Come and skate in the Botanical Gardens!
An old tradition from the 19th century has been revived – skating in the Botanical Gardens. Last weekend a skating ice in front of Linneanum was opened for the public.
In the early 19th century, skating on the pond in the Botanical Gardens was popular. Now Uppsala University is reviving that tradition and inviting the public to skate in the Baroque garden of the Botanical Gardens. Last weekend a prepared skating ice was opened for public use infront of the steps leading up to Linneanum. Bales of hay have been placed around the 15 by 23 metre ice rink.
Some time in the mid 19th century skating on the Botanical Gardens’ pond was banned. The professor and director of the gardens at the time, Göran Wahlenberg, was worried that we would ingest too much iron if he drank the milk from his cow, who in turn drank from the pond. In the encyclopedia Nordisk familjebok Wahlenberg is described as a reserved and abrupt person with homeopathic sympathies. Perhaps these qualities contributed to his worry for the damaging effects of the skates’ blades.
The project of reviving the old skating tradition is a joint collaboration between Uppsala University and the Swedish National Property Board.
‘We who work in the Botanical Gardens naturally hope for a long and cold winter and that the ice will be in good shape until the winter sports holiday, 18–22 February’, says Stefan Samuelsson, gardener in the Baroque garden. ‘For the holiday we are preparing extra activities around the ice, both indoors and outdoors.’
The Botanical Gardens are open all days 7.00–19.00. The gates facing the castle and the University Library are locked, use the gates closest to Linneanum instead.
Anna Malmberg