Skip to content

A day trip to Uppsala

Uppsala is a cute little city located just North of Stockholm. It is effortless to get there and it’s perfect for a day trip! That’s why last weekend my housemates and I decided to give this ancient city a try.

Picture of a lake in a city park, with the city in the background
A view of Uppsala

What to see in Uppsala

During our day trip, we visited three of the most famous Uppsala attractions: Uppsala Slott (“castle” in Swedish), the University area and Gamla Uppsala (“Old” Uppsala). Uppsala Slott and the university are pretty close; you can just walk there from the picturesque city centre, whereas to get to Gamla Uppsala it is necessary to take the bus. We really enjoyed transitioning from the medieval streets to the park that lies under the castle and then up to the castle itself and its art museum. The view was just awesome!

Landscape from Uppsala Slott with a cannon in the foreground
The view from Uppsala Slott

Then, we walked down through the Linneanum and the university’s Botanical Garden, until we got to the campus itself – which was a bit empty, as we went there on a Sunday. Although being the oldest university in Sweden, the campus is very modern and green and close to the many shops and restaurants of the city centre – where we went to admire the beautiful cathedral of the city.

Organ and altar of the Uppsala Cathedral
The interior of Uppsala Cathedral

Finally, we took the bus and went to Gamla Uppsala, an old viking burial site where you can also see a church, a museum and an ancient farm. We visited the area quite quickly, but it was still very fascinating!

My housemates in front of some hills (the ancient burial sites) of Gamla Uppsala
My housemates in front of the ancient burial sites of Gamla Uppsala

All in all, I would suggest visiting Uppsala if you want to explore an ancient city full of calm corners and a medieval vibe. It’s pretty different from Stockholm! I’d advise you to visit during the week, however, since in the weekends the streets are quite empty – remember we’re always talking about a university town!

See you in the next post!

// Lorenzo