Stockholm metro: Amazing images of art on the world's most beautiful tube network
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In many cities, the tube system is a functional mode of transport which conveys busy commuters from A to B – and occasionally to C, if the trains are running properly.
It is not, generally deemed to be a thing of beauty – and is rarely seen as a colourful subterranean wonderland where passengers are likely to pause their journeys, reach for their cameras and stare amazed at the 'scenery' around them.
Somewhere, under the rainbow: Stockholm's metro network is decorated in a range of bright colours
But then – as this selection of images shows – few tube systems are like Stockholm's.
The three metro lines which cross-cross the Swedish capital might easily be confused with an art gallery or a series of giant installations.
In effect, they are both.
In total, there are 100 stations on a network that dates back to 1950, and many of them are decorated in elaborate swirls and bright patterns – from olive-leaf motifs that recall ancient Greece to rainbows that soar above the traveller as they approach the platform.
Into the belly of the dragon: Solna Centrum station boasts a bright red ceiling which makes it resemble a fiery lair from a JRR Tolkein novel
Other stops can boast striking sculptures and statues – sailing boats framed behind glass in tribute to the city's seafaring heritage; over-sized apples and lanterns hanging from the ceilings; ancient gods in bright garb; intricate mosaics; regional 'wildlife'.
These designs are so visually appealing that the country's national tourist board advises tourists to spend an hour or two viewing this transport labyrinth (as well as exploring the likes of Gamla Stan – Stockholm's old town – or the upmarket district of Ostermalm).
Solna Centrum station is especially recommended for a bright red ceiling which seems to weigh down on passengers as they pass underneath, as well as walls that are daubed with the outline of a spruce forest – a mural that stretches out for a full kilometre.
T-Centralen station, meanwhile, has tiling and reliefs that date back to the network's launch over 60 years ago, while Kungstradgarden station delves into the city's past so specifically that its features the remnants of an archaeological dig.
'If you are short of time, buy a ticket at T-Centralen and take the blue line to see the art at Radhuset and Fridhemsplan stations,' VisitSweden suggests.
Men and women of Greece, approach: The olive-leaf patterns and blue-and-white colour scheme at T-Centralen station offer hints of the ancient Olympics
A different kind of blue: T-Centralen station forms the heart of Stockholm's 64-year-old metro network
Red sail at night: Decorative exhibits within the metro network pay tribute to themes such as Sweden's seafaring heritage
An unusual salute to your daily commute: Some of the artworks within the system are more than a little outlandish
'M' is for 'mosaic', maybe: Platforms along the three lines of the metro network are brightened with dabs of modern art
There's a moose, loose: The wildlife of Scandinavia is also celebrated via this striking sculpture
Look up, there's plenty to see here: A giant lantern hangs overhead as passengers go about their daily journeys
Child's play: Some of the artworks have a more simple feel to them - this example could almost be a school project
Feeling fruity: A giant apple hangs from a station ceiling - another fragment of the weird and wonderful on a metro system that could never be called po-faced
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