The Swedish Institute in Paris: Sweden's only cultural center abroad

If you're looking for a little piece of Sweden in Paris, you've come to the right place. Head for theSwedish Institute, nestled in the heart of the Marais district! Considered Sweden's only cultural center abroad, theSwedish Institute is housed in theHôtel de Marle, a sublime 16th-century mansion, partly listed, acquired by the Swedish state in 1965. After extensive renovation work, theSwedish Institute was inaugurated in 1971 at N°11 rue Payenne, in the 3rd arrondissement.

Since then, this institution - a veritable showcase for Swedish culture in the capital - has been offering a rich and varied program to the widest possible audience all year round! From concerts, notably for theFêtede la musique and Midsommar, to cinema , literature, design and exhibitions... theSwedish Institute regularly hosts temporary exhibitions, as well as a permanent art exhibition featuring paintings, sculptures and engravings tracing Franco-Swedish relations over the last few centuries.

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TheSwedish Institute is also well known to Parisians who want to learn the Swedish language before a trip to the land of the Dalarna horse.

In addition to the beauty of the mansion that houses theSwedish Institute, the cultural center boasts a number of other assets, including the courtyard and garden, which are also open to the public. In summer, these two spaces are popular venues for an ephemeral library, an open-air cinema and contemporary art installations.

Finally, gourmets won't be left out in the cold, thanks to the FIKA café in one of the wings of the Hôtel de Marle. On the menu? Swedish specialities, of course, including the unmissable kanelbullar, Swedish cinnamon rolls. When the sun comes out, regulars like to meet on the café's terrace, set in the cobbled courtyard.

The FIKA café at the Institut Suédois
Fika is the name of the café that has opened its doors at the Institut Suédois. In the cobbled courtyard of this free cultural site, which puts Sweden in the spotlight, we discover a welcoming, bright coffee shop with a terrace, offering pretty Swedish specialities. Pre-opening this summer, the café is now back in business, officially opening and unveiling its delicacies. [Read more]

How and when to get to the Swedish Institute :

• Address: 11 rue Payenne, 75003 Paris
• Metro: line 1 (Saint Paul) or line 8 (Chemin Vert)
• Bus: 29, 69, 76 and 96
• Opening hours: The Swedish Institute is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12pm to 6pm. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Café Fika open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm.

News from the Swedish Institute

Bokbar pop-up bookstore: Nordic books to devour at the Swedish Institute
This fall, Bokbar is setting up shop at the Swedish Institute and opening a pop-up bookstore dedicated to Nordic literature. Jón Kalman Stefánsson, Tove Jansson, Sara Stridsberg, Sofi Oksanen, Karl Ove Knausgård, Karolina Ramqvist... come and discover the novels of these talented Nordic authors until December 21, 2025. [Read more]

Tarik Kiswanson presents "The Relief", a free exhibition at the Swedish Institute - our photos
This autumn and winter, the Swedish Institute in Paris invites Tarik Kiswanson, winner of the Prix Marcel Duchamp in 2023. On view free of charge from October 23, 2025 to January 11, 2026, this exhibition, entitled "The Relief", unveils a small selection of works by the multi-disciplinary visual artist, "presented for the first time in France". [Read more]