“Our credit card reader is broken.” “Yeah, sure, no problem, I brought cash.” “No, no cash.” “Why no cash? I came all the way bus from the city center of Uppsala.” “No, no, entry is free today.” “Free, why?” “Because the credit card reader is broken.” “But I told you I brought cash?” ...

More or less this was the dialogue I had at the entry of Hammarby, a component of the Linnaeus tentative site. Turns out credit cards are so pervasive in Sweden nowadays (and cash so rare) that having a broken credit card reader means free entry for all. To illustrate the point a bit further: I am fairly certain that two years later with plenty of business trips to Sweden in between I still carry the same cash I carried that day; I just never got to spend it.

Linnaeus is the Swedish version of Charles Darwin, without a doubt one of the most influential biologists in history. His main contribution was to taxonomy. For most of his life he worked as a professor at the university of Uppsala, Sweden’s oldest university.

In and around Uppsala there are plenty of sites related to his work. He used nature trails to educate his students in his system and to classify the local plants. And he created several gardens to show the diversity of plants.

I managed to visit the central site in Uppsala as well as his country home at Hammarby. The latter was the more impressive site. I did not manage to follow one of his trails, though.

OUV

As Ian has pointed out this nomination feels eerily similar to the Darwin nomination on the UK tentative list. Both relate to the scientific work of major biologists. But I see a difference between the two sites. Linnaeus' research and teaching were tied to the land. He used the nature he had around the university to instruct his students and show and extend his classifications. And he used his gardens and their system for his research. As such, I find this nomination more worthwhile and tangible than Darwin's home and would favor inscription.

Getting There

Uppsala is connected by train to Stockholm. The train also stops in Arlanda, the main Swedish airport in the middle. I came by train from the North where I had visited one of the decorated farm houses of Hälsingland. In the evening I caught a plane from Arlanda back home.

In the town center within walking distance from the train station you will find the garden and home of Linnaeus. I would strongly recommend a trip to Hammarby where more of his gardening system and research is on show. To get there I took a bus from central town. It drops you off at the main road from where I walked up to the estate (15min).

While You Are There

Uppsala is Sweden's oldest university town and a very pleasant place to visit.