Uppsala is the fourth-largest city in Sweden, and is renowned as an educational hub, offering plentiful green spaces for those lazy summer days. Here is our pick of the best things to see and do here, from shopping sprees along Svartbäcksgatan to the oldest botanical garden in the country.
Also known as the Biological Museum, this dynamic institution in Uppland, a county full of wild and exciting nature, uses interactive displays to immerse visitors of all ages in the local wildlife. As Uppsala is only 40 minutes by train from Stockholm, this makes an easy day trip out to the country from the capital. And, as with all really good museums, there’s a cafe with outdoor seating and a museum shop.
If you’re fascinated by the history of medicine, you’ll feel a whole lot better after a visit to this intriguing establishment. It covers the subject as far back as Graeco-Roman times, and even if the going gets a bit icky at times, it’s all fascinating stuff. It’s set in a sprawling, castle-like former hospital, and exhibits include medical specimens that were once used for teaching, as well as an operating theatre.
Easily reached from Uppsala, on the city’s western outskirts, this verdant swathe of valley is a fine, lung-refreshing place to walk, run and bike – or even ski, in winter. Crossed by the Håga river, it’s a place where you can be fully immersed in nature, surrounded by lush woodlands, forests and farmland with a heavy dose of wildlife.
The Pumphuset, or pump house, was the first waterworks in Uppsala, in operation from 1875 until 1968. The honey-coloured, green-roofed building on the banks of the substantial river Fyris is still surprisingly grand, and makes for a great visit, housing an exhibition and educational displays for students. Interactive stations provide an insight into water supply and waste management using the well- preserved original equipment, including water turbines, electric pumps and pressure clocks.
Jo Fernandez-Corugedo contributed additional reporting to this article.
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