See also: Vikings and the Old Norse, Nordic history, Uppland history tour

Since the Ice Age, the Scandinavian landmass has been rising from the sea. The Uppsala plains were below sea level until around 1500 BC. The country's youngest land became the cradle of the Swedish nation, and soon after its emergence from the sea Håga, some 4 km (2.5 mi) south west of Uppsala, became the centre of Bronze Age Sweden. In the area you can still find remnants of the hillfort Predikstolen, as well as Håga burial mound, the gold-richest Bronze Age burial mound found in the Nordic countries.

In the 5th century, Old Uppsala (Gamla Uppsala), some 5 km (3.1 mi) north of today’s city centre, became the political and religious centre of Sweden. According to legend, it was founded by the pagan fertility god Freyr, from whom the first Swedish kings claimed to descend. The site housed a famous pagan temple, a royal hall, and three monumental burial mounds which can still be seen today. It maintained its position as the most important place in Sweden throughout the Viking Age. In the 11th century, Sweden was Christianised, and the temple at Uppsala was destroyed. Instead, Old Uppsala became the archbishopric of Sweden.

The city we today call Uppsala was founded as a port-city of Old Uppsala called Aros. According to legend, the Swedish king Erik Jedvardsson was killed in battle in Aros in 1160. From his corpse sprung a well of fresh water, which remains today as a pump on St Erik’s square north of the Cathedral. Although never officially canonised by the pope, the Swedes considered "Erik the Holy" their patron saint, and his relics can still be seen inside the Cathedral. Aros eventually came to eclipse its mother-city and, in 1273, overtook Old Uppsala's role as an archbishopric, at the same time overtaking the name Uppsala. The same year, the construction of the Uppsala Cathedral began. The Cathedral was inaugurated more than a century and a half later, in 1435. In 1477, Uppsala University was founded, as the first university in the Nordic countries.

In 1527, the Protestant Reformation began in Sweden, and much power and wealth moved from the church in Uppsala to the king in Stockholm. Consequently, Uppsala declined during the 16th century. During this era, Uppsala Castle was constructed, partly in order to check Uppsala clergymen who disliked the reformation. In 1567, the new castle became a scene for the "Sture Murders": during a fit of madness, the Swedish King Eric XIV had six nobles thrown into the castle dungeons and massacred. The wars of the 17th century (including the Thirty Years War) established the Swedish Empire. The city and its university experienced a revival, and Uppsala became something of a second capital of Sweden. Much of the city burnt down in 1702. This did not prevent Uppsala from rising as a scientific stronghold during the Age of Liberty (frihetstiden) in the 18th century, with world-famous scientists such as Carl von Linné, founder of taxonomic biology, and Anders Celsius, inventor of the Celsius temperature scale.

During the early 19th century, professors and students at the university were heavily influenced by romanticism. Many of Uppsala's strong student traditions can be traced to this era, including the archetype of the typical Uppsala student as a sorrowless, punsch-drinking and serenade-singing youngling in a tailcoat and a student cap. This "student uniform" can still be seen at formal occasions and gasques (student dinner parties). Throughout the 20th century Uppsala and Uppsala University grew rapidly. During the tenure of the principal Torgny T:son Segerstedt between 1955–1978, more students were admitted to the university than during its entire previous history combined! In the 20th century, the eastern half of the city experienced an extensive urban renewal. The western half was, however, spared from most of the demolition due to its proximity to the cathedral and university, and has therefore preserved more of its historical character.

Uppsala has a humid continental climate and is on the 59th latitude north, comparable to Fort Smith in Canada and Saint Petersburg in Russia. Because of its northerly position, Uppsala receives less than 6 hours of visible sunlight during the winter solstice, and more than 18 hours during the summer solstice. Due to the Gulf Stream, which brings warm water from the Caribbean to the North Sea, Uppsala and Sweden are not as cold as other regions on similar latitudes. As an example, during January, Fort Smith has a daily mean temperature of −22.4 °C (−8.3 °F), compared to Uppsala's daily mean temperature of −2.7 °C (27.1 °F). Summer usually starts in the middle of May and lasts until late September. Autumn typically continues until late November, when winter arrives. Spring normally arrives around the middle of March.

• Uppsala Tourist Centre, ☏ +46 18-727 48 00, [email protected]. Opening hours vary between InfoPoints. Has eight staffed "InfoPoints" scattered around town. These provide basic maps and brochures and can be found at Uppsala University Hospital (Entrance 70), Godsmagasinet (Roslagsgatan 1), Fullerö Handel (9 km (5.6 mi) north of Uppsala), Fyrishov Stugby & Camping (Idrottsgatan 2), Gamla Uppsala Museum (Disavägen), City Library (Svartbäcksgatan 17), Uppsala Konsert & Kongress (Vaksala Torg 1) and Uppsala Art Museum (Uppsala Castle, Entrance E). (updated Oct 2018)

With no commercial airport of its own, Uppsala is served by the same airports as Stockholm. Indeed, the main airport, Arlanda, is closer to Uppsala than to Stockholm.

• Stockholm-Arlanda Airport (ARN ^IATA), 35 km (22 mi) south of Uppsala on the main road and railway route to Stockholm, is by far the largest aircraft hub in Sweden. To reach Uppsala the main options are trains, buses, car rental and taxis.
  • By train SL commuter train or pendeltåg and Mälartåg run every 30–60 min between 05:00 and 01:00 and take 18 min to Uppsala Central. A single ticket costs 162 kr, which includes the airport surcharge (compared to 81 kr to or from Stockholm. Attempts to exit at Arlanda with a ticket to Stockholm are surcharged). The trains have low floors and wide doors for easy access by passengers with wheelchairs or bulky luggage. The national train operator SJ also run irregular trains between Arlanda and Uppsala at rates and travel times similar to SL. All trains for Uppsala depart from Arlanda Central station ("Arlanda-C") within the airport Sky City — don't go to Arlanda South or North as these only serve express trains to Stockholm city. You must buy your ticket before boarding. There is a ticket counter and machines at the station.
  • By bus UL bus 801 (daytime) SL bus and 593 (at night) run from the stations beneath terminals 2, 4 and 5 to bus terminal C at Uppsala Central Station. They run every 30 min, taking 30 min. The fare is 117 kr. The night bus might be your only transport option between midnight and 05:00. You can travel on line 593 on a SL-ticket the whole way to Uppsala for 39 kr with the disadvantage of not including local busses in Uppsala, more info at UL. Flexibus run budget buses between Arlanda's Terminal 5 and Uppsala. At 30–60 kr these are significantly cheaper than UL's buses, but with departures about once every third hour they are also significantly less frequent.
  • Taxis are available in front of terminals 2, 4 and 5. They offer fixed prices to Uppsala, usually indicated by a large Fast Pris Uppsala-Arlanda or Arlanda-Uppsala sign near the back of the car. This is around 400–520 kr for 1–4 persons, so it's a good option for 3–4 persons, and avoids public transport costs within Uppsala city. You must ask for the fixed price before commencing the journey, otherwise the driver might charge per kilometre, which will be far more.
  • The major car rental companies have desks in the arrivals halls. Highway E4 will take you from Arlanda to Uppsala in about 30 minutes.
• Stockholm-Bromma Airport (BMA ^IATA) in Western Stockholm is served by domestic and short-range flights.
• Skavsta Airport (NYO ^IATA), is in Nyköping, about 170 km (110 mi) south of Uppsala. It is served by several budget carriers such as Ryanair and Wizzair. From the airport, take local bus 515 to Nyköping Central Station and change to a regional train for Stockholm Central, where you can change to a train towards Uppsala. This costs circa 200 kr in total and takes about 2 hours to Uppsala. For 140 kr you can also take the 80 minute air coach Flygbussarna from the airport to central Stockholm where you can change to a train towards Uppsala.
• Västerås Airport^{[dead link]} (VST ^IATA) is in Västerås, 80 km (50 mi) west of Uppsala. It is served by Ryanair, which offers flights from a handful of cities in Britain and Spain. Your cheapest and fastest bet is to take a local bus from the airport to downtown Västerås, then change to the regional bus 774 or 773 to Uppsala. The journey takes 2 hours and costs 66 kr in total.

The national railway SJ operates regional express trains from Stockholm every half hour. This takes 30-40 minutes and costs 95 kr. These are complemented by occasional regional trains running Linköping–Norrköping–Stockholm–Uppsala–Gävle, with similar speed and costs. All trains from Norrland also call here, including the Sundsvall express and the night trains from Luleå and Narvik. From anywhere west of Stockholm or south of Linköping, it’s usually necessary to change at Stockholm Central.

Regional commuter trains (pendeltåg) also run the route Älvsjö–Stockholm–Uppsala twice an hour. A ride to or from Stockholm C costs 81 kr and takes about 55 minutes, as stops are more frequent. Aside from Stockholm C the trains also stop at Arlanda Airport, Solna, Odenplan in Vasastan, Södermalm and Älvsjö in Söderort. As Uppsala and Stockholm belong to different counties ordinary local Stockholm tickets and passes are not sufficient to reach Uppsala. Commuter trains do not have a toilet on board.

A few private travel companies also serve Uppsala. Snälltåget's night trains between the northern ski resort Åre and the southern city of Malmö pass through Uppsala.

59.858217.64661 Uppsala Central Station (QYX  ^IATA). The main travelling hub in Uppsala. The old station building from 1866 is now a restaurant. The new station, inaugurated in 2011, is adjacent south in a modern building. Here too the eating-places are rapidly encroaching! The regional traffic operator UL has a staffed service centre on the upper floor of the building, open M–F 07:00–19:00 and Sa 09:00–17:00. Tickets can also be bought from machines scattered around the station. Left luggage lockers are next to the toilets downstairs. Exit the station west for city centre, local buses and taxis, exit east for out-of-town taxis and buses including rail replacement services. (updated May 2018)

Travelling to Uppsala by bus is often considerably cheaper than going by train, but departures are also considerably less frequent. Flexibus runs 80-minute coaches from Stockholm's Cityterminalen at rates from 30 kr. They also run budget buses between Uppsala and Gothenburg, Borås, Jönköping, Kalmar, Linköping, Norrköping, Södertälje, Gävle, Umeå, Härjedalen and Arlanda. Ybuss carry passengers from Stockholm northwards along to coast of Norrland to Umeå, stopping at Arlanda and Uppsala on the way. While tickets to Stockholm and Arlanda are rather expensive at 110 kr, they might be a good option for travellers coming to Uppsala from northern Sweden. Tapanis Buss has a route going from Stockholm to Tornio, Finland stopping at Uppsala.

The local public transport company UL operates services to Västerås and Sala. Tickets are 148 kr if bought on board, 120 kr if pre-purchased and 92 kr if bought with a travel fund. See the section Get around below for details on UL tickets.

The north-south highway E4 passes east of the city and stretches south to Stockholm, Norrköping, and all the way to Helsingborg in southern Sweden. In the other direction it continues north past Sundsvall and Umeå to the Finnish border at Haparanda. Road 55 carry traffic to Enköping and continues to Norrköping where it reconnects with the E4. Even though it is some 10 minutes slower it might be a preferable alternative to E4 since it is more scenic and avoids Stockholm, thereby skipping tolls and minimising the risk of traffic jams. In Enköping route 55 crosses the highway E18 which continues westward towards Västerås, Örebro, Karlstad and Oslo, or from Örebro towards Gothenburg as highway E20. The smaller national roads 72 and 288 carry traffic to Sala and Östhammar.

See also: Uppsala history tour

Most tourist sights are within the central area of Uppsala and can easily be reached on foot. A walk across the entire city centre takes no more than 20 minutes. However, to reach points of interest outside of the city centre, such as Gamla Uppsala or Linnés Hammarby, you will need some other means of transportation — or some really good walking shoes.

See also: Urban cycling, Cycling in Sweden

A good way to travel in Uppsala is by bike, especially if you plan on leaving the city centre and visit Uppsala's peripheral districts or Uppsala countryside. As any visitor will notice, there are a lot of cyclists here, enough for the city to earn the nickname "Bike Town." There are paths parallel to nearly every road, and many places to store bikes outside. As the terrain surrounding Uppsala is rather flat, it is easy to bike, even for inexperienced biciclysts.

The cheapest way to rent a bike is via the local bike sharing company EU-Bike^{[dead link]}. You rent one of their easily recognisable green bikes by acquiring their smartphone app, and scanning the bike's QR-code. The first 10 uses are free, while additional usage costs 5 kr per 30 minutes. In a similar manner, electrical scooters can be rented via the local companies Voi. The scooters cost 1.50 kr per minute, plus a 10 kr starting fee. There are also several conventional bike rental places in Uppsala (listed in the section on Sports). A typical price for a conventional rental bike is 200 kr for the first day and around 100 kr for every additional day.

As a side note, locals have a saying that everyone who lives there has had a bike stolen at some point in their lives. While this is not entirely true (it's more a reflection on the popularity of biking than any level of crime), it's probably a good idea to lock your bike.

Uppsala boasts an excellent bus system, operated by the regional company UL, where the closest bus stop is never more than a few hundred metres away. Local buses, also called "Stadstrafiken", are green and numbered 1–31 while regional buses are yellow and numbered 100 and above. Most local bus lines pass by either the central station, city hall or the main square, all within a few hundred metres of each other, making it easy to transfer between different bus lines. A map of the city-traffic network can be found here.

As of January 2024, a ticket for all of Uppsala county will cost you 39 kr and for 27 kr for ages under 20 and over 65 and will be valid for 75 minutes. A 24-hour ticket costs 135 kr and 95 kr discounted. Contactless payment might be introduced but mobile and travelcard tickets will remain. You will also be able to go all the way to Gävle and Sala by Mälartåg regional trains, due to the validity for the whole county and UL-busses in other counties.

Tickets can be bought in advance at machines at the central station. Tickets can also be bought by credit card on the bus. Cash is not accepted on board. Travel fund cards can be bought and charged in the train station or at one of UL's ~60 sales agents, marked out with yellow UL-flags. A list and map of sales agents can also be found here.

If you would like to travel by taxi, use the three major taxi companies: Uppsala Taxi^{[dead link]} (☏ +46 18-100 000), Taxi Kurir (☏ +46 18-123 456) and Taxi 020 (☏ +46 18-20 20 20). There are also a lot of smaller companies, but they might have their own view on what you should pay and might also have less geographical knowledge. Be sure to negotiate the fare in advance of getting in the taxi if no guaranteed fare is posted.

Smartphone apps:

• Bolt Uppsala
• Uber

While Uppsala's largest art establishment is Uppsala Art Museum (in Uppsala Castle, listed above) there are also several other smaller art venues in the city.

• 59.849317.620198 Bror Hjorths Hus (Bror Hjorth's House), Norbyvägen 26, ☏ +46 18-56 70 30, [email protected]. Th–Su 12:00 –16:00. Late Jun– late Aug: Tu–Su 12:00 –16:00. The home and studio of the 20th-century sculptor and painter Bror Hjorth is now a museum dedicated to his life and art. Especially interesting for those who like nativist paintings. Free. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.859517.63329 Galleri 1 (Å-huset), Vattugränd 2, ☏ +46 18-10 54 10, [email protected]. W–F 15:00–19:00, Sa Su 12:00–16:00 during exhibition periods. A gallery operated by Uppsala Konstnärsklubb, an association of Uppsala based artists, exhibiting works made by their members. (updated Sep 2018)
• 59.8611517.6343710 Galleri Upsala, Svartbäcksgatan 21, ☏ +46 760-95 95 90, [email protected]. A small gallery which is rented by different artists who exhibit and sell their own works in person. The opening hours are irregular as they depend on the schedule of the artist using the gallery. (updated Sep 2018)
• 59.8603417.6402311 Mollbrinks konst, Kungsgatan 43, ☏ +46 18-14 80 80, [email protected]. M–F 10:00–18:00, Sa 11:00–14:00. A family-owned gallery selling and exhibiting Scandinavian fine art from the 19th century and onward. They specialise in works by the Swedish 19th century artist Anders Zorn. (updated Sep 2018)

5 km (3.1 mi) north of Uppsala. Bus 2 and the hike "Eriksleden" (which starts at the cathedral) calls here. By car: Follow Svartbäcksgatan 4.5 km north, then take a right turn onto Ärnavägen and follow it another 1.5 km.

This was the political and religious centre of Viking-era Sweden, with a royal estate, the "Thing of all Swedes" (political assembly) and a renowned pagan temple. The Viking heritage can still be seen in the landscape due to the three monumental burial mounds, historically attributed to the gods Odin, Thor and Freyr. In modern times it has become a centre for Norse Neopaganism, hosting a major blót sacrifice each spring! If you get hungry there is a nearby restaurant and café called 59.89910117.6331171 Odinsborg (☏ +46 18-323525 M–F 10:00–16:00, Sa Su 10:00–18:00) which brew its own mead. Groups of 20 or more can book Viking feasts with traditional clothing and food.

With the help of augmented reality technology, you can also see what the site would have looked like at its historical peak in 650 AD. When looking at site through your smartphone, the app Augmented History: Gamla Uppsala^{[dead link]} adds an additional layer to reality, which contains all the different structures archaeologists have discovered on the site, including the old Temple at Uppsala and the Royal hall, enabling you to see and even interact with the Viking settlement. As of 2018, the app is only available on iOS. If you don't have your own equipment, visitors to Gamla Uppsala museum can borrow iPads for up to 30 minutes without any extra charge. The iPads are available between 15:00–16:00 during weekdays and 11:00–13:30 during weekends, and are booked at the museum counter.

• 59.9011117.62905912 Disagården, Disavägen, ☏ +46 18-16 91 80, [email protected]. Jun–Aug: daily 10:00–17:00. This open-air museum consists of an old preserved farm, and provides a picture of what life in Uppland's countryside was like in the 19th century. The house interiors are only accessible during the daily guided tour at 13:00, the daily children's tour at 14:00, and the open house hour between 15:00 and 16:00 daily. Free. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.89951217.63194513 Gamla Uppsala kyrka (Old Uppsala church), ☏ +46 18-430 37 77. Sep–May 09:00–16:00 daily, Jun–Aug 09:17:00 daily. This 12th-century church, said to be on the site of the long-destroyed pagan Uppsala temple, was the seat of the archbishop of Sweden between 1164 and 1273. It is also known as the final resting place of Anders Celsius, inventor of the Celsius thermometer. Free. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.89777417.63374714 Gamla Uppsala museum (Old Uppsala Museum), ☏ +46 18-23 93 12, [email protected]. Oct–Jan: Sa–M W 12:00–16:00. Apr, May, Sep: 10:00–16:00 daily. Jun–Aug: 11:00–17:00 daily. Tell the history of Uppsala's Viking heritage and exhibit many of the archaeological findings discovered in Gamla Uppsala. In the summer, there are daily guided tours in English at 12:30 and 15:30. 80 kr. Student's tickets are 60 kr and children up to the age of 18 are free. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.92611117.62638915 Valsgärde (3 km (1.9 mi) north of Gamla Uppsala. Follow "Vattholmavägen" north, then take a left at the "Valsgärde" road sign.). At the bank of Fyris River, there is a small moraine hill which does not look like much to the eye. However, it covers one of the most important Viking-era archaeological sites ever excavated. Between the 5th and 11th centuries AD, this site was used as a burial site. Archaeologists have discovered some 90 graves, including 15 lavish boat burials. Since the same site was used continuously for such a long time period, archaeologists use its findings to compare how the same culture developed over time. Today, there are no noticeable remnants at the site. These can be found at the University museum Gustavianum, in central Uppsala. However, you can still visit Valsgärde to appreciate its beautiful landscape and historical atmosphere. (updated Sep 2018)

Carl von Linné Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), ennobled von Linné, was a biologist and one of the most influential scientists Uppsala University has ever produced. His great scientific contribution was to formalize the way in which plants, animals and minerals are organised, and to invent the system of binomial scientific names for all species, such as Homo sapiens for humans. His contributions earned him the epithets ”father of modern taxonomy" and "the second Adam", referring to his naming of the animals. Linnaeus himself, not a very humble man, summarised his deed with the words "God created, while Linnaeus organised". He was a very popular teacher, and often took his students out on excursions around the Uppsala countryside. These are still preserved as "The Linnaeus Trails". Many of his disciples went even further and travelled around the globe in search for new organisms to put into Linnaeus's system. He also re-planted the university gardens, making it a major tourist attraction even during his own days. The people of Uppsala are still very fond of their great botanist. You can visit the Linnaeus Museum in the Linnaean Garden along Linnaeus Street opposite of two Café Linnés, where you can get a signature "Linné bun". He is buried inside Uppsala Cathedral. In 2009, much of Uppsala's Linnaean heritage, including the Linnaean Garden, the Linnaean Museum, Linnaeus' Hammarby, the Linnaean Trails and the natural reserve Hågadalen-Nåsten were nominated to become a UNESCO World Heritage.

• 59.8600417.6223416 Biotopia, Vasagatan 4, ☏ +46 18-727 63 70, [email protected]. Tu Th F 09:00–17:00; W 09:00–21:00, Sa Su 11:00–17:00. A museum of Uppland's geology and biology, with dioramas of stuffed animals in their natural environment. Appropriate for families — children can discover and experience nature. It is in a beautiful park and has a nice café in the same building. Free. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.8523617.6287617 Botaniska trädgården (The Botanical Garden), Villavägen 6-8, ☏ +46 18-471 28 38, [email protected]. Park: Daily May–Oct 07:00–21:00, Nov–Apr 07:00–19:00. Orangery: Tu–F 09:00–15:00. Tropical Green House: Sep–May Tu–F 09:00–15:00, Sa Su 12:00–15:00, Jun–Aug Tu, W, F 09:00–15:00, Th 09:00–18:00, Sa Su 11:00–16:00. The main garden at the university consists of the Baroque garden, the Orangery and the Tropical Greenhouse. It was planted in 1664 as a castle garden, but, in 1787, it was donated to the university. Free, except for Tropical Greenhouse, which is 60 kr. (updated Jun 2024)
• 59.8517.625818 Evolutionsmuseet (The Museum of Evolution of Uppsala University), Villavägen 9, ☏ +46 18-471 27 39, [email protected]. Tu–Su 12:00–16:00. The zoological section is temporarily closed due to renovation, but the palaeontological section remains open. A natural history museum containing the largest fossil collection in Scandinavia. The museum is divided into palaeontological and zoological sections, housed in separate buildings on the same block. Many of the exhibited objects were collected by Linnaeus' apprentices as they travelled around the world. It also exhibits the largest collection of Chinese dinosaurs outside of China. 50 kr. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.81743817.77603219 Linnés Hammarby (Buses 102 and 186 pass the station "Linnés Hammarby vägskäl" 2 km from the museum. The 16-km Linnaeus Trail "Danmark" calls here), ☏ +46 18-471 28 38. May & Sep: F–Su 11:00–17:00, Jun–Aug: Tu–Su 11:00–17:00. The Linnaeus family's summer residence is about 9 km (5.6 mi) southeast of Uppsala. Today, it is used as a personal museum about the family, and 18th-century biology and farming. The main building can only be accessed during guided tours which are held at 12:30 in English and 11:30, 14:30 and 15:30 in Swedish on every open day. Even if you don't speak Swedish, you can join one of the Swedish-language tours in order to see the house interior. Is part of the proposed Linnaean UNESCO World Heritage. Café Sara Lisa is in the same building as the museum gift shop and offers fika and lunch. 80 kr during opening hours. The ticket can also be used at the Linnaean Garden and the Linnaeus Museum. Free entry to the garden after 17:00. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.8197117.70146220 Linnés Sävja, Carl von Linnés väg 3 (next to Sävja church, some 5 km SE of Uppsala's city centre. Bus 9 stops here), ☏ +46 70-516 90 95. Mid May–mid Jul: Sa Su 12:00–17:00. Another farm which was owned by Linné. While Hammarby was used for work and social relations Sävja was his refuge. Today, the main building is a personal museum with a café. Throughout the season the site houses several events such as art exhibitions and concerts. Guided tours are held Sa 14:00, or on request for companies of at least two persons. Guided tours 40 kr. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.86257117.63465421 Linnéträdgården & Linnémuseet (The Linnaean Garden and the Linnaeus Museum), Svartbäcksgatan 27, ☏ +46 18-471 25 76. The museum is open 11:00–17:00, daily Jun–Aug and Tu–Su May & Sep. The gates to the garden close at 20:00. The botanical garden was first planted by Olof Rudbeck in 1655, making it the oldest in Sweden. After a period of decline, it was restored and maintained by Carl von Linné and became a major attraction during Linnaeus' own lifetime. In the garden orangery, you can find exhibitions about Linnaeus' successors and disciples. The building in the southern corner of the garden served as the residence of the Linnaeus family between 1743 and 1778. Today, it is a personal museum dedicated to Linnaeus' professional and personal life. Is part of the proposed Linnaean UNESCO World Heritage. 80 kr which includes the museum (with audio guide) and the garden. Free entry to the garden after 17:00. Guided tours are included in the entry fee and are held in English at 11:30 and 14:30 every open day. The ticket can also be used at Linnaeus' Hammarby. (updated Oct 2018)

Uppsala University was established in 1477, making it the oldest university in the Nordic countries. It is associated with 8 Nobel Prize laureates and is frequently ranked among the best 100 universities in the world. University campuses are scattered around the western part of the city centre. If you want to experience the student life at Uppsala you should go to one of the 13 Student Nations (see infobox under section Drink).

• 59.85474517.63063522 Carolina Rediviva, Dag Hammarskjölds väg 1, ☏ +46 18-471 39 00, [email protected]. Sep–May: Library M–F 08:30–19:00, Sa Su 12:00–16:00, Museum: M–F 10:00–17:00, Sa Su 12:00–16:00. Jun–Aug Library and Museum M–F 10:00–16:00, Sa Su 12:00–16:00. The University library; and an enormous one at that, with over 5 million volumes. The upper floors are accessible via an elevator and will provide you with a great view of Uppsala. The library has a gift shop and a museum department which exhibits prized examples, including original prints of milestone scientific achievements, such as Newton's Principia, Darwin's Origin of Species, and Linnaeus' Systema Naturae; the fantastic 16th century map Carta Marina; and the famed 6th century Silver Bible (Codex argenteus) – the best-preserved text written in the extinct Gothic language, named a UNESCO Memory of the World in 2011. Free. (updated Jun 2019)
• 59.85766817.63190323 Gustavianum (The University Museum), Akademigatan 3, ☏ +46 18-471 75 71, [email protected]. Gustavianum is the oldest standing structure of the university and exhibits a selection of the most interesting objects from the university collections. Of course this includes a comprehensive history of science and of Uppsala University, with items such as an original Celsius thermometer, lecture notes from 1477, and instruments used during the scientific revolution of the 19th century. The museum also contains two archaeological exhibitions with Egyptian artifacts, mummies and sarcophagus, and findings from the Viking era boat burials in Valsgärde. The two main attractions of the museum is however the old anatomical theatre from the 17th century, where human bodies were dissected to educate medical students, and the Augsburg Art Cabinet, the world's best-preserved 17th-century curiosity cabinet. It contains some 1,000 different artifacts, and when it was built in 1632 the cabinet costed about as much as a palace or a smaller principality. The cabinet can also be viewed online for free. (updated Jun 2024)
• 59.857517.629324 Universitetshuset (The University Hall), Biskopsgatan 3, ☏ +46 18 471 49 62, [email protected]. M–F 08.00–16.00. Constructed in Italian renaissance Beaux-Arts style and was completed in 1887. Here major university events and occasional public concerts take place. In the hall you will find a café, a shop and a small exhibition about the history of Uppsala University. In the main hall you can also find Uppsala University's comprehensive coin cabinet, but it is only open to the public on special occasions. The controversial aphorism "Tänka fritt är stort men tänka rätt är större" (which translates into "Thinking free is great, but thinking right is greater"), attributed to the 18th century philosophy professor Thomas Thorild, are engraved at the auditorium entrance. The phrase "think right" has been misunderstood as "think as the authorities do". Thorild was however a radical for his time; his aphorism should be read as "think reasonably". Free. (updated Oct 2018)

• 59.85709417.6383478 Filmstaden and Spegeln, Västra Ågatan 12 & 16, ☏ +46 8-562 600 00. Two neighbouring cinemas, both operated by Sweden's biggest cinema group, which also called Filmstaden. Spegeln is one of few remaining single salon theatres, but with 325 seats their one salon is the largest in Uppsala. Filmstaden, with its 12 salons, is the largest cinema in Uppsala. (updated May 2019)
• 59.85824217.629139 Fyrisbiografen, S:t Olofsgatan 10, ☏ +46 18-15 03 46. Started in 1911 and is Sweden’s oldest cinema still in business. They mainly focus on world cinema and independent movies. In 2018 it became the first cinema to be awarded the "Europa Cinemas Innovation Prize" at Venice film festival — probably the closest thing to "Golden Lion" that a cinema can receive. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.8513817.64451910 Parksnäckan, Stadsträdgården, ☏ +46 18-711 411, [email protected]. An open-air guest stage in the city park. They are only open during summer, when they offer a busy and varied schedule, mostly of musical concerts. A bar at the premise offer hot and cold drinks, fika and food. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.85689717.63619511 Reginateatern, Trädgårdsgatan 6, ☏ +46 18-727 83 40, [email protected]. One of Uppsala's largest guest stages. They don't produce any shows of their own, but rather invite guest performers, many of which are international acts performing in English. The schedule include plays, musical shows, stand-up and dance performances. Every fall in late September or early October they organise Uppsala's international poetry festival Ordspråk, with plenty of poetry readings and spoken word performances in English. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.85604617.63482312 Slottsbiografen, Nedre Slottsgatan 6, ☏ +46 18-10 11 01, [email protected]. This cinema was built in 1914 and has preserved its decor and atmosphere since. It is famous as the cinema of Ingmar Bergman, who grew up in the neighbourhood and saw his first movies here as a child. He also frequented it as an adult and had his own designated seat. Today it is only open during special events, such as Uppsala International Short Film Festival, Uppsala French Film Festival, and the sound-only cinema Ljudbio. (updated Oct 2018)

• 59.858917.64287913 Uppsala Stadsteater (Uppsala City Theatre), Kungsgatan 53, ☏ +46 18-14 62 00, [email protected]. Uppsala's main theatre. Produces and presents theatre, dance performances, musical concerts and guest performances. Occasionally they feature plays in English. (updated Oct 2018)
• 59.86123117.64582414 Uppsala Konsert & Kongress (UKK/Musikens hus), Vaksala torg 1, ☏ +46 18-727 90 00, [email protected]. Uppsala's main concert hall was inaugurated in 2007. By then discussions of building a concert hall had been going on for a hundred years! Since then the building and its modernist design has kept on creating controversy. The concert hall has a varied calendar which includes orchestras, dance performances, modern music as well as conferences and seminars. From the top floor you get a great panoramic view of Uppsala. (updated Oct 2018)

• Football: IK Sirius play soccer in Allsvenskan, the top tier, at Studenternas IP (capacity 10,000). The playing season is April-Nov.
• 59.848917.645642 Studenternas Idrottsplats is a multi-sports stadium at Ulleråkersvägen 6, on the west shore of the river just south of City Gardens. As well as soccer, IK Sirius play the winter sport of bandy in Sweden’s top divisions. The men's Uppsala Basket and women's Sallén Basket play in Sweden’s top tier. Uppsala 86ers play American football here in the top tier Superserien.
• Cross country skiing – There are several pre-plowed tracks for skiing around Uppsala