I had been to Uppsala for a day trip before, 6 years ago, and had had a taste of the city; this time I could enjoyed it more leisurely. It’s a beautiful city, combining the historic feeling of an ancient capital with the modern bustle of a student city, since the university is the center of its life. I started by strolling along the river and relaxing at a nice café, before meeting my friends for a great Indian lunch, during which they gave me some invaluable tips about what to visit.
So I started with an incredibly good exhibition of old books and manuscripts at the Uppsala University Library, with some gems like Vesalius Anatomy, Newton’s Principia, Mercator’s maps, the Silver Bible, Persian, Jewish and many other beautiful books, even a letter by Marie Antoinette.
Then I visited the Trefaldighet church, with its beautiful wall paintings and altar piece, and then the Gustavianum Museum. It houses a small but excellent Egyptian collection, the curious and interesting Augsburg cabinets, a great collection of scientific instruments that look like works of art, and the recreation of the 17th century anatomical theater – not as beautiful as the one in Bologna but still remarkable.
Uppsala cathedral is an impressive building, both on the outside and the inside. Beautifully decorated, with many royal tombs and a small but great museum in the tower – medieval textiles, royal regalia from the tombs and the clothes of three nobles killed in the 16th century – interesting to see how small they were – people really got taller with the modern diet and health.
The Botanical Gardens are a good place to relax, the arboretum is great and the plants all labeled. From the castle one has great views over the city, and the Linneus Garden is also beautiful and informative. It was nice walking around town with a friend who explained about the Nations – the students’ places according to their origin – and several interesting anecdotes about the city.
I finished my visit to Uppsala in Gamla Uppsala, the seat of the old Viking capital. The burial mounds are still impressive, and the church – the former cathedral – beautiful. And it’s nice to have a feeling of a village just by the city.
I really enjoyed this trip to Sweden – resting, sightseeing and meeting friends, the perfect holidays.
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