Gotland between Hanseatic history, coastlines and nature

Visby was a former Viking settlement and, from the 12th to the 14th century, the most important centre of the Hanseatic League in the Baltic region. The 13th-century fortifications, along with more than 200 warehouses and merchants' houses from the same period, make the city the best-preserved fortified trading town in Northern Europe.

History

The Visby Ring Wall is approximately 3.5 kilometres long, 11 metres high and was completed in 1288; 27 ground-level towers have been preserved. Visby's Cathedral, Sankta Maria, is the only medieval church in Visby that did not become a ruin. The Drotten church ruin was built around 1240 as a parish church for the Germans in Visby, while Kruttornet is considered the oldest tower in the Ring Wall. The DBW Botanical Garden was established in Visby in 1855.

Culture

The Gotlands Museum opens the ruins of S:t Lars, Drotten and S:ta Karin to visitors between May and September. Fornsalen, Gotland's oldest cultural history museum, displays Gotland's unique picture stones; Fornsalen also exhibits the Spillings Hoard, considered the largest silver hoard from the Viking Age in the world. The picture stones are among Northern Europe's most remarkable cultural monuments: their depictions of sun symbols, animals and ships provide insights into the history, life and worldview of the island's inhabitants.

For children and families, the “Skepp & skoj” exhibition at Fornsalen offers playful learning about the world of the Vikings and seafaring. In Visby, the Gotlands Museum also organises guided tours between medieval houses, church ruins and towers of the Ring Wall. During the legend walks, guides lead groups through ruins and dark alleyways by lantern light in the evening and tell them about ghosts and hidden treasures.

Nature

The Digerhuvud Nature Reserve stretches along the north-west coast of Fårö. A paved road makes its various areas easy to reach, and visitors can explore the rauks there. Slite skärgård Nature Reserve covers more than 6,000 hectares and is the only area on Gotland with an archipelago character. Visitors can reach it by boat or kayak; on the island of Fjaugen, there is a jetty and old fishermen's cottages that are open for overnight stays.

Grass snakes are frequently seen near the various wetlands in Langhammars Nature Reserve. Norrbys is Gotland's first cultural reserve and preserves rural environments from the 1940s. A signposted nature and cultural trail is accessible to visitors there year-round; the garden café serves traditional Gotland saffron pancakes.

Kattlunds in Grötlingbo is one of the best-preserved medieval farms in the Nordic region and has origins dating back to the 12th century. There, too, a signposted nature and cultural trail leads through the grounds and can be visited independently year-round.

Active travel

Gotland is largely flat and is recommended as a cycling destination. The Eksta Coast is a cycling route in a nature reserve on the western side of Gotland and runs from the fishing village of Djupvik to Hammarudden. Östkustenleden is a 78-kilometre hiking trail that runs from Anga to Närsholm through eight parishes and eight nature reserves.

The Naturkartan.se app and website bring together numerous excursion destinations and hiking trails on Gotland; the County Administrative Board and Region Gotland are involved. Buses stop year-round at more than 20 nature reserves, while connections to additional areas are available in summer.

Geographical classification

The regional classification leads to Romakloster, Burgsvik, Dalhem, Eksta, Fleringe, Gothem, Havdhem and Hejde. Other places in the destination area are Hejdeby, Lummelunda, Lärbro, Slite, När, Ljugarn, Väte and Sanda.

The regional offerings also include Hemse, Fårösund, Klintehamn, Tingstäde, Katthammarsvik, Lojsta, Vamlingbo and Stånga, as well as Väskinde, Kappelshamn, Fröjel, Ronehamn, Lau, Fårö, Visby and Gotland.

Getting there

Destination Gotland operates ferry services between Visby and Nynäshamn and Oskarshamn, respectively.