The Top Things to See and Do in Uppsala, Sweden

Uppsala Castle dominates its surroundings with its unmissable peach-coloured facade
Uppsala Castle dominates its surroundings with its unmissable peach-coloured facade | © Christopher Kane / Alamy Stock Photo
Photo of Jasmina Kanuric
Jasmina Kanuric
25 March 2021

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.

Visit Uppsala University

Building, Cathedral, Library, University
Map View
The oldest university in Scandinavia, Uppsala University was established in 1477, and today is among the best in Northern Europe. Located in the Carolina Rediviva building, the library is gargantuan, home to more than 5 million volumes. Dating from the 1820s, it is the oldest and largest university library building in Sweden. With its stunning columns and high ceilings it is a must-visit. Among its extensive collection of important manuscripts is the Codex Argenteus, or Silver Book, from the 6th century CE, containing the four gospels translated from Greek to Gothic.
Open In Google Maps
Carolina Rediviva, 1 Dag Hammarskjölds Väg, Fjärdingen Uppsala, Uppsala län, 752 37, Sweden
+46184713900
Visit Website

See Uppsala Cathedral

Building, Cathedral, Church, Museum
Map View
Uppsala Cathedral
© Christopher Kane / Alamy Stock Photo
Uppsala Cathedral dominates the city’s skyline, strikingly red-toned and beautiful, pointing heavenwards in classic French-gothic style. It’s the largest church in the Scandinavian region, the seat of the Swedish Church and the burial place of many members of the royal family. Its construction can be dated back to around 1270, although elements were added in later centuries. You’ll get insights into its history in the church museum. Don’t miss the two large musical organs, Per Larsson Åkerman’s from 1871 in the west, and Fratelli Ruffatti’s from 2009 in the north.
Open In Google Maps
Domkyrkoplan, Fjärdingen Uppsala, Uppsala län, 753 10, Sweden
+46184303500
Visit Website

Relax in one of many gardens and parks

Botanical Garden
Map View
Uppsala is immodestly bestowed with beautiful gardens and parks, which citizens take to for evening strolls and summer afternoons. Among the most famous are the Botaniska trädgården, home to a 200-year-old orangery, and the Linnaeus Garden, the oldest botanical garden in the country. Here you’ll see almost 9,000 plants and 1,300 species, including native trees and spectacular seasonal flower displays. It was all cultivated in the mid-18th century by celebrated botanist Carl Linnaeus, and arranged according to his classification system. While you’re here, take a wander in the Tropical Greenhouse, dense with plants from warmer climes such as deserts, rainforests, steppes and savannahs.
Open In Google Maps
6-8 Villavägen, Kåbo Uppsala, Uppsala län, 752 36, Sweden
+46184712838
Visit Website

Discover Gustavianum

Museum
Map View
Named after Gustav II Adolf, the 17th-century monarch who took Sweden to superpower status, Gustavianum is a fascinating repository of coins and scientific instruments, art and archaeological remnants. Old and young fans of Egyptians and Vikings will be riveted by the permanent exhibitions, including a sarcophagus and swords. Linked to Uppsala University, the Gustavianum occupies the old main building, which is also the oldest preserved edifice of the university. At the top is the Anatomical Theatre, dating back to 1660, where public dissections were once conducted as a matter of routine.
Open In Google Maps
3 Akademigatan, Fjärdingen Uppsala, Uppsala län, 753 10, Sweden
+46184717571
Visit Website

Gamla Uppsala

Church, Museum
Map View
Gamla Uppsala church, Uppsala, Sweden, Scandinavia, Europe
© Robert Harding / Alamy Stock Photo
It translates as Old Uppsala, and Gamla Uppsala, 5km (3mi) or so from the modern city, is one of the most important archaeological sites ever discovered in Sweden. Feel a frisson as you realise how the city looked in pre-Viking times. Walking around, you will encounter prehistoric burial mounds and the fairytale Gamla Uppsala kyrka (church), seat of the archbishopric until 1273. Inside the open-air museum Disagården, old domestic buildings further reveal how rural people lived in times gone by. The museum is open every day between April and September, and on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays for the rest of the year.
Open In Google Maps
Gamla Uppsala Uppsala, Uppsala County, Sweden

Shop along Svartbäcksgatan

Cathedral, Library, Shop, Shopping Mall
Map View
Largely pedestrianised and traffic-free, Svartbäcksgatan is Uppsala’s main shopping street. It’s lined with modern stores but its route dates back centuries – to 1643, to be precise, when it was constructed to create a line of sight northwards towards Uppsala Cathedral. You’ll find all the major brands present and correct as you wander along it. It is also peppered with attractive foodie pit stops where you can enjoy fika – the Swedish tradition of meeting friends for coffee and a bite.
Open In Google Maps
8 Svartbäcksgatan, Centrum Uppsala, Uppsala län, 753 20, Sweden

Explore the Uppsala Castle

Cathedral
Map View
Uppsala Castle (Uppsala Slott in Swedish) dominates its surroundings with its unmissable peach-coloured facade set against verdant gardens. It was built in the 16th century, during the Vasa dynastic era, and here, during the next century, was where Sweden resolved to join the Thirty Years’ War. After being destroyed by fire in 1702, the castle was thoroughly reconstructed. It is an atmospheric place to wander in summer, and regular guided tours are available between June and September.
Open In Google Maps
Slottet, Fjärdingen Uppsala, Uppsala län, 752 37, Sweden
+46187272482
Visit Website

Have fun at Fyrishov

Sports Center
Map View
The largest sporting arena in Uppsala (and the fourth-largest in Sweden) is Fyrishov, which also stages exhibitions and other events. Children love it for the generously sized indoor swimming pool and recreation area, as well as the large outdoor sports complex. If you’re here in summer, you can make the most of the aquatic adventure centre, with its outdoor swimming pools in lush surroundings. Some people spend their whole holiday here – Fyrishov is home to a campsite with chalets, and there’s also a holiday village in the grounds.
Open In Google Maps
2 Idrottsgatan, Uppsala, Uppsala län, 753 33, Sweden
+46187274950
Visit Website

Bror Hjorth's House

Museum
Map View
A visit to the former home and work studio of Swedish modernist painter and sculptor Bror Hjorth (1894–1968) is well worth a morning of your long weekend. It’s now a museum dedicated to the man – he spent the last 25 years of his life here – and constitutes the largest extant collection of his works. There are enough sculptures, paintings, drawings and sketches here to keep you entranced for hours. And if you’d like to appreciate his talents further, among his notable works is Näckens Polska, an imposing fountain next to Uppsala’s Travel Centre.
Open In Google Maps
26 Norbyvägen, Kåbo Uppsala, Uppsala län, 752 39, Sweden
+4618567030
Visit Website

The Uppland Museum

Building, Museum
Map View
White building of Uppland museum and cathedral in Uppsala, Sweden
© Pavel Dudek / Alamy Stock Photo
The setting of the Uppland Museum alone is attractive enough to merit a visit: it’s set in a watermill on the Fyrisån river with origins going back to the 13th century, with an appeal that’s only been enhanced by the passing of the ages. The current structure, which dates back to the 18th century and was in use until World War II, was reworked as a museum and opened in 1959. It is the county museum for Uppsala, with all manner of permanent and interactive exhibitions detailing quotidian matters from ancient times to the present day.
Open In Google Maps
10 S:t Eriks torg, Fjärdingen Uppsala, Uppsala län, 753 10, Sweden
+4618169100
Visit Website

Biotopia

Museum
Map View

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.

Open In Google Maps
4 Vasagatan, Luthagen Uppsala, Uppsala län, 753 13, Sweden
+46187276370
Visit Website

Museum of Medical History

Museum
Map View

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.

Open In Google Maps
8 Eva Lagerwalls väg, Ulleråker Uppsala, Uppsala län, 756 43, Sweden
+46186112610
Visit Website

Hågadalen-Nåsten Nature Reserve

Park, Natural Feature
Map View

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.

Open In Google Maps
Uppsala S Uppsala, Uppsala County, 755 91, Sweden

Pumphuset

Architectural Landmark
Map View
River view in Uppsala, Sweden
© David Wiinikka-Lydon / Alamy Stock Photo

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.

Open In Google Maps
Pumphuset, 1 Munkgatan, Fjärdingen Uppsala, Uppsala län, 753 09, Sweden

Jo Fernandez-Corugedo contributed additional reporting to this article.

These recommendations were updated on March 25, 2021 to keep your travel plans fresh.
Give us feedback

Cookies Policy

We and our partners use cookies to better understand your needs, improve performance and provide you with personalised content and advertisements. To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK"