Sövdeborg area belonged to bishops of Lund in the Middle Ages, but after Reformation the Crown of Denmark sold it to Frederik Lange in 1587. He built the new castle to the southern side of small Sövdesjön lake between 1590-1597. It consisted of a moat, tower and central section with two wings. Count Erik Piper made an major reconstruction to the castle in 1840-1844.
Sövdeborg is open to the public. The most impressive room is the stone hall in the southeast corner of the ground floor, with its unique ceiling of stucco and oak. To the west of the house, part of the partially drained lake has been transformed into an English park, with waterways. Water is led into these channels and the old mansion house channels from the lake to the north.
References:The stone church of Gamla Uppsala, built over the pagan temple, dates from the early 12th century. Due to fire and renovations, the present church is only a remnant of the original cathedral.
Before the arrival of Christianity in Sweden, Gamla Uppsala was the seat of Swedish kings and a ceremonial site known all over northern Europe. The settlement was home to royal palaces, a royal burial ground, and a great pagan temple. The Uppsala temple, which was described in detail by Adam of Bremen in the 1070s, housed wooden statues of the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Freyr. A golden chain hung across its gables and the inside was richly decorated with gold. The temple had priests, who sacrificed to the gods according to the needs of the people.
The first Christian cathedral was probably built in the 11th century, but finished in the 12th century. The stone building may have been preceded by a wooden church and probably by the large pagan temple.