Uppsala: Sweden's 4th Largest City in an Afternoon
I stepped off the train in Uppsala on a Saturday in mid-October. Stockholm was about an hour behind me. Ahead was Sweden's fourth-largest city, and I had no tour booked, no plan, and about four hours to look around.
Fourth-largest sounds like a lot to tackle in an afternoon. Luckily, the city center is easy to explore on foot. The castle, churches, and coffee stops are all within reach.
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I walked between the main sights, ate a proper lunch, and still fit in a bus trip out to Gamla Uppsala. Four hours gave me a good first look, though you could easily spend longer.
If you're staying in the capital, as I did on my first day in Stockholm, Uppsala is an easy escape. It's one of those day trips from Stockholm that doesn't need much planning.
A Short History of Uppsala
Uppsala's story starts just north of today's city, in Gamla Uppsala. Before Sweden became Christian, this was a center of royal power and worship. Medieval writers described a grand temple to the old Norse gods, and huge burial mounds still mark the landscape.
The church later moved in, too. In 1164, Gamla Uppsala became the home of Sweden's first archbishop, its leading church official. The office later moved to what is now central Uppsala.
Then came the landmarks you'll see today. The cathedral was ready for worship in 1435, after more than a century of building work. Scandinavia's first university followed in 1477, and King Gustav Vasa began the castle in the 1540s.
A huge fire tore through Uppsala in 1702, badly damaging even the castle and cathedral. The city had plenty of rebuilding to do. Those grand old buildings have had a rougher life than their tidy walls suggest.
Uppsala from the Air, in Crisp 4K
Sweden's Oldest University Town
Uppsala University has been teaching students since 1477, making it the oldest university in Scandinavia. One of its professors was Anders Celsius. If you check the weather in degrees Celsius, you already know his name.
I wandered around the university and ducked into the library's reading room. It was the quietest room I've ever stood in. If reading is your idea of a good time, you'll understand the appeal.
The library, Carolina Rediviva, also holds the Silver Bible. This handwritten book is about 1,500 years old, with silver and gold ink on purple pages. Even its stationery is fancy.
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A quick geography note: Scandinavia usually means Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Finland and Iceland belong to the wider Nordic group. There's more in my quick facts about Sweden if those names keep tripping you up.
Pictures of Uppsala's City Center
I skipped the guided tours and let the streets decide. The Fyris River runs through the center, with plenty to see on either bank. It makes a handy guide when your whole plan is to wander.
Little bridges like this make it easy to cross back and forth as you explore. Follow the river upstream and you've got yourself a free walking tour.
The river gets a much louder crowd on April 30, during the spring festival called Valborg. Students race homemade rafts down the water while people cheer from the banks. The calm October scene in these photos has a rowdy side.
Domtrappkällaren, above, sits beside the cathedral steps. Its dining rooms include part of a medieval wall and old arched ceilings. The building has had several jobs over the years, including a jail for students, according to the restaurant's history.
These days, you can book a table. A much better reason to spend an evening there.
The river once helped power the town's mills. Now it's also a fine place to slow down for fika, the Swedish habit of taking a coffee break.
Locals sit outside by the water even in October, wrapped in blankets. Cold weather apparently isn't a good enough reason to give up a nice view.
I still don't know what that building is, and I've made peace with it. I liked it enough to take a photo. Sometimes that's all the research a walk needs.
The low, painted buildings are part of the city center's charm. They also make a nice change from all those towers overhead.
Uppsala Castle
Gustav Vasa began building the castle in the 1540s, high on a hill above town. The view is a good reason to make the climb. The cannon story is another.
According to the tale, Vasa aimed the castle's cannons at the cathedral to remind the archbishop who ran Sweden. Apparently, a crown wasn't enough to get the point across.
The castle's pink walls hide some ugly history. In 1567, King Erik XIV had members of the powerful Sture family and other noblemen killed here.
Nearly a century later, Queen Christina caused a different sort of shock. She gave up the Swedish throne in the castle's hall in 1654. It's a lot of royal drama for a building that looks so cheerful from a distance.
The cannons still point downhill toward the cathedral. Stand beside them and it's easy to see why that story stuck.
Uppsala Cathedral
Uppsala Cathedral is the largest church in the Nordic countries. For centuries, Swedish kings and queens came here to be crowned. Some stayed for good: Gustav Vasa is buried inside.
So is Carl Linnaeus, the scientist who helped shape the way we name plants and animals. His name comes up all over Uppsala, so keep it in mind for the gardens later.
Look for details like the crest in the photo above. These symbols help tell the stories of the people buried here. The cathedral also holds the gilded shrine of Saint Erik, Sweden's patron saint, whose remains have drawn religious visitors for centuries.
And here's a detail you can appreciate without knowing any Swedish history: the cathedral is 118.7 meters tall and just as long. It takes up a lot of sky.
Uppsala Botanical Gardens
After the castle's royal drama and the cathedral's famous graves, the botanical gardens offer a breather. They sit below the castle hill and were quiet even on my Saturday visit.
These used to be the castle's gardens. King Gustav III gave them to the university in 1787, which is a fairly generous gift even by royal standards.
Linnaeus's old teaching garden is a separate spot a few blocks away. Called the Linnaeus Garden, it follows his plan from the 1700s. His students are long gone, but the lesson plan lives on in the flower beds.
Gamla Uppsala – the Mounds
A city bus took me north to Gamla Uppsala. Gamla means "old" in Swedish, and the name fits. This is where Uppsala began, with three huge burial mounds rising from the grass.
The legends give these graves to the gods. The finds tell a more human story. Digging that began in 1846 uncovered burned bones and pieces of valuable objects, signs that important people were buried here about 1,500 years ago.
We still don't know who those people were. That mystery is part of the appeal, especially with the October wind blowing around you.
The royal mounds are normally closed to walkers, though Gamla Uppsala Museum offers guided climbs. Follow the paths around them if you're exploring on your own.
The flat-topped Thing Mound gets its name from the ting, a public meeting where free men gathered to discuss laws and settle disputes. Think of an outdoor courtroom, with a lot more wind.
If this kind of history grabs you, there are more places to explore in Vikings in Sweden.
Beyond the mounds are open fields and red farm buildings. It's the sort of scene that makes you stop for a photo even when your hands are cold.
That deep shade is known as Falu red. The paint's color comes from material from the copper mine at Falun, and Swedes have used it on wooden houses for centuries.
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When the wind won, I ducked into the restaurant by the entrance to warm up before the bus back.
The wooden post inside is a skampåle, or shame pole. Posts like this were once used for public punishment. It's quite a choice of restaurant decor, but it fits a place beside ancient graves.
The inn also leans into the Viking theme with mead, an alcoholic drink made from honey, served in a horn. After an hour out by the mounds, though, getting warm was the main attraction.
Famous Names From Uppsala
For a city you can explore in an afternoon, Uppsala has a long list of famous names. Anders Celsius was born here in 1701 and set up an observatory to study the stars. Carl Linnaeus taught students about plants in his garden.
Film director Ingmar Bergman was born here in 1918. Dag Hammarskjöld, who later led the United Nations, grew up inside the castle while his father served as county governor. That beats most childhood homes.
Then there's scientist Anders Ångström. The tiny unit of length named after him is used to measure things such as light waves. Between him and Celsius, Uppsala has left its mark on more than a few science classes.
Video of Uppsala, Sweden
This video gives you another look around Uppsala, with no extra walking required.
A Traveler's Quick Tour of Uppsala
I came with four hours and no plan, and left with photos of a pink castle, a grand cathedral, and graves wrapped in old legends. Uppsala gave me plenty to see without turning the day into a race.
Take a morning train from Stockholm Central and give yourself time to wander. The history will keep you busy; the coffee breaks can set the pace.
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Vikings in Sweden: Where to Walk in Their Footsteps