Nationalmuseum

Nationalmuseum is Sweden's museum of art and design, and its building on the Blasieholmen peninsula faces the Royal Palace across the water. The museum was built between 1844 and 1866, with an exterior by the German architect Friedrich August Stüler inspired by the northern Italian Renaissance. After a long renovation that modernised the galleries, climate control and accessibility, it reopened in October 2018 with more exhibition space and a sculpture courtyard.

The collection spans painting, sculpture, drawings, design and applied art from the Middle Ages to the present. Dutch and Flemish painting of the 17th century is a strength, including Rembrandt's Simeon's Song of Praise, and French 18th-century painting is well represented with works by Watteau and Chardin. Later rooms include Gauguin, Cézanne and the Danish painter Hammershøi alongside Swedish and Nordic artists. The museum also holds the world's largest collection of portrait miniatures and around half a million drawings, which are shown in rotating displays.

Temporary exhibitions add variety. In autumn 2026 the programme includes To the Sea!, running until February 2027, and an exhibition on the ceramicists Wilhelm Kåge and Shōji Hamada, while Colour!, an exhibition for children and their curious grown-ups, runs for several years. The design and applied art galleries bring the collection up to the present day.

The museum suits art lovers, design fans and families, as visitors under 20 enter free. Entry is also free on Thursday evenings from 17:00 to 20:00, and a reduced ticket is sold for the last hour before closing. The museum is closed on Mondays and open from 11:00 to 17:00 on other days, with a late opening until 20:00 on Thursdays. Allow two to three hours for the main collection. Thursday evenings are a good time to go if you want free entry, although the galleries are busier then. The restaurant, bar and café serve lunch, fika and drinks, and are a pleasant place to break a visit.

Nationalmuseum is on Södra Blasieholmshamnen, a short walk from Kungsträdgården metro station and a few minutes from the Grand Hôtel. The footbridge to Skeppsholmen leads to Moderna Museet, so the two collections can be combined in a day, and Gamla Stan is just across the water.