Let´s start with the cities...

Photo: Richard Ryan

Bildtext: Begun in the 13th century, Uppsala Cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Scandinavia.

Less than an hour north of Stockholm is Uppsala, the country´s most prominent university seat and a one-time capital of Sweden. One of the country´s oldest and historically most notable cities, and number four in size, Uppsala, not Stockholm, is home to Sweden´s National Cathedral, Uppsala Domkyrka, the country´s largest and most spectacular church, its oldest parts built in the 13th century. Many of the city´s leading attractions are related to the university, including Sweden´s oldest college, opened in 1477, and the Gustavianum museum. In Old Uppsala, with its picturesque ancient timber buildings and mediaeval church, there are the famous 1000-year-old Kings´ grave mounds, the Uppsala Mounds, and the architecturally spectacular timber museum with a glass front overlooking the rolling grave hills. Uppsala was also where Sweden´s great natural scientist Carl Linnaeus was active for most of his career, and where you´ll find the most important Linnaeus sites – his home Hammarby, the Linnaeus garden, and the ambitious Linnaeus exhibition in the Gustavianum museum. Thus, Uppsala will also be the main hub for the celebration of Linnaeus’ 300-year anniversary in 2007, culiminating with numerous events, exhibitions and happenings through the summer.

Örebro in Närke in the southwest is another historically interesting and architectonically imposing city of pleasant size, splendidly built around the 16th century Örebro Castle – a convenient place from where to set out exploring the Bergslagen region with its scening forest landscape, its many interesting historic industrial sites and villages and numerous pleasant inns and manor houses. West of Stockholm are Västerås and Eskilstuna, two industrial cities of importance which have both undergone positive transformations in recent years, offering many attractions for the entire family. In the region´s northern parts are Falun, the Dalacarlian regional capital, with the 1000-year old Unesco World Heritage Site Old Copper Mountain Mine, and Gävle, Northern Sweden´s largest city with its elegant stone city core, beautifully set on the Baltic shore.