Uppsa Kulle is a large burial mound, actually the largest of the ones in the province of Södermanland. Its history is unknown, but the sagas do tell of a royal past. Its location in the countryside outside of Nyköping is famous for the many runestones and other ancient remains. Maybe this is the grave of Ingjald Illråde, Ingvar the Bold?
Our Impression of Uppsa Kulle
We really like to explore these historical sights in Sweden, especially when they come with an interesting legend such as Uppsa Kulle. Climbing the mound to get a view of the landscape really is an experience in itself and this is the countryside of Södermanland with very few modern distractions. It is almost possible to imagine the Viking ships traveling up the waters of Runnviken, which was earlier a bay of the Baltic Sea.
A Short History of Uppsa Kulle
Uppsa Kulle is believed to date back to the Iron Age. The history of the burial mound and its likely inhabitant is unknown. No excavation of the hill has ever been carried out. Instead, it is the sagas from the area’s runestones that have to tell the story.
The legend of Ingjald Illråde, or Ingvar the Bold in English, has been mentioned in several sagas from the Middle Ages. Ingjald is believed to have died in the 7th century and was a king from the Ynglinga Family. He is supposed to have been born in Tiundaland, one of the folklands in the province of Uppland. Tiundaland was, however, too small for Ingjald and he is supposed to have killed several small kings in Sweden to conquer their lands. He is believed to have died at the nearby bay Runnviken.
There are, however, more places in Sweden that claim to house the grave of Ingjald Illråde.
Things to Do and See
It is Uppsa Kulle, the burial mound, that is the main attraction here. Climbing the mound will offer a great view of the surrounding area, including Lake Runnviken. Walking to the hill will take you through a small enclosure, making it hard to visit if you are prevented from walking.
Parking can be found right next to the hill, by just following a small gravel road up towards the hill. Here is also a rest stop with wind protection. Making it possible to make this a stop along a hike or to just sit down and have a barbeque while visiting. There is also the nearby farmstead of Oppusa that you will pass by on the way to the parking lot.
How to Get to Uppsa Kulle
- Flights: The closest airport is Stockholm Skavsta Airport (NYO), only 24 kilometers away.
- Car: Uppsa Kulle is along countryside roads a bit north of Nyköping.
- Bus: Bus 525 from Sörmlandstrafiken stops nearby the hill on its route between Gnesta and Nyköping.
- Train: There is no train station here. Instead, the closest train station is in nearby Nyköping.
The driving distance from 5 major Swedish cities, according to Google Maps:
- Stockholm – 91 kilometers (1 h)
- Gothenburg – 387 kilometers (4 h 18 min)
- Malmö – 531 kilometers (5 h 43 min)
- Linköping – 118 kilometers (1 h 21 min)
- Kiruna – 1322 kilometers (16 h 6 min)
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