Fotografiska

Fotografiska on the shores of Södermalm is one of the world's leading museums for contemporary photography — and one of Stockholm's most exciting exhibition venues. In a former customs building from 1906 (a beautiful Art Nouveau brick building right by the water), Fotografiska presents four major temporary exhibitions and around 20 smaller exhibitions per year, featuring world-class photographers like Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Sebastião Salgado.

The exhibitions are bold, provocative, and often address social issues — Fotografiska does not shy away from nudity or political statements. The quality is consistently high, making the museum one of Stockholm's most visited since its opening in 2010 — so successful that branches have opened in New York, Tallinn, and Berlin.

But the museum is more than photography: The restaurant on the top floor (vegetarian, fine dining — chef Paul Svensson has perfected the "plant-based and sustainable" concept) offers panoramic views of the harbor and Djurgården. The bar on the roof is one of the best places in Stockholm for an evening drink with a view — especially on summer evenings when the sun sets at 10 pm. Fotografiska is open until 11 pm (Fri/Sat until 1 am!) — a place for the evening, not just the afternoon.