The Nationalmuseum is Sweden's principal museum of art and design, set on the waterfront of Sรถdra Blasieholmshamnen in central Stockholm. It is also known as the National Museum of Fine Arts, and it is the place to go if you want to see the country's visual culture laid out across many centuries.
What you will see
The collections bring together paintings, sculptures and decorative arts. The museum's scope runs from the Middle Ages up to 1900, so a visit moves through a long stretch of European and Swedish art and craft rather than focusing on a single period or style. Decorative objects sit alongside paintings and sculpture, which gives a useful sense of how art and everyday design were connected in earlier centuries.
Planning your visit
- Location: Sรถdra Blasieholmshamnen 2, 111 48 Stockholm, on the water in the city centre.
- Contact: +46 8 519 543 00, if you need to check details before you go.
- Time needed: Allow a good part of a day, since the collections cover so many centuries.
Because the museum sits close to the centre of the city, it fits easily into a walk through Stockholm's old town and waterfront. Visitors interested in Swedish history and art will find it a natural starting point for understanding the country's artistic heritage.