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Uppsala, Sweden
Uppsala has been the intellectual and spiritual capital of Sweden for over 500 years. The twin spires of Uppsala Cathedral, the largest church in Scandinavia, dominate the skyline — the building dates to the 13th century and houses the tombs of Swedish kings and the scientist Carl Linnaeus. The university, founded in 1477, gives the city its youthful energy, and its Gustavianum museum includes an atmospheric 17th-century anatomical theater. The Linnaeus Garden, the oldest botanical garden in Sweden, preserves the layout created by the father of modern taxonomy. The Fyris River divides the city into a historic west bank and a modern east bank, and riverside walks connect the old town to the castle — a pink Renaissance palace where Queen Christina abdicated. Old Uppsala, a few kilometers north, preserves massive pre-Viking burial mounds and the site of a pagan temple described in medieval chronicles.
explore by interest
Walk the riverside path from the cathedral to the castle for a route that connects Uppsala's major sights in a pleasant 20-minute stroll.
May through August offers warm weather and long daylight, with Walpurgis Night (April 30) as the biggest celebration — thousands of students gather to welcome spring.