Uppsala: Sweden’s Historic and Academic Centre

Uppsala: It’s the Nordic metropolis that many people don’t yet know. Sweden’s fourth largest city is only 40 minutes away from Stockholm by train and definitely worth a visit. Find out what there is to experience in one of northern Europe’s most famous student cities and everything you need to know about planning your trip here.

Why should you travel to Uppsala?

Did you know that Uppsala is the city with the oldest university in Northern Europe? As you can imagine, the city has a lot to offer in terms of history and culture. From the Cabinet of Curiosities to the burial mounds in Gamal Uppsala, there is plenty to discover.

What’s more, a city trip to Uppsala can be perfectly combined with a trip to Stockholm, as the cities are only 40 minutes apart by train.

Where is Uppsala located?

Uppsala is located in west-central Sweden and is about 70 kilometres from Stockholm. The city is located in the administrative area of Uppsala län, historical Uppland.

Uppsala: weather

The weather in Uppsala is generally a little cooler than in the UK. In winter, you can expect temperatures of around 1° Celsius. The best time to visit is in the summer months from May to September. During this time you will find average daytime temperatures of 17°-22° Celsius. This means it is not too hot in summer, even for extensive sightseeing tours. However, travelling to Uppsala can also be wonderful in winter. The snow-covered city offers marvellous panoramas to anyone who doesn’t mind the cold.

What to do in Uppsala: nature, culture and history

Because Uppsala is a large city, there are mainly cultural things to discover here. Museums, Swedish and international cuisine and historic buildings characterise the city. But not only sights with a big city feel can be visited: The burial mounds in Old Uppsala, known as Gamla Uppsala, are also a must for history lovers.

The Gustavianum: visit the oldest university in Northern Europe

The Gustavianum is one of the university city’s most famous sights. It is a building of the oldest university in Northern Europe. On display here, for example, is the Cabinet of Curiosities, a gift from the city of Augsburg to King Gustav II Adolf from the first half of the 17th century. But you can also explore other permanent and temporary exhibitions.

Gamla Uppsala: the burial mounds

Another interesting sight are the burial mounds in Old Uppsala, known as Gamla Uppsala in Swedish.

The three tombs are named after Thor, Odin and Freya and probably date back to the 5th-6th century AD.

Overall, Old Uppsala was of great economic importance until around 1100.

This changed with the land uplift, which altered the waterways and thus reduced the economic importance of the city.

Find out more about Sweden’s interesting history in this article.

Uppsala: hotels

When planning a city trip to Uppsala, many people opt for a hotel. This has the advantage that you are usually centrally located and don’t have to worry about anything. In addition, the selection of hotels within Uppsala is larger than the selection of holiday homes, for example, which are more likely to be found in the surrounding area. Whether it should be a hotel or a holiday flat is mainly a matter of taste.

Holiday flats in Uppsala

Holiday flats are another way to spend your trip to Uppsala. The advantage of a holiday flat is that you usually have more space than in a hotel room and can cook for yourself. A holiday flat can also be cheaper than a hotel, especially if you are travelling with children.

Uppsala: getting there

There are various ways of travelling to Uppsala. You can reach the city by car and train as well as via a direct connection by plane.

Many people opt for the car, especially if they are making a longer journey through Sweden. For a short city break, the aeroplane is the preferred option.

Flights to Uppsala

Uppsala’s good connections to Stockholm also offer advantages when travelling to the city. You can easily travel to Stockholm Arlanda Airport by plane and reach Uppsala in just 20 minutes by express train.

By car to Uppsala

If you want to travel to Uppsala by car, you have several options. You can either take the overland route via Copenhagen and Malmö or take a ferry from Germany or Denmark. You can choose between many different ferry connections.

By train to Uppsala

Travelling to Uppsala by train is easy. You travel via Copenhagen and Malmö to Stockholm, which is only 40 minutes away from Uppsala by express train.