In my opinion, Stockholm, Sweden is the perfect European city for urban photography. It has beautiful canals, narrow buildings, cobblestone streets, and charming old architecture. In just 3 days, I felt like I was able to cover all the most picturesque spots in Stockholm.
When is the best time to visit? I visited in the fall and thought it was perfect. The warm tones of Stockholm, especially the old town, make it feel like a quintessential autumn visit. Also, it was still warm enough to avoid wearing giant overcoats. However, Stockholm doesn’t have any massive changes so any season will do, with the exception of the winter snow.
Now, let us explore beautiful Stockholm.
Gamla Stan
The old town in Stockholm, also called Gamla Stan, is a treasure trove of street photography. Like many European cities, Stockholm is divided into the mostly-preserved old town and surrounding new towns. Gamla Stan is filled with the aforementioned cobblestone streets and narrow old buildings that make you feel like you’ve stepped back into a fairytale.
It’s hard to find a bad spot in Gamla Stan, and you can certainly just walk around and take photos wherever you wish. However, these are a few of my personal favorite spots that I found during my time here.
Stortorget Square
Stortorget Square is the most famous location in Stockholm and refers to the central square with its trio of gingerbread-colored houses. I personally find it quite difficult to shoot large, empty squares. However, the cute buildings make it iconic and I couldn’t pass up a shot here. Note that this is the most popular spot in the city and you’ll want to get here early unless you’re alright with people in your photos.
Kopmangatan Street
This street is right off of Stortorget Square and is incredibly charming! It’s pretty narrow and has some cute lanterns that lend themselves well to the old-town vibe. While there’s not much going on on the street itself, it’s a fairly popular thru street for people passing through the square. Also consider getting here early—because the alleyway is so long, any people in your shot will show up for what feels like miles.
Tyska Brinken & Vasterlanggatan
This is a unique downhill viewpoint that offers a glimpse of Sodermalm across the water, which is nice compared to all the endless alleyways in Gamla Stan. It might be one of my favorite spots on this list! Be mindful of all the businesses here, and especially the glaring Five Guys sign that kind of spoils the immersion.
Enjoying exploring the Nordic countries and want to get out of the city and into the stunning natural landscapes? Perhaps you would enjoy a short trip to Norway!
Upplands Runinskrifter 53
I haven’t found this spot on any other Stockholm photography guides, but happened across this intersection while wandering around and thought it too pretty to pass up. This curved street is almost completely full of warm yellow houses! It’s incredibly residential and I love how quiet it is.
Storkyrkobrinken & Prastgatan
This intersection can be found right off one of the main streets in Gamla Stan. Despite this, this particular spot doesn’t get busy at all during the day! I’m fond of the ivy-covered facade on one corner that sets it apart from any of the other locations in Stockholm. The multitude of orange, red, and yellow buildings in the back also make this spot a colorful dream.
Subway Stations
Stockholm’s subway system is super impressive, allowing you to get pretty much anywhere in the city with relative ease. It’s also clean and fast. But did you know it’s also aesthetically pleasing to the eye? There are several stations that are completely decked out with various artistic themes.
T-Centraalen
The main station in Stockholm. With three levels of trains, it’s huge, so finding this particular blue and white patterned station might be hard to find! Head down the escalators to reach the blue line and you’ll be rewarded with this gorgeous wintry station. Do note, however, that T-Centraalen is always bustling (even at 3 AM when I took these!) and you’ll have to be mindful of all the commuters.
Solna Centrum
Another popular station in Stockholm, despite being somewhat out of the way. The entire station is striking red! I wonder how often they have to repaint it to maintain the vibrant color. This station is also very busy, but you can get very decent shots between trains.
Stadion
How cute is this pastel blue and rainbow station? Being here reminded me of a child’s playroom with its soft, happy colors. The iconic rainbow stretches from the bottom of one wall, over the ceiling, and down on the other side. Stadion is not a popular station and you can come pretty much any time of day, getting the rainbow all to yourself!
Stockholm Public Library
The central rotunda at the Stockholm Public Library is a masterclass in architecture and design. It’s beautiful, with three layers of bookcases encircling the study floor below, and high windows letting in glimpses of light. Unfortunately, it was under major construction while I was here, so I had to make do with some clever angles to get this shot instead.
It’s free to visit and beautifully calming. Note that it’s very quiet and does get fairly busy during the day, so be careful not to disturb people reading or studying.
Dirty Coco
Are pink Instagram cafes still in? Dirty Coco is a floral pink explosion, with colorful fake flowers and bright pink covering every surface. As with many Instagram cafes, I wasn’t expecting much from the food or drink, but it was actually quite good!
The only issue is that it’s a bit dim inside, so it’s harder to get crisp photos. But I ended up pretty happy with the shots that we were able to get.
Skinnarviksberget
Skinnarviksberget has the best view of Stockholm, and it’s also free! You have to climb a small hill to reach this point, but it’s not hard to get to at all. You’ll be sharing this location with many other Swedes, but there’s enough space that it doesn’t feel crowded. Come at sunset for the best lighting and a great view over the river.
Sodra Riddarholmshamnen
This is the Stockholm waterfront with amazing views of the gorgeous Mariaberget across the river. I love this location; it’s so peaceful and a great place to just hang out. Riddarholmen is also just a lovely, quiet area with great photo spots and the prettiest church.
Just a few days was enough for me to gain an appreciation for Stockholm’s beautiful architecture and design. It’s the best city to visit, walk around, have fika, and relax by the river. Did you enjoy the spots above?
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