12 of Stockholm’s Most Photogenic Spots

Stockholm might not have the tallest building in Sweden, but in Globen, it does have the largest hemispherical building in the world. The concert and events arena is one of the most quirky buildings in Stockholm and has hosted concerts from the likes of Beyoncé and The Rolling Stones—as well as the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016. Not only is it a great building to take photos of, it is also ideal for taking photos from. It has something called Sky View, where you ride up the side of it in a pod, giving you amazing views of the city.

This is Stockholm’s highest natural point and therefore gives wonderful views over the city. It is often full of people who have climbed up with a picnic to enjoy some great food as well as wonderful vistas of the city. It is on the island of Sodermalm and thus has great views of the Old Town, Gamla Stan, as well as the beautiful island of Kungsholmen—which houses the Stockholm City Hall. If you want to get the perfect cover photo for your Facebook page, then this is the ideal place.

The whole of the old town is extremely photogenic. It has so many winding streets which look great on film, along with some very famous buildings. The Royal Palace, The Swedish Academy, and the main square are all particularly perfect places to take your camera. However even if you just spend an hour wandering around, you will find many parts of the island where you will be able to get a great shot. Gamla Stan is often immortalized in films and on postcards as it is without a doubt the most charming part of Stockholm.

While the Turning Torso holds the record as Sweden’s tallest building, The Kaknas Tower is plenty tall, standing at 155 meters. This means that it has great views over the whole of the city. It is located near Lidingo Bro, right by the technical and maritime museums. It has a viewing deck from which you can see for miles and it also has a great restaurant—where you can enjoy a lovely meal and admire Stockholm in all its glory. The tower serves as the hub of Swedish television and radio broadcasts, so it’s useful as well as beautiful.

This cemetery’s name translates as “the woodland cemetery” because of its beautiful tree-filled setting. It is a UNESCO world heritage site, partly owing to how picturesque it is, but also because of the notable people buried here—including actress Greta Garbo. There are a number of stunning things to take photos of here, including the resurrection chapel, which was designed by famous functionalist architect Sigurd Lewerentz, as well as Skogskapellet—another chapel, this time crafted by Lewerentz’s colleague Gunnar Asplund. It is one of Stockholm’s real hidden gems and has its own subway station, so is very easy to get to.

Slussen is one of busiest parts of Stockholm—it is a transport hub that has been one of Stockholm’s most important points since the 17th century. Over 400,000 people commute through the area every day, meaning it is rarely a place people stop. However, just outside of the metro station is the Karatina Elevator, which was used to connect Slussen and the island of Sodermalm. From the top, there are wonderful views of Gamla Stan and it has been delighting the people of Stockholm since 1883. As Slussen is being renovated, it is currently closed but should be reopening early next year.

Another excellent viewpoint over the city much like Skinnarviksberget, however, in this case, you get a view of the islands of Skeppsholmen and Djurgården. Fjällgatan is also on Sodermalm but is on the other side of the island to Skinnarviksberget and has benches where you can take a book and watch the ships sail past on the water below. There is also a lovely café up there called Fjällgatan Kaffestuga, which is a very popular summer spot in the city.

Marabou is one of the most famous chocolate companies in Sweden and, up until recently, had one of its main factories in Sundbyberg, a suburb of Stockholm, which is less than 20 minutes by metro from the central station. As part of getting the municipality to allow Marabou to built their factory there, the company agreed to retain and expand Sundbyberg’s park, which was next to the factory. Not only did they preserve it, they enlarged it and added a number of superb sculptures. All of this makes the park well worth visiting, as you have the beauty of nature coupled with the artistic flair of the sculptures, both of which look great on camera. There is also an art gallery in the park.

Right down in the south of the city is Farsta Strand, the last stop on the Green line of the t-bana. It has several notable features, including the excellent burger place Bun Meat Bun and a Hindu temple. However, it is most known for its proximity to the Magelungen lake. You can walk down to the lake and get beautiful photos, both of the water and of the small islands on the other side of the bay. It feels like an oasis miles away from the city center but is only a quick metro ride away.

If you are willing to venture out of the city center, then there are a number of excellent places to grab memorable photos out in the archipelago. Stockholm’s beautiful archipelago is full of quaint islands with charming buildings and great sea views. Vaxholm is one of the larger islands and has lovely cafés and restaurants. However, the real highlight is Vaxholm Fortress, which was built in the 16th century and is one of the best examples of the fortresses built in the archipelago to protect Stockholm from Danish and Russian attack. It is an impressive building that would look good in any holiday slideshow.

Also, a little way out of the city, is Tyresta National Park, one of the largest national parks in Southern Sweden and certainly one of the best to explore. There are 5,000 hectares of lush greenery to explore, as well as three lakes. It has a great visitor center full of useful information for the best trails to walk down and parts of the park to check out. If you like to photograph nature then there is plenty here, including one of the largest coniferous old-growth forests in Southern Sweden and over 8,000 different species of animals.