Tourism in Sweden - Cities

Cities

Most Swedish cities are small compared to other European cities (e.g., those in the United Kingdom and Germany). The largest city is Stockholm, with about 802,000 inhabitants, followed by Gothenburg with 493,000 and Malmö with 270,000.

Stockholm has been Sweden's capital since at least the 14th century. It is Sweden's metropolis, the centre of the government and of the media. It has a waterfront adjacent to the Stockholm Archipelago; parts of Stockholm are preserved largely intact from older times.

Gothenburg is a relatively recently built city (dating from the 17th century). It is visited for its attractions and shopping opportunities.

Malmö has recently emerged in the eastern part of the Oresund region, tied together with Copenhagen, Denmark, through the Oresund Bridge. During the last 15 years, Malmö has put more resources into culture; it previous had a reputation as a working class city. The twisted skyscraper Turning Torso and the main crane at the Kockums shipyard are landmarks, with the first being newer. Both Malmo and Gothenburg hosted the Uefa U21 European Championships during the summer of 2009.

Uppsala became the seat of the Archbishop of Sweden in 1167, with Scandinavia's largest church building Uppsala Cathedral inaugurated in the 1440s. Uppsala also became the center of education in Sweden with Uppsala University's founding in 1477.

Lund was part of Denmark until 1658, and had been the seat of Denmark's archbishop. In 1666, Lund was granted Sweden's second university, the Lund University; it is Scandinavia's largest.