and was decently located. Motel L costs about 100euro per night – so all in all, not such a bad price to pay in Stockholm!
Looking for a great camera to capture similar photos?
A great DSLR camera is one of the best travel companions you can have. I love looking back at my travel photos months afterward and feeling like I’m brought back to my trip just through the sheer quality of my photos. I use Nikon D5300 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera with Built-in Wi-Fi and GPS Body Only (Black) and Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED Vibration Reduction Zoom Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR Cameras.
I really like this Nikon for a few reasons:
- It’s not super pricey – I think this is a great entry into DSLR
- It has Wifi : This means I can operate it remotely from my phone – hello selfies! and, that also means I can upload photos through its app – hello Instagram!
- The quality is excellent: this camera already has a pretty decent zoom, but best of all is that the quality holds up when you zoom in on the photos on your phone or laptop
Looking for more tips on what to do in Stockholm? Consider a day trip to charming Vaxholm
Gabby is a native (Northern) Californian who spent the majority of her 20’s living the expat life in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, exploring Europe and beyond. 27 countries later, she’s relocated back to her home base in California where she explores her passions for the travel and the outdoors.
22 Comments
Stokholm looks like a photographers dream! I love how you included a variety of shots, the one of the church behind the street is a fab shot. The bike outside the house is really quaint and whimsical as well. Some great spots for the perfect ‘gram. Thanks for sharing.
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Leave it to the Swedes to make even metro stations look spectacular! Your tips would be quite handy for anyone visiting Stockholm. I enjoyed your photos, particularly the ones of Storkyrkobrinken and Tyska Brinken.
haha I know, the Swedish can make anything look beautiful… #ikea
Beautiful photographs! Looks like a dream 🙂 Will definitely be making note of this post for when I visit Stockholm. Nice to know what camera you are using, I’m in the market for a new camera and always curious what others are using for travel.
thanks Meaghan! I’m really happy with my Nikon! Hope you will enjoy Stockholm
They won’t be instagram famous for nothing, right? Awesome photos, eapixially the ones with the clock tower as the center piece.
thanks Noel!
FOrwarding to Hubby:) This is very useful information…thank you for sharing. Oh my…. your photos are AMAZING!!!
thanks very much!
The tube stations are crazy! I had no idea they look like that. I use the Google pixel which has great low light action…
yeah they are works of art in themselves! good tip on the google pixel 🙂
Oh man, I LOVE posts like this. Not only is HUGE travel inspo, but you provide a how-to so we can live the dream, too. Definitely saving this for later!
thanks Meagan!
haha I love that IG is so popular now that there are all these great guides about where to take the best Instagram shot in each city! Thanks for sharing all these awesome spots in Stockholm! I particularly love those metro stations!! Incredible. Pinning this for a future trip 😉
The metro stations are crazy! I have never been to Sweden but my husband loves it, so I’m sure we’ll be making a trip there sometime. Pinned you post so I can get my insta on!!
thanks! hope you will enjoy Stockholm, it is really lovely!
Pictures this stunning! Like really? You got yourself a new follower (I hope I am not sounding like the bots)! 😀
hehe thanks so much! glad you like them!
Beautifil pictures! I loved Stockholm and especially the metro stations; so amazing and so great for taking pictures!
Stockholm is such a pretty city and you captured it beautifully. Impressed you found such a cute place to stay at such a reasonable price, Stockholm is expensive!
thank you! I was also really happy with that hotel.. Stockholm is almost impossible to do on a budget!