The small town of Visby, a former Viking site, is famous for its medieval church ruins and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located on the island of Gotland, the city is made up of cobbled streets, inviting wooden cottages and grand gothic churches.
Things to do in Visby
Visby City Wall encircles Visby and provides an excellent circular walk. Several stretches of the medieval defense wall date back to the 12th century and it’s regarded as the best-preserved city wall in Scandinavia. Head to the defensive towers for uninterrupted views of the city.
Gotland Museum is home to around 400,000 local artifacts, including paintings, sculptures and artworks. Learn about the island’s history by exploring the archaeological findings, art collections and cultural history collections, including weapons and textiles.
Take a break from the city at Botaniska Tradgarden. Here you’ll find flowers, shrubs and trees that create a calm oasis, with many butterflies spotted throughout the year. Head to the bottom of the garden to see the ruins of an old chapel hidden behind the shade of wild vines.
St. Mary’s Cathedral is a gothic chapel built originally as a church for the German traders. Construction began in the 12th century and over the years it was enlarged until it was finally renovated into a Basilica in the 14th century. Today it sits in the town center with a red-tiled roof.
Getting around Visby
Stockholm Arlanda Airport is a short car and ferry ride away, or you can fly into Visby Airport and take the 10-minute drive into the center. The town can be explored entirely on foot and you can make use of bicycle hire and buses.