Emily Lush, September 10, 2022
A curated list of the world’s most beautiful metro stations and unusual underground subways, as chosen by travel writers.
Subway, metro, MRT, underground: Whatever you like to call it, subterranean stations are a perfect canvas for creative art, impressive architecture, and other cultural expressions.
Whether it’s the whole transit system or a few stand-out stations, each of these unusual and beautiful subways is more than just a way to get from Point A to Point B, it’s also a city attraction in and of itself.
From the classically beautiful to the downright kooky, here are 30 of the most interesting metro stations and subway systems around the world.
Beautiful metro stations in Europe
1. MOSCOW METRO, RUSSIA
Elektrozavodskaya station in Moscow. Credit: Kami and the Rest of the World.
Moscow metro stations are legendary! Everyone has heard how beautiful they are, how rich in ornamentation each station is, and how you need at least a day to see some of the most important stations. After my visit to Moscow, when I spent a lot of time underground, I can verify that yes, the Moscow Metro is indeed splendid.
The Moscow Metro opened in 1935. Currently, there are 15 lines and over 200 stations. It’s safe to say around half of them are worth visiting. You can find marble floors, numerous sculptures of Lenin and well-known symbols such as the sickle and hammer and other decorations that praise Soviet culture and society.
You can find the most beautiful stations on the Circle Line (legend says Stalin put his coffee cup on the metro map and it left the round mark – that’s how the line was designed): Taganskaya, Komsomolskaya, Prospekt Mira, Novoslobodskaya, and Kievskaya. But you shouldn’t miss interesting stations on the other lines, too. My personal favourite is Mayakovskaya on the Green Line 2.
You’re allowed to take pictures inside the Moscow Metro. You can even find marks on the ground that indicate the best photo spots! To learn more about the Moscow Metro, you should join an organised tour that will give you a great overview of the history and architecture of this underground gallery.
By Kami from Kami and the Rest of the World
2. NAPLES METRO, ITALY
Toledo Station in Naples.
Construction on the Naples Metro (Metropolitana di Napoli) started in 1911, with lines and platforms added either side of the two World Wars. Extensions are refurbishments have never really stopped – like many metro systems around the world, Napoli’s is a perpetual work in progress.
One of the more recent developments was to introduce ‘Stations of Art’, a bold plan to entrust the design and layout of new metro stations to different contemporary artists and architects. More than 180 artworks by 90 Italian and international artists now decorate stations along metro lines 1 and 6.
One of the most recognisable and beautiful subway stations in Naples is Toledo. Open to passengers from November 2012, it was named the most beautiful station in Europe by the Daily Telegraph. The Spanish architecture firm behind the design took their inspiration from ‘water and light’.
Two large mosaics by South African artist William Kentridge dominate the upper halls, which also feature light installations. Waves of blue-and-white tiles over the escalators resemble fractal light, and create the effect of plunging deep below the surface of the ocean.
Universita Art Station is also worth checking out. No less immersive, it uses wall-to-ceiling psychedelic patterns and mirrored panels to symbolise the digital, interconnected world.
Even if you only have a day or two to spend in Naples, make sure you set aside some time to ride the metro and take in the station installations.
3. STOCKHOLM UNDERGROUND, SWEDEN
Solna Centrum Station in Stockholm. Credit: Helen on her Holidays.
One of the best things to do when you visit Stockholm (after the ABBA museum, of course) is visit the amazing underground stations. Over 90 of the Stockholm Metro’s 100 underground stations have been decorated, making the 110 miles of track the longest art gallery in the world.
My favourite underground stations to visit in Stockholm include Thorildsplan, which is decorated with retro video gaming icons from Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros, Rådhuset, decorated as if it’s being excavated by archaeologists, and the super-freaky, vapor-wave-themed Kungsträdgården, complete with strange statues, radiation symbols, and a lurid green ceiling.
If you can only visit one arty underground station in Stockholm, I’d choose Solna Centrum. Although it’s around 5km from central Stockholm on the Blue Line, it’s well worth the trip. The dramatic red and black colour scheme is exceptionally, intentionally dramatic. Along the platforms, red skies engulf trees, buildings and animals, representing the threat to Sweden’s natural environment posed by pollution, industry and modern life.
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https://wander-lush.org/beautiful-metro-stations/
