Visby is the capital of Gotland, the largest Baltic island, situated halfway between Sweden and Latvia. It is the only city on Gotland; and is arguably the best-preserved medieval city in Scandinavia and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the most notable historical remains is the 3.4 km long stone wall called Ringmuren ("the Ring Wall"), that encircles the city and the old church ruins.
Gotland has an amazing collection of medieval churches, 93 of which are still in use today! A few still have medieval glass paintings and a majority of them contain medieval frescos. Inside the towered walls of Visby, you can visit the Cathedral of St. Mary as well as the ruins of ten others.
Fornsal Museum highlights 8000 years of local history. The Fornsal collection includes: picture stones that pre-date the Vikings, 6000 year old grave stones, treasures of silver, medieval wooden sculptures and a medieval trading booth display used by the burghers of Visby to deal in goods such as furs, honey and tar.
Things to See & Do
* The Ring Wall
* Gunpowder Tower
* Visby Cathedral
* Strandpromenaden
* Church Ruins
General information
Cruise Season – March - Nov
Currency – Swedish Krona (SEK)
Language – Swedish
Land Area – 12.08 km²
Population – 23,000 approx
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time - GMT plus one hour
International Country Telephone Code - + 46
Port Location – The port of Visby is centrally located in the harbor.
Travel Links – Visby is linked to the mainland of Sweden by ferry and by airplanes. The three-hour ferry arrives from Oskarshamn in Småland and Nynäshamn near Stockholm. During summertime the ferry also runs to Grankullavik on Öland. The ferry is run by Destination Gotland and subsidized by the Swedish government.
Visby Airport is located about 5 km north of the city.