The Church of Old Uppsala
Sweden
Here we will have a look on the burial mounds of Old Uppsala and the old church. This was spiritual centre for the Vikings and the first Christians. The old kings were buried here in their individual mounds.
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome to Gamla Uppsala, or Old Uppsala. You are standing upon what is undeniably one of the most historically charged, mythologically dense, and profoundly significant landscapes in all of Scandinavia. …
Listen in the app2The Twelfth-Century Cathedral
We begin our exploration inside the Gamla Uppsala Church itself. Stepping through the heavy doors, you are entering a space that was once the absolute pinnacle of religious authority in the country. …
Listen in the app3The Belltower and the Palace Grounds
Exiting the church, our attention is immediately drawn to the imposing, freestanding wooden belltower situated nearby. The exact date of its construction remains a subject of historical debate, but the massive bronze bell housed…
Listen in the app4The Royal Mounds of the Ynglinga Dynasty
We now approach the most visually arresting and famous features of Gamla Uppsala: Kungshögarna, or the Royal Mounds. These three colossal, grassy hills dominate the horizon, standing roughly ten meters high with a staggering…
Listen in the app5The Thing Mound and the Blood Blóts
Adjacent to the Royal Mounds lies another significant, flat-topped earthwork known as Tingshögen, or the Thing Mound. While the Royal Mounds were dedicated to the dead, this mound was dedicated to the living administration of the…
Listen in the app6The Disagården Open-Air Museum
Leaving the heavy, mythological weight of the ancient mounds behind, we take a short walk to enter a completely different era of Swedish history at the Disagården Open-Air Museum. This meticulously curated park provides a…
Listen in the app7The Viking Woman and the Pope Stone
As we circle back toward the modern parish hall, inaugurated in two thousand and twenty-three, we encounter two final, dramatically contrasting historical artifacts that perfectly summarize the complex, layered identity of Gamla…
Listen in the app8Closing
Our extensive journey through Gamla Uppsala has taken us across thousands of years of profound human history. We have walked the hallowed ground where the early kings of the Svear held absolute, terrifying court, and where the…
Listen in the app
What is The Church of Old Uppsala?
The Church of Old Uppsala is a place in Sweden with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Sweden |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 59.8782, 17.6194 |
| Last updated |
