Experience the real Uppsala – visit the locals’ favorite spots!

If you want to follow the footsteps of an Uppsala resident, you can’t let a day go by without a visit to Stationen in the old train station house. If the city were to be attacked, this restaurant, pub and café would probably be one of the prioritized buildings to defend. Because this is the establishment where citizens head for as soon as March turns into April – and the open-air café can legally invite guests to wine and dine during the year’s first endeavoring and, frankly, merely tolerable hours of sunshine.  

Stationen’s menu is a tribute to the inauguration of Uppsala’s railway, which in the late 19th century opened up the doors to the metropoles of Europe. Therefore, the cuisines of France, England and Italy are given a lot of attention, which is why we suggest you start your upsaliensis day with a late breakfast, consisting of something newly brewed, something freshly baked and something to read at Stationen’s Rome-inspired café.    

After a coffee scented morning, you take off in north-eastern direction for a comfortable ten minute walk. Because, like the local Uppsala resident you are playing today, you absolutely have to purchase this week’s set of veggies, cut flowers and antique decorations at the local market. Naturally, we’re referring to the one at Vaksala Torg – the most bargain bulletproof place in town, according to many.  At this traditional outdoor bazaar, you are constantly tempted by new and old knick-knacks. Both professional collectors and falafel lovers share this square’s space to create a lively and often sustainable shopping experience. Furthermore, school classes and non-profit associations get to participate free of charge, providing you with an excellent chance of supporting your local organization.

Your time spent at Vaksala torg, successfully haggling, deserves a reward – time for lunch. At Konditori Fågelsången, you’ll find a typical Uppsala watering hole for sun thirsting locals. Just like the Big Five on the savannah, they are invariably and regularly drawn to Fågelsången’s terrace, an action which is being repeated even more systematically during spring and summer. Both the calm but centric location and the picturesque view over swan filled Svandammen draw them here. But of course, the confectionery and bakery’s edible offerings is another reason for stopping by. Try their marzipan frog pastry if you left extra belly space for dessert!

No post-lunch-dip yet? Perfect! That means it’s time for a local safari combined with physical activity: go for a run in the City Garden (Stadsträdgården)! Uppsala’s most photogenic park is located literally just a stone’s throw from Konditori Fågelsången and is famous for its’ flaunting greenery, exquisite water-lily pond, summer concert venue Parksnäckan and very imaginative children’s playground. In between all of this, there are small trails with just the perfect texture for a jogger. Don’t identify yourself as a runner? No problem! Take a seat at one of the tables next to summer café Gula Villan and enjoy a moment of peace and quiet instead.

The physical effort and/or the, hopefully, pleasantly broiling sun urges you to take an unavoidable shower. But your thirst for local experiences isn’t quenched, which is why you continue on to the next stop: Ångkvarns Bryggeri. This pub boasts with something as unique as its’ own brewery – placed in the middle of the facility, encrusted in glass, as if were it a masterpiece at the Louvre. Here, the master brewer creates several of Ångkvarns award-winning beers, and the guests are invited to enjoy a surprisingly wide ranged pub menu. How about a game meat steak tartare, the brewery’s homemade sausage or a chocolate truffle flavored with – you guessed it– beer. Just make sure to stay focused! The free spots on the terrace might be taken faster than you can say Indian Pale Ale. 

Want to stay in the world of beer for a bit longer? No problem! Just follow the Uppland sounds all the way to Taps, a romantically tiny bar right at the end of Carolinabacken. As at Ångkvarns, you will be served fine and handcrafted beer, but there’s also something for the not as thrilled beer enthusiast: cava, red and white wine along with a variety of non-alcoholic beverages are also lined up on the menu board. When looking around this cute pub and listening to its delighted guests chatting, you will have a ridiculously easy time to understand why the people of Uppsala gladly to choose to spend an evening at Taps.      

Don’t feel like ending the soirée yet? Join the crowds heading towards festive bar Mjesto. Here, a snack from their mediterranean menu can gladly be accompanied by a drink or two, or just by the music played by a DJ or two. Oh yes, the merry mood is especially palpable during the weekend, but this is not the place for a dancing queen – no real dancefloor can be found here. Mjesto is rather the sort of place where the Uppsala population goes to enjoy the company of their friends together with the taste of a colourful drink.