Discover Uppsala: history, nature and culture

Uppsala brings together places of scientific and cultural history with experiences in nature. An anatomical theatre dating from the 1660s, a museum in an 18th-century mill and exhibitions on the Iron Age reveal very different sides of the city. There are also archaeological sites, gardens and trails. You can choose the focus of your stay according to the subjects that interest you most.

History and science in tangible places

Linnéträdgården is Sweden’s first botanical garden. The garden is home to the Linnémuseet, housed in the former professor’s residence where Carl von Linné and his family lived in the second half of the 18th century. The garden and residence offer two different points of connection for your visit: the history of botany and the everyday life of a family at that time.

Gustavianum is the oldest surviving building of Uppsala University. It houses an anatomical theatre built in the 1660s for public dissections. Uppsala Castle is home to three museums. Those interested in historic buildings and collections will find a range of subjects here, without having to limit all their visits to the same period.

The Upplandsmuseet’s permanent exhibition tells the story of Uppland over 5,000 years, from the Stone Age to the present day. The main exhibition includes more than 1,000 objects. The museum is housed in an old mill dating from the 1760s on Kvarnholmen, by the Fyrisån in central Uppsala. Here, the history of the region meets the history of the building itself.

Archaeology and life in Uppland in the past

At the Gamla Uppsala Museum, you can explore the Iron Age through unique finds, models, visual presentations and audio stories. The museum also has a play area for children. In the archaeological area of Gamla Uppsala, walking trails run around a large burial ground with monumental burial mounds. The museum and trails offer different ways to explore the area: an exhibition of finds and stories, and a walk through the archaeological landscape.

Hågahögen is a Bronze Age grave, around 3,000 years old, belonging to a prominent person. It measures approximately 50 metres in diameter and seven metres in height. The open-air museum Disagården shows what a farming village in Uppland looked like in the 19th century. These places highlight different periods: the burial mound points to the Bronze Age, while Disagården offers a glimpse of rural life many centuries later.

Nature, trails and other discoveries

Biotopia is an interactive museum in Vasaparken that introduces visitors to the nature of Uppland. Dioramas show several hundred Swedish animals in lifelike landscapes. The Tropiska växthuset is home to Uppsala’s only rainforest, as well as orchids, banana and coffee plants, and plants from deserts and other dry regions. The two institutions have different focuses: native animals and landscapes at one, and tropical and drought-adapted plants at the other.

Stabby backe and Stabbyskogen are about three kilometres west of central Uppsala. Another option for active days is the Flottsund section of the Upplandsleden trail: it runs west along the shore of Ekoln, heads north from Skarholmen parallel to Gula Stigen, and reaches Studenternas IP near the hospital and city garden. Uppsala simarena is in the Gränby district, near Gränbystaden.

You can experience a historic museum railway aboard Lennakatten. It runs on a narrow-gauge railway dating from the late 19th century, from Uppsala Östra to Faringe. Uppsala Östra station is at the back of Uppsala Resecentrum on Stationsgatan. Operating days and timetables may vary, so check the current timetable before your visit.

A guide to choosing where to stay

Routes to individual destinations also offer practical points of reference: Uppsala Cathedral is about a one-kilometre walk from the central railway station, taking approximately 15 minutes. Uppsala domkyrka is accessible to wheelchair and rollator users. When looking for a holiday apartment, consider which visits you want to shape your stay—for example, historic collections, archaeological sites, nature exhibits or trails. The locations mentioned can help you plan, though not every destination has the same starting point.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Almunge, Storvreta, Järlåsa, Björklinge.

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