Weekend in Uppsala
One of Sweden's most fascinating cities, with young inhabitants but a story that has very ancient roots.
Uppsala is located in the south-east of Sweden, about 70 kilometers north of the capital, Stockholm. Its originary core, Gamla Uppsala (“Old Uppsala”) is situated four kilometers from the new city and used to house the pagan Temple, which, according to the northern mythology, used to be the home of the father of the gods, Odin. Today there still the remains of the originary temples, which are a perfect way to begin your visit to the city. In Gamla Uppsala there is also a museum that narrates the history of this old center, and also the fascinating village-museum of Frluftsmuseet Disagarden.
Moving into the city, you'll find that it's crossed by many channels, in a similar way to the not-far-away Amsterdam. Walking through the streets of the historical center is an unmissable experience.
You can't miss Domkzrkan, Uppsala's cathedral, the biggest one in Scandinavia, with spires 119 metres high. Its construction began in 1287, it was inaugurated in 1435 and today it is the main temple of the Swedish Church. In front of the cathedral there's the interesting Gustavianum Museum, that tells the story of this imposing but magnificent building.
Uppsala was the birthplace of the famous botanic Carl Linnaeus and houses the amazing Botanical Gardens dedicated to him.
The Linnaeus Garden and Museum is therefore a nice place to start your second day of the vist of the city. It is the oldest botanical garden in Sweden and houses more than eleven thousand different species, with a total space of 34 acres, divided into 14 sections, including the seasonal plants one, the permanent plants one, the pond and so on. Here's where Linnaeus himself loved to teach his students, so that they could touch what they had only read about in books before.
If your timing and the scheduling suit you, you should also visit the city Theater, the pride of the city, that offers a wide and diversified programming and is greatly appreciated by those passionated with acting.
You can also visit the beautiful university, the oldest athenaeum of Scandinavia and point of reference for students all over Europe, that consider it one of the best learning places of the continent. This means that the city is always populated by young people and offers a lively nightlife. The university's library can also be visited and preserves manuscripts of the sixth century.
Another interesting place is Biothopia, where the history of how the city was born is presented, together with its animals and plants, in an interactive way and with specific programs destined to children.
Another memorable attraction of the city is surely the Castle of Uppsala, the Slott, whose construction began in 1540 upon Gustav Vasa's request and was made using pink stones. The castle hosted importan historical events and today inside of it conferences, lectures and modern art exhibitions take place.
Tags: Weekend in Sweden
