Gotland County, Baltic Sea · Sweden
A walled medieval town on a Baltic island of limestone sea stacks, beaches and Viking farms.
Photo: Berit from Redhill/Surrey, UK · CC BY 2.0
Gotland is Sweden's largest island, in the Baltic Sea, and its capital Visby is the best-preserved medieval walled town in Scandinavia. The 3.4-kilometre wall, with 27 towers, encloses cobbled lanes, rose-covered houses and the ruins of a dozen churches, and the whole town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In summer, Visby is lively. Medieval Week in August brings thousands of people in period costume, and the island has long beaches, limestone cliffs, Viking sites and hundreds of medieval churches. Faro, a smaller island to the north, is known for the raukar, strange sea stacks, and for Ingmar Bergman's home.
Gotland is flat and ideal for cycling, with local food including saffron pancakes, lamb and sea buckthorn ice cream. Visitors arrive by ferry from Nynashamn or Oskarshamn, or by a short flight from Stockholm. Summer is busy, so book early.
Why visit
Gotland offers a medieval town and island nature in one trip.
A complete medieval ring.
Atmospheric stone shells.
Sea stack landscapes.
Sandy bays.
A big festival.
Main attractions
Visby is compact, and the island needs a bike or car.
A medieval wall with towers.
Tip Walk part of it at sunset.
The only intact medieval church in town.
Tip Visit in the morning.
Roofless churches in the town.
Tip Go in the evening.
Limestone sea stacks.
Tip Take the ferry.
Viking treasure and picture stones.
Tip Allow an hour.
A long sandy beach.
Tip Swim in summer.
Things to do
Cycling, beaches and history.
A circuit of the town.
Tip Go at golden hour.
Flat and scenic.
Tip Hire a bike.
See the raukar.
Tip Ferry from Fårösund.
August festival.
Tip Book accommodation early.
Warm summer water.
Tip Bring a picnic.
Saffron pancake.
Tip Local restaurants.
Local food
Gotland has its own specialities.
With dewberry jam.
Where to try it Cafes.
Local meat.
Where to try it Restaurants.
Tart and sweet.
Where to try it Ice cream shops.
Local.
Where to try it Markets.
Cinnamon bun.
Where to try it Cafes.
Accommodation
Stay in Visby or on the coast.
Transport
Visby is reached by air or sea.
Cycling or car.
When to go
Summer is warm and busy.
Long days.
Busy, Medieval Week in August.
Quiet.
Many closed.
Worth planning around: Winter, when many places close.
Itinerary
Visby and Faro.
Old town
Cycling
Raukar
Travel tips
Tips.
FAQ
Three to four days.
Moderate.
Yes.
June to August.
By ferry or plane.
Sea stacks.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Visby and Gotland, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Stockholm County, east coast, Sweden
Sweden's elegant island capital: Gamla Stan, the Royal Palace, the Vasa Museum, Skansen, City Hall, design shops and an archipelago on its doorstep.
Don't miss Wandering the cobbled lanes of Gamla Stan, then a waterside fika in the sun.
Explore Destination — StockholmKalmar County, south-east coast, Sweden
A historic castle town linked by a long bridge to Oland, with the Southern Oland UNESCO landscape, windmills, beaches and sunny summers.
Don't miss Cycling past windmills on the limestone plain of Stora Alvaret.
Explore Destination — Kalmar and OlandUppsala County, east-central Sweden, Sweden
A historic cathedral and university city 40 minutes from Stockholm, with the Royal Mounds of Gamla Uppsala, botanical gardens and a lively river.
Don't miss Looking up at the towers of Scandinavia's largest cathedral.
Explore Destination — UppsalaRead next
Heritage
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The most visited place in a country is rarely its best, and it is almost never its best value. This is a method for finding the destinations that do not make the postcards — and a set of examples from five of the 50 countries on this site.
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