SWEDEN - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 527

Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala) lies 3 miles north of the current city center and is
full of myth, legend, and history including the graves of the sixth-century Ynglinga
Dynasty kings of Aun, Egil, and Adil (who worshiped the god Frej). (Take bus
No. 2, 110, or 115.) The pagan religion of the Vikings persisted here well into the
11th century. A 12th-century church, heralding the advent of Christianity, then re-
placed the pagan temple. Some say the ancient mounds were part of the lost civil-
ization of Atlantis. The area is now an open-air museum, accessible to visitors
daily year-round. Visit the Gamla Historical Centre celebrating the archaeologic-
al finds. Hours vary—check with the tourist information office. Admission is SEK
70 for adults; children are admitted free. Tel: [phone]; www.raa.se/gam-
lauppsala ; E-mail: [e-mail].
UppsalaCastle stands on a hill overlooking the city. Begun in the 1540s by King
Gustav Vasa as a symbol of his power over the church, it was completed during
the reign of Queen Christina. The king had cannon mounted on the castle pointing
at the church. They still point that way today. Partially destroyed by fire in 1702,
the castle has been restored. After the extensive renovation in 1994, you can now
visit new parts of the castle on a 45-minute guided tour conducted in English at
1300 and 1500 from June 1 through August 27. You'll see the Hall of State and the
castle church's uncovered altar wall.
The great HallofState is frequently the scene of historic events. Both the coron-
ation banquet for Gustavus Adolphus and Queen Christina's abdication took place
within the castle's walls. Hours: June 17-August 27: 1000-1600 Tuesday-Friday,
until 1800 Wednesday. A more restricted schedule is followed during the remainder
of the year. Visit www.uppsala.se/konstmuseum .
Three-quarters of Uppsala was destroyed by fire in 1702. It was in the subse-
quent period of reconstruction that the character of the city changed. The university
and its scholars began to dominate, and the reputation of the university spread
throughout the civilized world. The current university building was opened in 1887.
Among the collections in Exhibition Hall of The Uppsala University Library (loc-
ated on Dag Hammarskjolds vag 1) are the Silver Bible from the sixth century, me-
dieval manuscripts, and musical notations by Mozart. Take bus No. 6, 7, 22, 26, or
52. Tel: [phone]. Visit www.ub.uu.se . Hours: 0900-2000 Monday-Friday
and 1000-1700 Saturday.
In Uppsala, Saint Erik, Saint Olof, and Saint Lars' church is usually referred to
as The Cathedral. Two of its patron saints, Erik and Olof, were Christian kings in
Scandinavia during the 11th and 12th centuries, when the Christians finally had the
pagans on the run. Lars died a martyr's death in Rome in A.D. 258. Building of The
Cathedral started in the late 13th century, and it took a century and a half to com-
plete. It has been ravaged by fires, and its towers collapsed, but with Swedish de-