The Coolest Subways in the World

Subways often bring to mind grimy underground tunnels and harried travelers looking to save a buck on transportation. That dated opinion is about to change when you see these cool subway stations from around the world. From the inspired hands of local artists to the complex visions of architects (like T-Centralen Station in Stockholm, seen here), these subways are so unique, they're likely to inspire your next vacation.

If subway stations were pop stars, Moscow's Komsomolskaya Station would be Beyoncé. Bright yellow walls curve around dramatic chandeliers, while intricate white framing displays al fresco paintings of historically significant moments. It's easy to forget this breathtaking subway station is actually in Russia and not ancient Rome.

When E.T. phoned home, it might have been to Singapore's Expo MRT Station. The giant flying saucer-shaped subway station is the first stop out of Changi Airport Branch Line. (Singapore's airport is also famous for its visual appeal and amenities.) The fanciful shell-shaped roof of this metro stop is meant to deflect the extreme heat common in Singapore so that commuters are more comfortable. And, let's be honest, it looks pretty darn cool, too.

A canopy of glass covers Canary Wharf Station in London, adding the perfect amount of light and design to the unique public space. Escalators made of steel and concrete add sleek, clean lines to this underground architecture. These simple elements come together for one beautifully cool subway station (or "tube station," if you're British).

Covered in copper and topped with giant cogs, the Arts et Métiers (literally translated "Arts and Trades") Station in Paris feels more like a submarine than a subway station. This uniquely designed transportation hub sits under a museum of the same name. Industrial design is the focus of both the metro stop and museum, with portholes enclosing curious contraptions, inspired by the 1870 novel "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne.

In New York City, close to the World Trade Center Memorial, you'll find Fulton Center Station, a transit hub connecting nine subway lines. The most striking feature of this station is the massive steel and glass structure that rises 53 feet above ground. The ceiling is a functional piece of art, deflecting 95 percent of light that hits it, keeping subway travelers as cool as this subway station is.

A cool, color-blasted mural of Paco de Lucia, a legendary flamenco guitarist, watches over the station named after him in Madrid, Spain. If you look closely at the painting, you'll find stars in his eyes and what appears to be a conflicting artistic style. The mural's mix of techniques comes from the three different artists who worked on it, demonstrating both the individuality and interconnectedness of Madrid, street art and transportation.

Rarely are subway stations described as being bright, but the Heidelberger Platz metro station in Berlin, with its vaulted ceilings and block-shaped lighting fixtures, is just that. The school-bus-yellow U-Bahn trains that pull in and out of this station add to the luminous glow and match the museum-like palette of color. The elegant arched entryways guide commuters as they travel home, to work and to another place in time.

Designed to complement the sleek and shiny trains that pass through, Drassanes Station in Barcelona is a total concept. Bright white, contrasted with gleaming shades of red and green, cover the interior of a subway station that feels more like a living piece of modern art. For those of us that are directionally challenged, this art doubles as a guide, with a red striped path leading passengers to the waiting area for their train.

The circular dents in the walls might remind you of Lego blocks at Staromestska Station in Prague. Each train stop along Czechia's A-Line is marked by a unique color, and at Staromestska Station that color is deep magenta red. While every subway station in Prague deserves major design credit, Staromestska station is our very favorite.

Only Dubai could turn giant hanging jellyfish structures into luxurious works of art. At Burjuman Metro Station (also called Khalid Bin Al Waleed Station), that's what you'll find floating above you, as you move on golden stairs through aqua-colored lighting, making you feel as if you're a fish serenely gliding under water. This subway station alone is cool enough to inspire a trip to Dubai.

Inside Taipei's Formosa Boulevard Station is an incredible (and ginormous) piece of art made of glass. The "Dome of Light" is a work that took more than four years to create and is made up of 4,500 glass panels. Decorated by colorful paints and lights, this artistic wonder makes Formosa Station one of the coolest and most beautiful you'll find in the world.

In Munich, the Candidplatz Metro Station puts passengers inside a literal rainbow. Colors fade into one another in an ombré blended style throughout the entire tunnel, making typically boring subway rides a little more magical. Interesting fact: Candidplatz is named after 16th century Belgian painter Peter Candid, who helped paint the Sala Regia in the Vatican.

A colorful mosaic of tiles swirl around each other at the Szent Gellért tér Metro Station in Budapest. The tiny tiles are an "Inception" of subway art, appearing as a tunnel within a tunnel. (Pinging Leonardo DiCaprio!) The creativity continues outside the main passageway, where different-sized light beams cascade above commuters as they go up and down the escalators.

The mural covering the walls of the Universidad de Chile Metro Station in Santiago, Chile, is a beautiful distraction to passengers waiting on their train. Named "Memoria Visual de una Nación" ("The Visual Memory of a Nation"), the mural tells the story of historic and modern-day Chile, beginning with the Spanish conquest. It's so interesting, you won't feel bad if you miss your train!

Famous for its underground painted caves that, somehow, double as subway stations, Stockholm makes it difficult to decide which stop is the best. But, if we had to choose, our pick for the coolest is the Tekniska högskolan Station due to its giant, multi-pentagonal-shaped fixture falling from a painted sky. Honorable mention goes to T-Centralen Station (featured as the first image in our gallery), whose cave-like walls are decorated from head to toe in giant blue vines that bloom right into the textured white ceiling.

You're strolling down the street in Frankfurt, Germany, and suddenly you notice a train is erupting out of the sidewalk! Enter the wrecked train to find that it's actually the entrance to Bockenheimer Warte Station. Appearing as something out of "Ripley's Believe It or Not," this popular and highly photographed area is a cool architectural optical illusion.

The city of Naples wanted to make sure its residents had attractive public spaces, and the Toledo Metro Art Station is a prime example. Designed to make travelers feel as if they're descending underwater as they head down the escalator, there is a small skylight more than 160 feet above that seems to fade in the distance. In contrast, when folks head up from the station, warm yellows and oranges give the feeling of rising from the sea floor.

Watch your step on the escalator because the walls are hard to take your eyes off of at Montreal's Charlevoix Station. The clever artistic design makes large panels appear splashed with paint, when in fact they're actually tiny colorful tiles. If you wanted to take a few rides down and back up the escalator for a closer look, we wouldn't judge you.

You'll feel like a kid again in Lisbon's Olaias Metro Station, which is surrounded by bright lights and colors. It's as if an art repository married a science museum. Beams connect from every direction and are featured alongside abstract sculptures and geometrically shaped pieces. The nautical-theme columns are the perfect final touch of whimsy to keep you feeling young, at least until your train arrives.

It's easy to confuse Avtovo Station in St. Petersburg, Russia, for a mansion that houses a giant. Find masses of marble, carefully carved pillars, tray ceilings with intricate detailing and grand chandeliers hanging everywhere (even over the train tracks). Originally designed as a Soviet showpiece, this station still impresses those who travel through it today.