Uppsala travel

June 3, 2008 1:22 PM

What to do in and around Uppsala/Stockholm, Sweden as a tourist?

A friend and I are going to be in Uppsala, Sweden (close to Stockholm) a week from now for about 5 days. We're looking for recommendations for things to do and eat in the area. We're not looking for high-end entertainment, more like local color. Any particularly Swedish eateries or particular dishes you can recommend (vegequarian a plus! though one of us eats all things)? Also, any bike rental shop recommendations? We'd love to learn more about Sweden's progressive environmental policies (#3 in the Environmental Performance Index!). Any good hikes, train rides, fjords... ? We can afford to rent a car if it is worth it, but we can't change our hotel reservations from Uppsala.

Thanks!

posted by about_time to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

Are you interested in botanics? Carl von Linné was a professor at Uppsala. Link to links.

As far as eating goes: a good list is available on Peders blogg Nr 5 is said to be a genuine swedish restaurant in the style of the 1940s. I have not personaly eaten there. (Rest of the list is sushi and indian places).
Another list - although sponsored by the local tourist-group.

If you want typical swedish food you should try the smörgåsbord (many different types of food - like a buffé). Pickled herring is a big spectacle on swedish tables in midsummer-time and at christmas. (You don't have the guts to try fermented herring - and besides, it's a dish thats more ususal more to the north of Sweden).
Swedish meatballs are often very tasty - try them with mashed potatoes and gravy.
Vegetarian alternatives: Not many. What I mean is that most restaurants have vegetarian alternatives as a standard these days. But it's not anything particular Swedish about the dishes.

Have a nice stay in Sweden and Uppsala!
posted by Rabarberofficer at 2:21 PM on June 3, 2008

Best bet for vegetarian will be either Ekocaféet or one of the Indian places in town (Williams comes to mind.) As for tourism, there are the obvious things such as the cathedral, the castle, Linné's garden, the university botanical gardens, the Uppland museum, the runestones around the University park, the remarkable Augsberg Cabinet of Curiosities in the Gustavianum museum (best-preserved in the world). Farther afield (but still close) would be Linné's Hammarby and the Gamla Uppsala burial mounds (new museum as of a few years ago located there.)
posted by squid patrol at 3:12 PM on June 3, 2008

Uppsala is a university town so eating and nightlife is dominated by student organizations. Ask around to find out what is actually open.

You like geeky environmental shit? Try to get a guided tour of the not too far away nuke power plant in Forsmark. Mail them at [e-mail] to see if you can come.

If the weather was nice I'd go for a swim in lake Mälaren or Valloxen
posted by uandt at 3:16 PM on June 3, 2008

The trick with the student organizations (Nations) is that you will need a guest card to get in. If you are affiliated with a university in your home country this isn't too difficult, but may not be economical for such a short stay. Food and drink are indeed cheaper at the nations, however we're not talking gourmet cuisine here.

In re: environmentalism, you can see the Air/Water Quality Sculptures in nearby Stockholm if you are heading there.
posted by squid patrol at 3:27 PM on June 3, 2008

I just got back from Stockholm, and I highly recommend NOT renting a car. The public transport system is absolutely fantastic, whether in the city or between towns.

I'd recommend taking a day trip to Stockholm and visiting Gamlastan (the old town). Walk around, visit the palace, and watch the royal guards parade around 12:00-12:30. It's full of tiny streets with antique shops and cafes. Find the Sweden Bookshop in Gamlastan, near the water. Pass it and keep going for a couple meters facing towards the delivery entrance (you'll see what I mean). Turn left on the first side street. There should be a cafe on the left at the first intersection, before the street start getting too steep. The apple pie with vanilla sauce is absolutely delicious.

After that, take the afternoon to visit Skansen. It's a huge outdoor museum with houses from different areas of Sweden and different times. There is also a zoo with various native animals. The bears are especially cute. You can see glass-blowers and wood-carvers, and the whole place is just lovely for a picnic.

If you are into museums, there's quite a selection, but I think you're better off checking a tourist guide for that.

If you want to take a bike ride, try the City Bikes. You can take a bike at one end of the city and leave it at the other end. Stockholm is tiny: you can easily walk from north to south in 2-3 hours depending on how fast you are. Explore and have fun! I spent a wonderful month there and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
posted by snoogles at 5:17 PM on June 3, 2008

If you do make it to Stockholm, I can second Gamla Stan. I would also highly recommend the Vasa Museum, which contains a sunken ship which has been raised and is in incredible condition. Easily one of the best museums I've ever been to.
posted by pwicks at 7:37 PM on June 3, 2008

OMG are you in luck -- Stockholm is home to the BEST vegetarian smörgåsbord I've ever experienced.

Your eyes will pop out of your head at the quality & variety (and at the view... and at the value).

Oh, I want to go back there right now!! www.hermans.se
posted by lorimer at 8:57 PM on June 3, 2008

In Stockholm I second Hermans, which although somewhat pricy and not very Swedishy, offers a grand view and good food. Also, if you stay in the capital longer than a day, it might be worth to get a three day pass for the busses/subways/ferries (260 SEK currently, while any single trip costs 20-40 SEK and quickly add up.)

Haven't been to Uppsala much, but check out if there are any connections between the university there and students stateside - it's an ye olde student town, so you ought to find plenty of fun people that way.
posted by monocultured at 10:15 PM on June 3, 2008

Thanks for all the advice! We had a good time at the Ekocaféet and also Hermans. I had seen the vasa ship on a previous trip, it's great. We asked a friend about the nuclear power plant actually, and they said it wasn't open on weekends and probably getting clearance would take a while.

For others going to Uppsala, I recommend Lingon. It's traditionally swedish food. A friend recommended
Hambergs Fisk, but it was closed at the time. We took a great short bike ride to Gamelan Uppsala, there is a small viking museum there, and I recommend that. There is bike path between uppsala and old uppsala.
posted by about_time at 2:48 PM on June 29, 2008 [1 favorite]