Page 136 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Sweden

134  SWEDEN AREA B Y AREA

7 Uppsala archaeological collections from
Egypt and the Classical world
The city of learning on the idyllic Fyrisån river long remained are also on display.
a small town despite becoming the seat of the archbishop in
1273, having the first university in Scandinavia in 1477 and P Universitetshuset
being the venue for parliaments and coronations. Scientists St Olofsgatan/Övre Slottsgatan.
Tel 018-471 17 15. Open Mon–Fri and
such as Carl von Linné and Anders Celsius gained the university for events. 7
worldwide glory, but as late as 1800 the town had only 4,000 The university’s imposing main
inhabitants. It wasn’t until 20th-century industrialization and building was constructed in 1887
the expansion in education that Uppsala grew into Sweden’s in Neo-Renaissance style. It
fourth largest city. The Gothic cathedral, castle, historic contains an attractive auditorium.
university buildings, botanical gardens and ancient Gamla P Carolina Rediviva
(Old) Uppsala make this one of Sweden’s foremost sights. Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 1. Tel 018-471
39 09. Open 8:30am–9pm Mon–Fri,
P Gustavianum 9am–6pm Sat & Sun). Closed public
Akademigatan 3. Tel 018-471 75 71. holidays. & mid-May–mid-Sep. 7
Open 11am–6pm Tue–Sun. In 1841, the 200-year-old
Closed public holidays. & 8 Sat & university library moved into
Sun (also Eng; book ahead). = 7 ^ this specially designed building
Named after King Gustav II Adolf, which houses 5 million printed
who donated both funds and books and 4 km (2 miles) of
land, this is the oldest preserved shelving holding handwritten
building of Uppsala University. manuscripts. Rarities include
The unusual dome was built the Silver Bible from the 6th
in 1662 for Olof Rudbeck’s century and Olaus Magnus’s
Theatrum Anatomicum. This is Carta Marina (1539).
an amphitheatre with standing
room for 200 spectators – P Uppsala Slott
students and paying members Slottsbacken. Tel 018-727 24 82.
of the public – who would 8 phone for info. Konstmuseet:
gather here to watch dissections Open Tue–Sun. House of Peace
of executed criminals. The room (museum): Tel 018-50 00 08.
which visitors see today is & - 0 =
largely a faithful reconstruction. Standing on a glacial ridge, this
The Gustavianum mounts Vasa castle competes with the
The cathedral’s twin spires, restored in the exhibitions connected with the cathedral for domination of
19th century work of the university since its the city. Established as a fortress
foundation in 1477. One of the in 1549, it was added to several
R Domkyrkan gems on show is the Augsburg times, but never finished.
Domkyrkoplan 2. Tel 018-430 35 00. Art Cabinet from the early A disastrous city fire in 1702
Open 8am–6pm daily. 8 9 - = 17th century. It is a kind of destroyed much of the castle
daily. 7 5 Skattkammaren: universal museum showing the and restoration work was
Open 10am–4pm Mon–Sat, 12:30– world view of the time in started by Carl Hårleman. The
4pm Sun. & miniature. Various castle now houses Uppsala’s art
The first sight on approaching
Uppsala is the 119 m (390 ft)
high twin spires of the largest Carl Von Linné
cathedral in the Nordic region. “God created, Linné organized,” goes the saying about the Swedish
The building, with its impressive, king of plants. It is thanks to Linné’s ground-breaking Systema
Gothic nave, was consecrated Naturae, first published in 1735, that the
in 1435. Many monarchs have world has the familiar system of binomial
been crowned here and kings nomenclature, giving all plants and animals
Gustav Vasa and Johan III, as two Latin names. In 1741, Linné, also known
well as botanist Carl von Linné as Linnaeus, became professor of medicine
and the os ophist Emanuel at Uppsala and his spirit has suffused the
Swedenborg (1688–1772), are city ever since. At his country house in
buried here. The chapel contains Hammarby, Linné tutored students. It was
the remains of St Erik, patron saint not unknown for him to greet them
of Sweden, in a golden shrine. dressed only in his nightshirt, for the
The cathedral treasury, Bust of Carl von Linné, morning’s nature walk. According to Linné
Skattkammaren, has a superb 1707–78 “nature does not wait for powder and wigs”.
collection of textiles and silver.
For hotels and restaurants in this area see p284 and pp295–6

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2)
Date 14th November 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm