Uppsala is in many ways a child-friendly city. It is packed with playgrounds and a variety of indoor activities to keep the little ones amused and active. But sometimes you just need to take yourself outdoors and discover all the natural beauty the area has to offer. So we’ve produced a list of our best tips for excursions in Uppsala for kids!

Bathing or skating in Fjällnora

Even the most indefatigable youngsters will be able to sleep well after a day trip to Fjällnora. Having fun on the natural playground, bathing in the Fjällnora baths, canoeing and skating are just some of the activities both kids and grown-ups can enjoy together here. You can also use it as a base for a hiking tour on one of Uppsala’s hiking trails, or why not spend the night in a cabin or at the Fjällnora camp site? If fauna and flora are more your thing, there are zoos to discover, as well as a café and barbecue sites for when you fancy a nibble. Whatever the season, Fjällnora is quite simply a veritable natural paradise for kiddies and their parents.

How to get there: Bus 809 or car. Note that it’s a 3 km walk from the bus stop to the visitors’ centre.

Accessibility: Most places have good accessibility for pushchairs, wheelchairs and walkers.

Parking: Yes.

Test your skills on Sävja’s pump track in Uppsala

Are the kids not being challenged enough on their bikes? Then maybe it’s time for them to test their skills on a pump track. Just 7 km from Uppsala centre is the Sara Lisa’s Park in Sävja where there are two tracks for beginners and more experienced riders, as well as three jumps, which have been designed for most types of bikes. But what is a pump track? It’s a track with rollers and curves, to make biking a little more exciting. You use your own body weight, limited pedalling, and a “pumping” technique to build up your speed.

How to get there: Route 5 bus.

Parking: Yes.

Adventures in Hammarskog

You can also find Uppsala’s child-friendly activities in natural surroundings in Hammarskog, an area not unlike Fjällnora. In the summer, this nature reserve invites you to go fishing and bathing, or use the miniature playgrounds and climbing frames for older children. In winter, the Hammarskog area, with its manor, tempts you with grilled marshmallow on one of the many barbecue sites, ski-ing on tracks along the hiking trails, and skating on the ice-bound Lake Ekoln.

How to get there: Bus 108 or car.

Accessibility: Between the bathing area and the manor there is an accessibility-adapted natural path along the lake, made of wood, for a comfortable walk in the countryside.

Parking: Yes, at the manor and Dalkarlskärret.

Viltvattnet – A little gem in the Vedyxaskogen forest for the young bird watcher

Are the little ones in the family fascinated by birds? Then a visit to Viltvattnet in Vedyxan can be the ideal trip. Just 400 metres into the forest, as you leave the parking area, you come to the oasis that goes by the name of Viltvattnet. This body of water has been put there for the area’s wild animals. You can enjoy a sausage with bread in the nearby barbecue area, which gives you a front-seat view of the bird-life being acted out above the lake.

How to get there: Bike or car from Uppsala.

Accessibility: The 400 metre walk can easily be done with a pushchair, wheelchair or walker. A dry toilet for the disabled is available in the parking area.

Parking: Yes.

Walking for the little ones in Lilla Djurgården

The hiking trail in Lilla Djurgården allows children as well as adults to experience nature at some distance from Uppsala. There are several routes to choose from, and the green paths are an excellent alternative for children. Along the route you pass ten stations, which makes your walk more exciting, while you learn more about woodland animals and nature at the same time.

How to get there: Bus 5 or 9, or car. From Uppsala, take the road for Sävja, and then turn right towards route 255, and then right again onto a minor unpaved road. The car park is at the end of this unpaved road.

Accessibility: The path is well-lit for users of pushchairs and wheelchairs.

Parking: Yes.

Explore the hills and museums of Old Uppsala for a glance into former times

A visit to Old Uppsala is a classic excursion that is also enjoyed by people who have recently moved to the city. Its high hills are just the thing for a quiet stroll for adults, or for amazing journeys of discovery for the younger visitors. An impressive area of antiquities provides an opportunity for the whole family to experience so-called Augmented Reality. In the Old Uppsala Museum, for instance, you can borrow a tablet which gives you a virtual impression of what the Kungshögarna mounds must have looked like around 1,400 years ago. The app used on the tablet can be downloaded free of charge, if you prefer to use your own mobile or iPad.

How to get there: Route 2 bus, car or bike from Uppsala.

Accessibility: A lift with an automatic door and an unsupervised pushchair park are available in the museum.

Parking: Yes.

Ulva kvarn – A real treasure

8 kilometres to the north of Uppsala is the Ulva Kvarn handicrafts village, well-known for its beautiful scenery. Glass blowers, artists, clock makers, antiques dealers and silversmiths all apply their trade here. You can also find a café and restaurant here, as well as a picnic table, if you prefer to bring your own lunch.

How to get there: Route 104 bus, or car.

Accessibility: Almost the whole area is accessible for wheelchair and pushchair users.

Parking: Yes.