Uppsala

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History

Uppsala originally referred to a location a few kilometres north of the current city, now known as Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala). Today's Uppsala was called Aros, 'river mouth', due to its location at the time at the mouth of the River Fyris in Ekoln, a bay in Lake Mälaren. The name became Östra Aros ('East Aros') to distinguish it from Västra Aros (present-day Västerås). Old Uppsala was, according to medieval writer Adam of Bremen, the main pagan centre of Sweden, and the Temple at Uppsala contained magnificent idols of the Norse gods. The Kungsängen plains along the river south of Uppsala have been identified as a possible match for Fyrisvellir, the site of the Battle of Fyrisvellir in the 980s. Östra Aros was at that time a port town of Gamla Uppsala. In 1160, King Eric Jedvardsson was attacked and killed outside the church of Östra Aros, and later became venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. In 1274, Östra Aros overtook Gamla Uppsala as the main regional centre, and when the cathedral of Gamla Uppsala burnt down, the archbishopric and the relics of Saint Eric were moved to Östra Aros, where the present-day Uppsala Cathedral was erected; it was inaugurated in 1435. The cathedral is built in the Gothic style and is one of the largest in northern Europe, with towers reaching . The city is the site of the oldest university in Scandinavia, founded in 1477, and is where Carl Linnaeus, one of the renowned scholars of Uppsala University, lived for many years; both his house and garden can still be visited. Uppsala is also the site of the 16th-century Uppsala Castle. The city was severely damaged by a fire in 1702. Historical and cultural treasures were also lost, as in many Swedish cities, from demolitions during the 1960s and 1970s, but many historic buildings…

Geography

Situated on the fertile Uppsala flatlands of muddy soil, the city features the small Fyris River (Fyrisån) flowing through the landscape surrounded by lush vegetation. Parallel to the river runs the glacial ridge of Uppsalaåsen at an elevation around , the site of Uppsala's castle, from which large parts of the town can be seen. The central park Stadsskogen (literally "City Forest") stretches from the south far into town, with opportunities for recreation for many residential areas within walking distance. Located approximately or 40 minutes by train from the capital, many Uppsala residents work in Stockholm. The train to Stockholm-Arlanda Airport takes 17 minutes, rendering the city easily accessible by air. Just like Stockholm, Uppsala is located on Sweden's east coast at the 59th parallel north. The commercial centre of Uppsala is quite compact. The city has a distinct town and gown divide with clergy, royalty, and academia historically residing in the Fjärdingen neighbourhood on the river's western shore, somewhat separated from the rest of the city, and the ensemble of cathedral, castle and university buildings has remained mostly undisturbed to this day. While some historic buildings remain on the periphery of the central core, retail commercial activity is geographically focused on a small number of blocks around the pedestrianized streets and main square on the eastern side of the river, an area that was subject to a large-scale metamorphosis during the economically booming years in the 1960s in particular. During recent decades, a significant part of retail commercial activity has shifted to shopping malls and stores situated in the outskirts of the city. Meanwhile, the built-up areas have expanded greatly, and some suburbanization has taken place. Uppsala…

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  27,718
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  25,114
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  22,055
• European Greenfinch

  Chloris chloris (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  19,026
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  18,695
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  17,210
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  16,947
• Great Spotted Woodpecker

  Dendrocopos major (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  16,850

Most recent

• M 2.5 — 2008-10-02
  8 km ENE of Åkersberga, Sweden
• M 2.5 — 2005-05-12
  6 km E of Dalarö, Sweden