Information about Uppsala, Sweden
Rating: 7,9/10 (3795 votes)  Since Uppsala is a city of numerous attractions and old buildings, the main direction of tourism here for more than a dozen years has been excursions for many hours. The thousand-year history of the city attracts not only tourists, but also scientists of different profiles, therefore, even in the central parts of the city, you can often see small archaeological excavations. Another area of tourism here is walking and cycling tours around the city. Except for the numerous monuments of the pagan era, around Uppsala is a picturesque area, ideal for out-of-town tourism. Some tourists even prefer to stay not in city hotels, but in houses on the outskirts, in order to admire the views of the hills every morning. The third destination is suitable for those who those who prefer a modern form of recreation are shopping tours. Uppsala is the second largest city in Sweden, so the shopping infrastructure here works for a large number of residents and visitors. The shops of the central streets often hold sales, during which the streets are literally crowded. Many guests of Uppsala begin their sightseeing tours from the outskirts, namely from the famous Uppsala Mounds. Three huge earthen burial mounds, according to local legends and songs of the Skalds, keep the graves of the great kings who ruled the city in different centuries. According to one version, each mound was decorated with a statue of the supreme god of the Scandinavians, but these statues were destroyed with the advent of Christianity. Not far from the burial mounds on the site of the supposed sanctuary where human sacrifices were made, stands a modest church and stone. The restored view hides the ancient walls - a small temple was erected in the XII century. Of the sights of the central part of the city, the first place in each tour is Uppsala Cathedral - a majestic Gothic building made of red brick ... This cathedral was under construction for almost two centuries, the final work on the construction was completed only in 1435. Over the centuries-old history, the shrine changed its appearance several times, survived terrible fires, but was always restored. Now services and excursions are held here. One of the official symbols of the city is Uppsala Castle, erected in the 16th century, although the date of completion of construction is very conditional. The uniqueness of this structure lies in the fact that the Renaissance style is not typical for Swedish castles, and the palace is made in the best Italian traditions.  Today the castle is divided into several levels, and tourists only have access to some of them. The closed level is the meeting rooms of the city and regional administration. In addition to expositions related to the history of the castle, the open levels contain several halls, which were eventually turned into full-fledged museums. One of these museums is the Uppsala Art Museum. Its exposition is limited by time frames - it displays canvases by artists who worked from 1900 to 1950. Botanical Garden at the castle is often considered a separate attraction in Uppsala. The famous botanist Karl Linnaeus had a hand in the creation of the garden, the laurel trees planted by him still grow in the garden. Not far from the Botanical Garden there is House-Museum of Professor Linnaeus, a place where the scientist lived the last years of his life. The museum contains unique documents of the scientist, his portraits, as well as lifetime editions of his works. Linnaeus's office is, if possible, preserved in the form in which it was at the time of the botanist's death. One of the floors of the house is a rich library of books on botany and biology, collected by Linnaeus himself. One of the most interesting museums in the city is the Gustavian Museum of Uppsala. It was named after King Gustav Adolf, on whose initiative it was built. But initially this building was not a museum, it was the first building of the local university, which then moved to larger buildings. The museum is still supervised by the university and hosts exhibitions dedicated to the history of ancient Egypt, Greece and pagan Sweden. The largest library not only in Uppsala, but in the whole of Sweden is a repository of books called Carolina Rediviva. This public library contains several million volumes that have been collected since the foundation of the repository in the 17th century. Among the many books, manuscripts and scrolls there are priceless copies that many world museums have been trying to buy for a long time, but the property of this library, as the curators assure, will never leave the walls. Not far from the library is one of the oldest Christian churches in the city - Church of the Holy Trinity, built in the XIII century. We also recommend reading Information about Karlstad in Sweden Topic: Information about Uppsala, Sweden. |
