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Who was 18th-century Swedish super-scientist Carl Linnaeus? What did he do that was so important and why should you visit his garden?
Linnaeus’ biological naming system (the binomial nomenclature) made sense of the system of naming animals and plants, so that (at least in Latin) scientists had a common reference name, for example for the Polar bear (Ursus maritimus). Otherwise, they wouldn’t know what each other was talking about. Biologists, bird-watchers and gardeners all around the world have much to thank him for. This feat alone makes him a giant among scientists.
The reconstructed gardens are here because Carl Linnaeus lived and worked in Uppsala where he was a professor of medicine at Uppsala University. The gardens are a copy of Uppsala University’s botanical garden as it would have looked during Linnaeus’ lifetime and have been restored according to his and Carl Hårleman’s design from 1745.
All of some 1,300 species in the garden are known to have been cultivated by the great man himself according to his own system and that makes it very special indeed. https://destinationuppsala.se/en/activities/the-linnaeus-garden/
Museum Gustavianum is Uppsala University's oldest preserved building and houses thousands of years of history.
As of September 29th 2019, Gustavianum is closed for renovations. The project is planned to take approximately three years, until the end of 2022.
In the museum’s permanent exhibitions, you will find parts of the collections that Uppsala University has gathered since its foundation in 1477. Everything from mummies and Viking helmets to art, ancient coins and Celsius’ very own thermometer. You will also find instruments and other types of objects that show the history of Uppsala University and the work of scientists like Rudbeckius, Celsius and Linnaeus, all of whom were active here.
Gustavianum is also home to the Augsburg art cabinet, which Gustavus Adolphus received from the councilors of Augsburg in 1632. An ornate cabinet with many drawers, secret compartments and thousands of objects, it served as an old-fashioned internet. At the top of the building is the anatomical theater built in the 1660’s for public dissections. https://destinationuppsala.se/en/activities/gustavianum/
A gathering place for peace, human rights and opportunities.
Through exhibitions, projects and educational activities focused on children and young people Peace Housework for social sustainability. It’s about peace work at the grassroots level to promote gender equality, combating racism and intolerance and to practice conflict management and active citizenship.
You will find Peace House at Uppsala Castle, with exhibitions on peace profiles such as Dag Hammarskjöld, Malala Yousafzai and Alva Myrdal as well as temporary exhibitions. https://destinationuppsala.se/en/activities/peace-house/
Visit Gamla Uppsala Museum, one of Scandinavia’s most noteworthy cultural environments, and learn more about the centuries-old myths surrounding the area. Exhibits include unique and original finds from the royal mounds, which have long served as a symbol of a magnificent past.
On display are found from archaeological digs and tales of Yngling dynasty kings, victims of the Viking era, pagan gods and a warring Iron Age. Follow along on a journey through the oceans of time, from 6th-century local heathen kingdoms to the religious upheaval of the Viking era to the building of the cathedral in the 1100s. https://destinationuppsala.se/en/activities/gamla-uppsala-museum/
Building started on Uppsala Slott (Uppsala Castle) in 1549 during the reign of Swedish King Gustav Vasa who intended it as a fortress. Look up from almost any location in Uppsala and you'll see it on the skyline at Kasåsen.
The castle is the location of several major events in the history of Uppsala and Sweden; for example, ‘the Sture Murders’ in 1567 when several noblemen were butchered at the behest of deranged King Erik XIV who had accused them of treason (their clothes are displayed at Uppsala Cathedral). Like many mid-1500s castles in Sweden, bloodbaths, conflict and political plotting were par for the course.
As fired, which engulfed Uppsala and the castle in 1702 when it virtually burned to the ground. Its remnants were then scavenged for the building of the Royal Palace in Stockholm, which didn’t help matters much. The castle façade you see today is faithful to the bright colour it was following its reconstruction in 1740. https://destinationuppsala.se/en/activities/uppsala-castle/
Uppsala Cathedral (Uppsala domkyrka) is the largest and tallest cathedral in the Nordic countries.
Construction on the cathedral began around 1270, with consecration taking place in 1435. The church towers were added later in the 15th century. The exterior of the medieval cathedral is unknown. The building has undergone several major restorations. Also, the fact that the church of Sweden became Evangelical Lutheran in the 1500s has had an impact on the appearance of the cathedral.
Uppsala is the see of the Church of Sweden’s archbishop since 1164 and the place where bishops of other dioceses are consecrated and priest and deacons of Uppsala diocese are being ordained. Until 1719 many coronations took place in the cathedral. The cathedral is used for services every day all year round.
The cathedral’s attractions include the reliquary of Saint Erik (Sweden’s patron saint), a medieval Saint Anne altarpiece and the 18th century Baroque pulpit. Mary (The Return) by Anders Widoff, the candle trees by Olof Hellström and wooden sculpture tableaux by Eva Spångberg are appreciated examples of modern art in the cathedral. https://destinationuppsala.se/en/activities/uppsala-cathedral/