Uppsala – the ancient capital of Svei and the Swedish “pyramids”

Uppsala (Uppsala) - the ancient capital of Sweden, is located on the banks of the Furis River at its confluence in Lake Melaren. The city is 70 km from Stockholm. Uppsala is a well-known university center in Europe, open to young people of any nationality and religion and associated with the life and scientific activities of naturalist Carl Linnaeus, astronomer and physicist Anders Celsius and chemist Berzelius. In addition, in Uppsala lived and worked physician and mathematician, rector of Uppsala University Olaf Rudbeck, chemist Karl Wilhelm Scheele, playwright and director Ingmar Bergman. But acquaintance with Uppsala should begin with Old Uppsala, with a visit to the unique mounds - "Swedish pyramids" in which there are tombs of Swedish kings, since the fifth century AD. It is believed that this place has a mystical energy, it was here that bloody pagan festivals with sacrifices took place, the most remarkable are three huge mounds, in which, according to legend, the Swei conungs of the V-VI centuries were buried. They have long attracted the attention of Swedish historians. In the XIX century, the view was spread that the mounds of natural origin, and to eliminate all doubts, King Charles XV agreed to conduct their excavations Old Uppsala - once the largest cult and political center of pagan Scandinavia, now a rural parish on the northern outskirts of Uppsala in Sweden. A change in the landscape in the 13th century made the existence of Old Uppsala impossible, and in 1280 a cathedral was laid with the preservation of the name Uppsala. Uppsala Cathedral is a national shrine and the oldest church in Sweden is the Uppsala Cathedral, recognized as the highest in Scandinavia (118.7 m, height is equal to length), its construction lasted 175 years. This impressive structure, made in the form of a crucifix, was laid down when the city had only 800 inhabitants, the Temple was restored several times, in particular, after fires. The last restoration was completed in 1976. The magnificent interior decoration of the cathedral with its ancient artifacts is amazing. An excursion to Uppsala can be combined with a visit to Skukloster Castle and the ancient Viking capital Sigtuna.