Uppsala

The name of Sweden's most important university city, Uppsala, is often pronounced in German like "Hoppsala", either by mistake or as a joke. Of course, the name Uppsala has nothing to do with the children's language call to jump. Instead, it means something like "hall or manor downstream". Located just 80 km north of Stockholm and not far from Lake Mälaren, the city of 150,000 in the rolling hills of Uppland province is considered one of Sweden's most prominent tourist destinations. An ancient history, student traditions, and a diverse cultural scene contribute greatly to the appeal of the city on the Fyrisån River. Probably the most magnificent of Uppsala's many historic buildings is the 16th century Uppsala Castle (Uppsala slott), which is partially open to the public, including guided tours on the castle roof. The Peace Museum, housed in the castle surrounded by the municipal botanical garden, is well worth a visit: Fredens Hus focuses in particular on the peace efforts of the Swedish UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld (1905 - 1961).

Of course, the cathedral with its treasury, the old cemetery (Uppsala Gamal Kyrkogard), which invites to contemplation, and the numerous galleries are also worth a visit. In Uppsala you can follow in the footsteps of Sweden's most famous natural scientist, Carl von Linne (1707 - 1778). Several museums present the life and work of the scientist, who taught as a professor in Uppsala from 1741.