Οι καλύτεροι αστικοί περίπατοι στην Ουψάλα

Within the remaining ruins of Uppsala's original 16th-century castle, the Vasaborgen Museum offers insights into the history of Swedish rulers, recounting tales of kings and queens, princes and princesses. Guided tours led by costumed guides also reveal gruesome details of gruesome and violent sudden deaths. The museum is open from June 1st to September 1st.

Uppsala, a city of 175,000 inhabitants, is Sweden's fourth-largest metropolitan area. It can be wonderfully viewed from the hill in the city center where Gustav Vasa built his castle in 1549. It has been the ecclesiastical center of Sweden since 1164 and is the seat of the Archbishop of the Church of Sweden. The university, founded in 1477, is the oldest university in Scandinavia. The cityscape is still defined by the Fyrisån River, the cathedral, and the castle. Uppsala is rich in historical buildings but also has some very modern areas.

Here you have a fantastic view over the city. Don't forget your camera!

The Gothic Uppsala Cathedral (Uppsala Domkyrka), consecrated in 1435, is the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Uppsala, the parish church of the Uppsala Cathedral parish, and a national shrine of the Church of Sweden. It houses the relics of Sweden's national saint, Saint Erik, and a relic of Saint Bridget. The church is traditionally the coronation and burial church for Swedish kings and queens. Following a fire in the former cathedral (in Gamla Uppsala), the Pope granted permission in 1258 to move the bishopric to present-day Uppsala (then Östra Aros). The move to Domberget took place in 1273. Initially, the existing Saint Erik Chapel was used for services while French builders, under the direction of Etienne de Bonneuil, began constructing a new cathedral. The construction would continue for over a century and a half. The cathedral's towers are the tallest church towers in Scandinavia, reaching 118.7 meters. The most powerful of its five church bells, called Storan, weighs 7,360 kilograms, making it Sweden's largest church bell. The Church of Sweden estimates that around half a million people visit Uppsala Cathedral each year.

With its commanding position on Kasåsen hill high above Uppsala, the castle is visible from afar. Today it is the residence of the Governor of Uppsala County. Built as a fortification by Gustav Vasa starting in 1549, the castle was the site of the Sture Murders in 1567, the decision regarding Sweden's participation in the Thirty Years' War was made here, Queen Christina abdicated here in 1654, and many of Sweden's former kings and queens were born and lived here. As early as 1572, the castle had been remodeled by Johan III and expanded into a grand Renaissance palace. After the great city fire of 1702, parts of the main building, the so-called Cross Castle, were demolished. During its reconstruction in 1744, the entire castle acquired its present form in the French Neoclassical style, based on designs by Carl Hårleman. The room, the district council hall, which was specially set up for the district council meetings after the municipal reform of 1862, is today primarily used as a representative reception room.

A unique feature of this building is the medical lecture hall, the "Anatomical Theater" (Theatrum anatomicum). The dome in the center of the building was constructed between 1662 and 1663. Medical professor Olof Rudbeck the Elder intended to perform dissections here before an audience of colleagues and students. The Anatomical Theater rises above the other roofs of the Gustavianum, allowing ample light to enter through its many windows. Its basic structure is modeled on the classical Greek amphitheater, but it is built at a significantly steeper angle and offers only standing room for spectators, enabling them to get as close as possible. The theater could accommodate 200 spectators. Rudbeck's lecture hall was long considered the most important theater of its kind in Europe. The hall still exists and is occasionally used for concerts, lectures, or other events.

The Gustavianum is the oldest surviving building of Uppsala University. It has housed the University Museum since 1997. After a five-year renovation, it reopened on June 24, 2024. Construction of this new, larger building, intended to supplement the teaching facilities of the Academia Carolina, began in 1622. It contained lecture halls, a printing press, a student dining room, student dormitories, and later, a library. With the demolition of the old Academia Carolina in 1778, the Gustavianum became the university's main building until the new university building was constructed in 1887.

Not only can you climb the castle 🏰, but also the art museum and a historical museum, "Uppsala Slottsmuseum," within the castle. Both are very interesting and free of charge. In front of the castle stands the wooden Gunillia Tower.