Gamla (Old) Uppsala is one of Scandinavia’s most important ancient sites. The three burial mounds here date from the 6th century and the site contains the ruins of a 12th century cathedral. Local folklore has it that this is the burial site of the gods, Thor, Odin and Frey. However, two of the mounds have been excavated and were found to contain human remains and creepily, human and animal sacrifices. It is fascinating to think that little is known about the way people lived in this part of Sweden before the 8th century; the time before this is fogged in myth, legend and folklore. When Christianity arrived in Sweden, the cathedral here made Uppsala the centre of the new Christian religion and worship.
Gamla Uppsala is well worth visiting, as is Gamla Uppsala Museum, Odinsborg restaurant, and Disagården open-air museum.