Kulturkompis Uppsala

Kulturkompis (Culture buddy) – Make Friends Through Culture gives newly arrived immigrants and asylum seekers the opportunity to enjoy cultural activities together with established Swedes.

Kulturkompis groups can visit the Tropical Greenhouse, the Linnaeus Garden, the Linnaeus Museum, and Linnaeus' Hammarby free of charge. Remember to bring your Kulturkompis card (in your phone)! 

There are many guided tours you can attend in our gardens. We especialliy recommend the following tours:

• The Botanical Garden: Saturdays and Sundays in June, July and August, at 13:00. The guided tour starts att the Tropical Greenhouse.
• The Linnaeus Garden with the Linnaeus Museum: Tuesday – Friday, at 13:30 and 15:30. The Linnaeus Garden is open May – September.
• Linnaeus' Hammarby: Tuesday – Friday, at 12:30. Linnaeus' Hammarby is open May – September, but in September opening times are restricted to Friday – Sunday. The closest busstop is Linnaeus' Hammarby crossing (Linnés Hammarby vägskäl), 2 kilometes from the museum.

You are more than welcome to visit any of our events. Check what is on in our gardens the coming months.

Find out more about our gardens and how to get here below. Read about our open times.

Read more about Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné), our most famous scientist from Uppsala, at Linné Online.

The project Kulturkompis is part of the adult educational association Bilda's work with newly arrived immigrants/asylum seekers where the mission is to contribute to meaningful activities that strengthen the knowledge of the Swedish language and the Swedish community and, to promote participation in the social life.

The Linnaeus Garden was the first botanical garden in Sweden founded in 1655 by Olof Rudbeck the elder. It is laid out in the French style and was restored following Linnaeus' and Carl Hårleman's design from 1745. Today, approximately 1,000 species are cultivated here. All of them are known to have been cultivated by Linnaeus and are arranged according to his sexual system.

The Linnaeus Garden is on Svartbäcksgatan 27, north of the pedestrian street.

With bus to the Linnaeus Garden

There are no bus stops right outside the garden. The nearest bus stop is ’Skolgatan’ and 'Stadsbiblioteket', just around the block from The Linnaeus Garden. City bus line 5 (green), 8 (bright red) och 10 (pink) stop at Kungsgatan, bus stop Skolgatan. Bus line 6 (brown) and 9 (blue) stop at S:t Olofsgatan, bus stop Stadsbiblioteket. 

• Bus line 9 (blue) and bus line 6 (brown) stop at Resecentrum where you can catch the train to Arlanda or Stockholm. The bus number 9 will also take you to Linnés Sävja.
• Regional buses number 110 and 115 leave from  bus stop Skolgatan and pass Gamla Uppsala on the way north. The trip takes about ten minutes and the bus departs twice an hour.

Parkering at the Linnaeus Garden

There are parking lots at Österplan, east of the railway, with entrance from S:t Olofsgatan. At Dragarbrunnsgatan, close to Klostergatan, there is a multi-storeyed car park.

The small estate Hammarby, 15 km SE of Uppsala, was bought by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. He wanted a farm on the countryside where he could spend the summers together with his family, away from the unhealthy environment of Uppsala.

Today, few Swedish manors present such an authentic milieu. It reflects the private life of Linnaeus as well as his scientific work.

By car

Leave the E4 Uppsala bypass at junction 187 and take road 282 towards Edsbro. After about 200 m turn right towards Danmark and ”Linnés Hammarby” (signed). Linnaeus’ Hammarby has got the GPS-coordinates WGS84 59° 49′ 3″ N, 17° 46′ 35″ E  /  UTM 59.8175°, 17.776389°.

By bus

Bus 102 from Uppsala to Knivsta stops at the turn-off for Linnaeus’ Hammarby, about 2 km from the museum. The travel time from Uppsala Central Station is about 20 minutes, the return journey about 25 minutes. The bus departs every 30 minutes on weekdays and once an hour on weekends.

• Timetable bus 102 (summer), (12 June – 13 August 2023).
• Timetable bus 102 (autumn), (14 August – 9 December 2023).
• Timetable bus 102 (winter), (10 December 2023 – 16 June 2024).

Bus 186 also stops at the turn-off for Linnaeus’ Hammarby, on weekdays (travel time 15 minutes).

• Timetable bus 186 (summer), (12 June – 13 August 2023).
• Timetable bus 186 (autumn), (14 August – 9 December 2023).
• Timetable bus 186 (winter), (10 December 2023 – 16 June 2024).

The Botanical Garden is one of Uppsala's most popular destinations. Here you can enjoy the grandiose Baroque Garden, visit the 200 year old orangery with its majestic halls or find inspiration for home growing among rockery plants, vegetables, summer flowers and plants in the systemic quarters. The Tropical Greenhouse is home to Uppsala's only rainforest!

The Botanical Garden hosts concerts, art exhibitions and other events. Visit the gardens to learn, find inspiration and enjoy the richness of the plant kingdom.

The Tropical Greenhouse is home to plants originating in warmer climates than that of Sweden. Here you will find plants from deserts, rainforests, steppes and savannahs. You can stroll among orchids, lianas, palms and carnivorous plants.

Each room has its certain climate. In the Rainforest and in the Victoria hall it is warm all year round, while in the Winter Garden and in the Orchid room it is cooler and less humid, especially in winter time. The Succulent room houses plants adapted to dry environment.

There are many cultivated tropical plants in the greenhouse which are the source of raw materials that we use daily in Sweden, though few Swedes have seen the living plant. Manila hemp is used to make teabags, oil palm to make soap and shampoo, the cocoa tree gives us chocolate and the nuts of the sacred lotus are edible (image).

One of the largest greenhouse plants is the giant waterlily Victoria amazonica. The smallest is the rootless duckweed, Wolffia arrhiza. One plant is no larger than this: o

The Botanical Garden is framed by Dag Hammarskjölds väg, Thunbergsvägen, Norbyvägen and Villavägen; the visiting address is Villavägen 6-8.

You will find pedestrian entrances at Thunbergsvägen, Dag Hammarskjölds väg (May-October), Norbyvägen, Plantskolegränd, and "Rosengången".

The entrance at Villavägen 8 is closed until spring 2024.

Going by bus to the Botanical Garden

The city buses stop directly outside the Botanical Garden at the bus stops named Blåsenhus, Evolutionsmuseet and Botaniska . Visit the website for UL (public transport) to find the bus timetables for lines 1 (white), 2 (red), 7 (light blue), 11 (grey line)  and 12 (yellow). Line 2 also stops at Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala). Line 12 is cancelled from mid-June until mid-August.

Parking areas near of the Botanical Garden

There are parking areas at Villavägen 6 (GPS coordinates 59.852031, 17.625407). There are only 10 parking spaces, all on the side facing Thunbergsvägen. To pay the parking fee use the EasyPark app in your phone.

There are also parking areas at Norbyvägen 18, and Plantskolegränd.

Parking for the disabled is available near the Orangery at Villavägen 6 and in the southern part of the garden at Villavägen 12. The parking by the Tropical Glasshouses and Café Victoria, Villavägen 8, is closed until spring 2024. 

Map showing parking spaces within the garden.

Parking for coaches is available close to Uppsala Cathedral at S:t Eriks torg and Riddartorget.

Map of the Botanical Garden in Uppsala