7.4.2 Sweden: Uppsala
Description
This article is from the Nordic countries FAQ, by Antti Lahelma and Johan Olofsson, with numerous contributions by others.
7.4.2 Sweden: Uppsala
The city of Uppsala, a major Swedish cultural center, lies about 70 km north
of Stockholm and can easily be accessed by train. Uppsala has a history
going well into the prehistoric era, it became the seat of the Swedish
archbishop in 1164 and a royal residence in the next century, although it
later lost much of its status and the king moved to Stockholm. The most
important sight is Uppsala cathedral (domkyrkan), Sweden's largest medieval
church, and a national sanctuary where e.g the king Gustav Vasa, philosopher
Emmanuel Swedenborg and the botanist Carl von Linné (Linnaeus) are buried.
The University of Uppsala (1477) is Sweden's oldest institution of higher
learning, and it's main building Gustavianum (1623) houses a couple of
museums. Uppsala castle overlooks the city from a high hill, and beside it
is the symbol of the city, Gunillaklockan (Gunilla's clock), which is played
daily 6 a.m and 9 p.m. Uppland's museum is located in an old mill by the
river Fyrisån. Linné's home museum (Linnés Hammarby) with a garden dedicated
to him are also in the city.
Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala), now a suburb five kilometers to the north of
the modern city, was the religious and political capital of the Sveas in the
Viking age. The three high burial mounds (kungshögarna) from the 6th century
belong, according to tradition, to the kings Aun, Adils and Egil; finds from
their excavations are displayed in Stockholm in the Historical Museum
(Historiska Museet). In a 1164 a church was built on the site of the famous
old pagan temple of which nothing remains, as a symbol of the victory of
Christianity in Sweden -- it was the seat of the archbishop until 13th
century when a new cathedral was finished. The restaurant Odinsborg, built
in "viking style", serves mead (mjöd).
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