Attractions - Sweden

Attractions - Stockholm

Gotland, Sweden

Featuring rolling green countryside, forest-lined roads, fine beaches and small fishing villages and the spectacular medieval town of Visby – you’ll find real charm in Gotland. No other area in Scandinavia can boast such a concentration of unspoiled medieval country churches. There are also hundreds – maybe even thousands – of prehistoric sites, including burial mounds, stone ship settings and hill-top fortresses across the island to explore.

Gotland, the largest of the Baltic islands, was an important trading post from long before Viking times and became a major power base of the Hanseatic League in the 12th and 13th centuries. Start your trip at Visby, the main port and town of the island, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk around the magnificent three-kilometre city wall, which dates from the end of the thirteenth century. It was built to isolate the city's foreign traders from the islanders and has over 40 towers. Take your time to savour the atmosphere of Visby and wander around the many narrow roads and lanes. Visit one of the many ruined medieval churches inside the city walls. The Cathedral of St Maria is especially worth a visit, as much for the building as for its stained glass windows.

Wander through narrow roads and lanes...

Don’t miss the chance to visit Gotlands Fornsal, without doubt one of the best museums in Sweden. It features picture stones and human skeletons from pre-Viking times as well as some fascinating medieval wooden sculptures. If you can, time your visit with the Medieval Week festival in early August, when you can see fully costumed reenactments of events from medieval times. While on Gotland, hire a bicycle and explore the rest of the island. Gotland is peppered with medieval churches and prehistoric sites. Head north of Visby and visit the Bro church with its 5th century picture stones and interesting sculptures. The north is especially picturesque, although much of the peninsula north of Lärbro is a military zone and consequently off limits to foreign tourists.

Make sure to visit Bunge with its bright fourteenth-century fortified church and open-air museum, which features 17th century houses and picture stones dating from the 9th century. If you head south of Visby, stop off at Dalhem, site of the oldest church in Gotland. Its chancel and nave date from the mid-thirteenth century, and the interior detail is both delicate and precise. Continue to Hoburgen on the southernmost tip of Gotland. This area has an interesting landscape of raised beaches and cliffs and is a good place for swimming.

Subscribe to our European Newsletter