Daytrip #3: Uppsala

Uppsala, now, this destination was a different kind of daytrip experience from Sigtuna and Mariefred. First, this is a city, not a village, Secondly, it is a university city and feels that way too. Uppsala is not only the site of the first of the first university in Scandinavia (1477) it was also the seta of parliament and many coronations. Both Carl von Linne and Anders Celsius studied and taught here (the “genius/species/botany” guy and well, the guy who came up with Celsius temperature rating scale.

While the Budman and I originally trekked to Uppsala to see Uppsala Slott, this castle was a bit of a bust from a tourist perspective. While it sits high on a hill and looks quite dramatic, there was really nothing to see…except a great view of the Uppsala Domkyrka.



More shots of the the church.













After seeing modern day Uppsala, we headed out to “old” Uppsala, known as Gammla Uppsala. Royal burial mounds from 1500 years ago are preserved; most likely, this was a worship center for the Norse gods (i.e. Thor and Frey) even into the 11th century. Christianity took root in the mid12th century and for centuries the Catholic diocese sat here, when it moved to modern Uppsala in the 19th century. Still…it was an interesting place to visit and have a walk about.

Viking burial mounds in Gammla Uppsala.











Probably the best thing about our trip to Uppsala was the FAB-U-LOUS Greek restaurant we discovered (see last photo - restaurant is on the right). Man...I thought about that place for days. Photos of the "modern" Uppsala.

Daytrip #2: Mariefred

We’d been encouraged to approach our Daytrip #2 destination, Mariefred, from the water because that view has the best drive-up appeal. We concurred.



While Mariefred originally was a Viking settlement, it really grew up in the shadow of Gripsholm Slott (see yesterday’s post), built by The Lord High Chancellor, Bo Grip in the 1380’s. Somehow, I am visualizing a Swedish bubba . Moving on....

The lure of a place like Mariefred is again, the peacefulness of its street and small town charm. After a quick bite of lunch at a local café, an ice cream cone, and stroll about the village, we were on our way.

Mariefred's town hall.



Checking our Mariefred…

Daytrip #1: Sigtuna

Sweden’s second oldest town, Sigtuna, was founded in 980 and soon was to become a center of Christianity. Ruins of three of the original seven churches in medieval Sigtuna can still be seen (St. Olaf's ruins are below).

Today, most people come to Sigtuna for the quaint village atmosphere with its colorful wooden houses, as well as to visit several of the castles outside the city (our stop was Skokloster). We’d also been instructed by the rep at the car rental agency (prior to driving to Sigtuna) to check out the local chocolaterie – that was indeed a good tip. For us, we had no real agenda except to meander through the village and see what small town Swedish life was all about.

Sigtuna Town Hall, built in 1744, is Sweden’s smallest town hall.



The streets of Sigtuna…

Castles galore

If touring castles is your “cup of tea” (and I must confess, it is mine), then Sweden is the place to visit. In an easy "day trip radius" from Stockholm, you can tour castles to your heart’s content. Thankfully, the Budman enjoys this type of touring activity as well or one of us would be in big trouble. Most of the castles we saw bordered Lake Malaren, which is home to over 100 castles, opulent palaces, and fabulous country houses.

Due to its connection to water, this area has a long history. Many Viking settlements were strategically placed here during the Iron Age because of the extensive waterways. Medieval castles sprung up, with mighty fortresses on one side, and water protection on the other. Even during Sweden’s’ Golden Age of Greatness, wealth and power were derived from not only the land but control of the waterways.

Multiple day trips resulted in tours of the following castles. Sadly, interior photos were not allowed in any of the castles, much to the chagrin of one the Indian tourists in our touring group who asked this question 5 times just to be sure of the answer while touring Skokloster Castle. “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

First on our list, Drottningholm Palace, home of today’s Swedish Royal Family. This royal palace, built in the 17th century, was one of the most lavish undertakings in Sweden. Today, the palace is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site due to its wonderful palace, interior furnishings, theatre, gardens, and Chinese Pavilion.



















Gripsholm Castle, not far from Mariefred, is a brick Renaissance castle begun in 1540. Over 60 rooms are on view, which also includes Sweden’s National Portrait Gallery.











Views of the city of Mariefred from Gripsholm Castle.







Viking relics outside Gripsholm Castle.



Skokloster Castle, primarily built by field Marshal Carl Gustaf Wrangel, contains treasures from his campaigns as well as many prices of art, furniture, weapons, and paintings. This was the only day when the weather was literally picture perfect.









The castle chapel and burial crypt for Cark Gustaf Wrangel.