Clasonska gården

Boutique hotel with a luxurious touch

New additional hotel building by Akademihotellet, opened in November, 2025

Right in the heart of academic Uppsala, a stone’s throw from the cathedral and with Öfre Slott’s historic surroundings around the corner, is Clasonska gården, one of Uppsala’s oldest preserved buildings. Built in 1698, the house is located in the Ubbo and Odinslund quarter, where the city’s three historic centres of power meet: the castle, the cathedral, and the university. The architect behind the building was the famous scientist Olof Rudbeck the Elder. Thanks to the decision to build with bricks, the building survived the devastating city fire that destroyed three-quarters of central Uppsala in May 1702.

From the beginning, the property served as the office of the governor of Uppsala, the king’s highest representative in the region. From his office, the governor ruled over the military, taxes and the administration of justice, under strict control of King Charles XII of Sweden.

In the mid-18th century, the governor’s office was moved to the castle, where the governor had his residence. Olof Rudbeck’s building was then in poor condition and went through extensive renovation. Simultaneously, an upper floor was added to the building. In 1762, Uppsala’s first post office opened in the house and remained in operation for over a century.

The postmaster lived on the upper floor, while the post office was located on the ground floor. There, the customer contact, mail sorting and cash handling took place. The red barn next door housed a carriage house and stables for the mail coaches.

Between 1760 and 1870, Uppsala’s population doubled. As the city grew significantly, the post office ended up slightly peripheral in the cityscape. Therefore, the postal service moved, and the estate was sold in 1873. The new owner was Edward Clason, a doctor and researcher who later became a professor of anatomy. Clason lived and worked on the estate that bore his name until he died in 1912. During that time, renovations were carried out in line with the contemporary ideals for a bourgeois residence. In 1965, the Clason family sold the estate to Uppsala University.

Under the university’s management, the house has mainly been used for meetings and courses. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) trained aid workers here for almost 30 years until the 1990s. Since then, the Akademihotellet have hosted conferences in the building.

Now, the Clasonska gården has once again changed its appearance, this time to welcome you as a hotel guest. The building’s rich history is represented, with each floor designed according to the aesthetic ideals of the three centuries the building has lived through: from 18th-century exoticism, through the industrialisation of the 19th century, to 20th-century Arts & Crafts.

Welcome to Clasonska gården, Akademihotellet with a luxurious touch, and to Rooms with History.

Property owner and developer: Uppsala Akademiförvaltning