Uppsala Museums and Art Galleries

(Uppsala, Uppsala County, Sweden)

A number of good museums and several impressive art galleries reside in and around central Uppsala, meaning that there really is no need to head to Stockholm for a touch of Swedish culture and history. Many of the museums are housed within the city's castle complex, such as the galleries, which make up Uppsala Museum of Art (Konstmuseum), where a large collection of historic paintings and portraits are to be found.

Families will always have fun looking at the various waxworks at the castle's Vasaborgen, while history buffs will enjoy a trip to the Museum of Nordic and Egyptian Antiquities (Gustavianium), where there is a detailed reconstruction of an actual Viking ship burial. Just 5 km / 3 miles to north of the city is the medieval village of Gamla Uppsala, where some ancient burial mounds are worth checking out, along with the traditional Swedish houses which are featured at the Disagarden, an open-air museum with much to offer in the way of historical exhibits.

Upplandsmuseet (Uppland Museum)

Address: Sankt Eriks Torg 10, Uppsala, Sweden, SE
Tel: +46 018 16 9100
Housed within a charming water mill dating from the 18th century, the Uppland Museum is known to the local residents as the Upplandsmuseet and celebrates the history of the city, spanning from the Middle Ages, right up to modern day. Visitors can expect to find a number of important collections, which concentrate on everything from music to Swedish folk art.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 12:00 to 17:00
Admission: free

Konstmuseum (Museum of Art)

Tel: +46 018 727 2482
The southern wing of Uppsala Castle is where you will find the Konstmuseum and its numerous art exhibits. More than 500 years' worth of paintings are hung of the walls within the Konstmuseum. Apart from the gallery's permanent collection, many visiting exhibitions are staged here over the course of a year.
Open hours: Tuesday to Friday - 12:00 to 16:00, Saturday and Sunday - 11:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge, children 18 years old and under are free

Linnémuseet

Address: Svartbäcksgatan 27, Uppsala, Sweden, SE
Tel: +46 018 13 6540
The Linnémuseet is something for lovers of horticulture everywhere and remembers the life and work of Swedish botanist and zoologist, Carl von Linnés. An array of memorabilia is displayed relating to the many discoveries made by Linnés, and is actually connected to the Linnéträgarden, where over 1,000 species are grown according to the classification system devised by Linnés himself.
Open hours: June to September, Tuesday to Sunday - 12:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, children under 16 years old are free

Vasaborgen (Waxworks Museum)

Tel: +46 018 50 7772
Part of the city's castle complex, the Vasaborgen is located within the death-stained and slightly creepy dungeons. Expect to find many realistic wax works of characters, which bring to life a range of recreated Renaissance scenes, often the nature of which is a little gory.
Open hours: May to August, daily - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children under 15 years old, children under seven are free

Museum of Nordic and Egyptian Antiquities (Museum Gustavianium)

Address: Akademigatan 3, Uppsala, Sweden, SE
Tel: +46 018 471 7571
One of the most appealing and intriguing of the city's many museums, the Gustavianium is home to a range of valuable exhibits from around the world. Highlights include colourful mummies and other treasures from Egypt, and the actual notebooks from local botanist Carl von Linnés. Perhaps the most impressive of all the exhibits is the Augsburg Art Cabinet, which dates from the 17th century and contains more than 1,000 Swedish trinkets of various descriptions. The anatomical theatre is also worth a look and it was here that executed criminals from this part of Sweden were actually dissected in the name of science.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 11:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, children 12 years old and under are free