From Fotografiska to Liseberg: A Destination Photographer's Guide to Stockholm and Gothenburg
I didn't go to Sweden with a shot list, I went with my best friend Kati, a loose itinerary, and the kind of open energy that comes from finally taking a trip you've been putting off. Three days in Stockholm, three days in Gothenburg; and somewhere between a photography museum that shifted something in me and a hotel with a slide in the lobby, Sweden quietly became one of my favourite places I've ever pointed a camera.
This is part travel guide, part personal essay, and entirely honest. If you're a photographer planning a trip to Sweden, or a couple or solo traveller looking for somewhere genuinely worth visiting; I hope it helps.
Stockholm: Where the Trip Actually Started
Fotografiska: The Museum That Changed How I Think About Photography
If you're a photographer visiting Stockholm and you only do one thing, make it Fotografiska. Housed in a stunning early 1900s Art Nouveau building on the waterfront at Stadsgårdshamnen, it's one of the most important contemporary photography museums in the world and one of the most genuinely inspiring places I've ever been.
When I visited, the exhibition showing was White Nights in Wonderland by Chinese photographer Feng Li, a body of work spanning twenty years of street and fashion photography that completely stopped me in my tracks. Feng Li's images are vivid, surreal, full of flash and colour and the absurdity of everyday life. They're not perfect in the traditional sense. They're alive.
Bergianska Trädgården: The Botanical Garden by the Lake
Just outside the city centre, near Stockholm University, sits Bergianska Trädgården: the Bergius Botanic Garden. Over 9,000 plant species set along the shores of Brunnsviken lake, with the kind of quiet that's hard to find in a capital city.
As someone who loves nature photography, this was a gift. The lakeside paths and open garden areas are beautiful in late summer when everything is still green and full; the kind of lush, unhurried setting that makes you slow down and actually look at things.
Kati isn't usually someone who's comfortable in front of a camera. But on holiday she's more relaxed, more herself, and the botanical garden brought that out completely. Some of my favourite portraits from the whole trip happened almost accidentally here, in between me photographing the lake and the gardens. That's always how the best images work.
The outdoor areas are free to enter and definately worth a few hours of your time.
Gothenburg: The City That Surprised Me Most
I'll say it plainly: Gothenburg is underrated. Most people fly into Stockholm and never make it further west, and I genuinely think they're missing the better half of the trip.
Gothenburg has a different energy to Stockholm. Quieter, more relaxed, with a warmth and approachability that made me want to stay longer than three days. The architecture is beautiful, the canals are lovely, and there's a whimsical quality to the whole city that I wasn't expecting. It felt like somewhere that hadn't been over-photographed yet, which as a photographer is one of the most exciting things a place can be.
Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel: trust me, book it
I need to talk about this hotel.
Liseberg Grand Curiosa is attached to Liseberg, the most visited amusement park in the Nordic region, but don't let that put you off. The hotel itself is extraordinary. Nine floors, star-shaped, with a design inspired by the exotic travels of the Swedish East India Company. The lobby alone is worth the visit, filled with curiosities, enormous decorated vases, hanging bird cages, and a slide (yes, A SLIDE) that winds down from the second floor straight into the ground level.
Walking in for the first time I genuinely didn't know where to look. As a photographer, a place like this is a dream; every corner has something going on, every room has texture and detail, and the staff are beautifully dressed in uniforms that look like they belong in a Wes Anderson film. I spent a significant amount of our stay just exploring and photographing the hotel itself.
And here's the thing, it wasn't expensive. For everything it offers, the price was genuinely reasonable. It's the kind of place that looks like it should cost a fortune and doesn't, which makes it even better.
Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel, Gothenburg. Book directly through Liseberg's website.
The Botanical Garden: Gothenburg's whimsical spot
Gothenburg's botanical garden gave me some of my best shots of the whole trip, and some of the most unexpected ones.
The garden is lush, generous in scale and genuinely beautiful. The greenhouse here was extraordinary; the kind of warm, green, otherworldly interior that wraps around you the moment you step in. But honestly, the outdoor garden was just as captivating. Dotted throughout are beautiful sculptures and statues that stop you in your tracks, and there's a little quest running through the garden to find a tiny hidden fairy statue; which sounds simple but is genuinely one of the most charming and whimsical ways I've experienced a garden. It made the whole visit feel like an adventure rather than a walk.
This garden also did something unexpected for me creatively. Still life photography isn't usually my thing, I'm drawn to people and movement and candid moments. But something about the statues, the flowers, the light falling through the leaves pushed me in that direction and I loved the results. It's the kind of place that quietly expands what you think you shoot.
For portrait and couples photography it's exceptional; the variety of settings within a single space means you can move through completely different backdrops within minutes. If you're visiting Gothenburg with someone you want to photograph, this is the location I'd recommend first.
The Thrift Stores: Genuinely Some of the Best I've Found Anywhere
This might seem like an odd thing to include in a photography blog, but bear with me.
Gothenburg's thrift stores are exceptional. I thrifted some of my favourite pieces of clothing on this trip, the kind of finds that just don't happen as easily at home. There's something about Scandinavian second-hand culture that produces incredible results: well-made things, properly sorted, at fair prices.
For a photographer or content creator, great thrifted pieces mean better shoots. The right outfit in the right location changes everything and Gothenburg will give you both.
What Gothenburg Feels Like: And Why You Should Go
The atmosphere in Gothenburg is hard to fully describe but I'll try. It's wholesome in the most genuine sense of the word. The people are warm and welcoming, the city moves at a pace that lets you actually experience it, and there's a creativity and quirkiness running through it that shows up everywhere from the hotel design to the street art to the vintage shops.
It's a city that rewards slow travel. Don't rush it.
Sweden as a Destination Photography Location
As a destination photographer, Sweden offers something genuinely distinctive. The light in late summer is remarkable; long days, soft evenings, a quality of afternoon light that lingers for hours. The natural environments are extraordinary for portrait and couples photography: botanical gardens, lakesides, woodland paths, dramatic coastline further afield.
Both Stockholm and Gothenburg have architectural variety that gives you real options as a photographer; from the ornate and historic to the clean-lined Scandinavian modern. And because neither city is oversaturated with photographers the way that Paris or Rome can be, the locations still feel fresh.
If you're a couple planning a trip to Sweden and considering adding a portrait session; whether in the botanical gardens, along the waterfront, or somewhere more unexpected, I shoot internationally and would love to document it with you. Get in touch and we'll make it work.
Let's Shoot Somewhere
I'm Phoebe, a destination and travel photographer based in Malta. I shoot couples, portraits and travel content across Europe, and I'm always looking for the next place worth pointing a camera at.
If you're planning a trip to Sweden, Scandinavia, or anywhere else in Europe and you'd like a photographer who travels with intention and shoots with a natural, cinematic style; let's talk.
📩 info@photographoebe.com 🌐 www.photographoebe.com
Based in Malta. Shooting everywhere.