The metro is typically a place with long, dark corridors where every day thousands of people rush through to get from one place to another. But not all of them are like that: some of them, like the ones we're talking about here, are true architectural gems. Let's take a look at the most beautiful metro stations in Europe!

• Komsomolskaya Station, Moscow

This metro station looks like a palace! Komsomolskaya is one of the most opulent metro stations in Moscow. Built in the mid-20th century, every day it is visited both by locals travelling from the suburbs and by hundreds of tourists. This example of Stalinist architecture boasts marble columns and an ornate Baroque ceiling. We can also find mosaics that depict the Russian people fighting for freedom.

• Toledo Metro Station, Naples

The Line 1 station of the metro in Naples is very special. Its name is Toledo. It was opened in 2012 and The Daily Telegraph called it one of "the most impressive underground railway stations in Europe". And they were right! Architect Oscar Tusquets Blanca designed this station to resemble the movement of seawater, precisely because when the tunnels were dug to build the station, the workers came upon the sea. They also discovered the remains of an old city wall, which is preserved today.

• Stockholm Metro

The largest art gallery in the world can be found underneath the city of Stockholm. Most of the metro stations in this city include works of art by over 150 artists. In many of the stations you can still see the original rock that was dug out, decorated with all kinds of motifs, and it makes you feel like you are in a cave. Others have stained glass windows, sculptures and mosaics that you simply have to stop and admire as you walk past.

• Bilbao Metro

Bilbao Metro, designed in the 1990s by architect Norman Foster, has wide and functional spaces where natural light is a main feature. It's a real gem made of steel, concrete and glass and it has become a tourist attraction in the city. The locals are also proud of their "fosteritos", which is what they call the curious metro station entrances that are dotted all over the city.