Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
saint: his coronation, subsequent crusade to Finland, eventual defeat and execution at
the hands of the Danes. The Relics of Erik are zealously guarded in a chapel of the
nave: poke around and you'll also find the tombs of the Reformation rebel Gustav Vasa
and his son Johan III, and that of the botanist Linnaeus (see box, p.96), who lived in
Uppsala. Time and fire have led to the rest of the cathedral being rebuilt, scrubbed and
painted to the extent that it resembles a museum more than a thirteenth-century place
of worship; even the characteristic twin spires are late nineteenth-century additions.
2
Gustavianum
Akademigatan 3 • Tues-Sun 11am-4pm • 50kr
Opposite the west end of the cathedral, the onion-domed
Gustavianum
was built in
1625 as part of the university, and is much touted by the tourist office for the
masterpiece of kitsch that is the
Augsburg Art Cabinet
- a treasure chest of black oak
containing all manner of knick-knacks presented to Gustav II Adolf by the Lutheran
councillors of Augsburg in 1632 - and the world's first ever thermometer from 1745
owned by none other than Anders Celsius, inventor of the temperature scale. Whilst
here be sure to make it up to the top floor to see the perfectly preserved
anatomical
theatre
from 1660 where convicts' bodies were once carved up in the name of science,
until the church stepped in to end the practice. The same building houses a couple of
small collections of Egyptian, Classical and Viking antiquities.
The university
Övre Slottsgatan • Mon-Fri 8am-4pm
he current
university
building is the imposing nineteenth-century Renaissance-style
edifice opposite Gustavianum. Originally a seminary, today it's used for lectures and
seminars and hosts the graduation ceremonies each May. Among the more famous
alumni are Carl von Linné (Linnaeus; see p.96) and Anders Celsius. No one will mind
you strolling in for a quick look, but the rest of the building is not open to the public.
Carolina Rediviva
Dag Hammerskjölds väg 1 • Mid-May to Sept Mon-Thurs 9am-6.30pm, Fri until 5.30pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm; rest of year
Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 10am-5pm • Mid-May to Sept 20kr, otherwise free
From the university, Övre Slottsgatan leads south to the
Carolina Rediviva
, the
university library and one of Scandinavia's largest, with around ive million topics. On
April 30 (Valborgsmässoafton) each year the students meet here to celebrate the official
first day of spring (usually in the snow), all wearing the traditional student cap that
gives them the appearance of disaffected sailors. Take a look in the
manuscript room
,
where there's a collection of rare letters and other paraphernalia. The beautiful
sixth-century Silver Bible is on permanent display, as is Mozart's original manuscript
for
The Magic Flute
.
The castle
Övre Slottsgatan • Guided tours in English mid-June to early Sept Tues-Sun 1pm & 3pm • 80kr
When compared to the glorious building of the university, the
castle
up on the hill,
built by Gustav Vasa in the mid-sixteenth century, is a disappointment. Certainly
significant chapters of Sweden's history were played out here over the centuries: the
Uppsala Assembly of 1593, which established the supremacy of the Lutheran Church,
took place in the Hall of State, where also, in 1630, the Parliament resolved to enter the
Thirty Years' War. Sadly though, much of the castle was destroyed in the 1702 fire that
also did away with three-quarters of the city, and only one side and two towers - the
L-shape of today - remain of what was once an opulent rectangular palace. Inside,
admission also includes access to the castle's art museum but, quite frankly, it won't
make your postcards home.
