|
| |
|
UPPSALA |
| |
|
|
| |
Forty minutes train ride north of Stockholm, UPPSALA is regarded as
the historical and religious centre of the country. It's a tranquil
daytime alternative to the capital, with a delightful river-cut centre,
not to mention an active student-geared nightlife. At the centre of the
medieval town, a ten-minute walk from the train station, is the great
Domkyrkan (daily 8am-6pm; free), Scandinavia's largest cathedral. The
echoing interior remains impressive, particularly the French Gothic
ambulatory, sided by tiny chapels, one of which contains a lively set of
restored fourteenth-century wall paintings that tell the legend of St
Erik, Sweden's patron saint, while another contains his relics. Poke
around and you'll also find the tombs of Reformation rebel monarch
Gustav Vasa and his son Johan III, and that of the great botanist Carl
Von Linné (self styled as Carolus Linnaeus), who lived in Uppsala.
Opposite the cathedral is the Gustavianum (mid-May to mid-Sept daily
11am-4pm, Thurs till 9pm; mid-Sept to mid-May Wed-Sun 11am-4pm; 40kr),
built in 1625 as part of the university, and much touted for its tidily
preserved anatomical theatre. The same building houses a couple of small
collections of Egyptian, Classical and Nordic antiquities and the
Uppsala University Museum , which contains the glorious Augsburg Art
Cabinet, an ebony treasure chest presented to Gustav II Adolf. The
current University building (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm) is the imposing nineteenth-century
Renaissance edifice over the way, among whose alumni are Anders Celsius,
inventor of the temperature scale. No one will mind if you stroll in for
a quick look at the extensive collection of portraits and the imposing
central hall. A little way beyond is the Carolina Rediviva (mid-May to
mid-Sept Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat 10am-4pm, Sun 11am-4pm; rest of year
closed Sun; 10kr in summer, free rest of year), one of Scandinavia's
largest libraries, with a collection of rare letters and other
paraphernalia, including a beautiful sixth-century silver Bible and
Mozart's manuscript for The Magic Flute . The Castle (summer daily
11am-4pm, also Wed 7-9pm; 40kr) has recently been made open to the
public - a 1702 fire that destroyed three-quarters of the city did away
with all but one side and two towers of this opulent palace. Now you can
wander around the excavations and peruse the waxworks in authentic
costumes. There are also guided tours in English of the opulent State
Apartments (mid-June to mid-Aug daily 1pm & 3pm; 40kr).
|
| |
|
