Visby is a city located on the island of Gotland, and is the largest city on that Swedish island. Visby Sweden is one of the best preserved, if not the very best, of medieval towns, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visby Sweden is home to some of the most intriguing medieval attractions in Scandinavia, most notable the stone wall that stretches for more than 2 full miles around the city of Visby.
The Visby wall, officially named Ringmuren, is the most prominent of a collection of medieval attractions in the city, which is still fully populated with more than 22,000 people and remains the seat of the Governor of Gotland County. The Visby Sweden Cathedral, built in the 12th century, is located within the walls and was actually built before the great wall. The wall itself was built in the 13th century, to surround a city that was already flourishing. Although power over Gotland changed hands numerous times, the island has remained under Swedish rule since the middle of the 17th century.
One of the best things about this Sweden Visby town is that along with the preservation of the wall, many buildings from these older centuries can also still be seen. The Hanseatic harbor can be seen in Sweden Visby, as well as the gorgeous Botanical Gardens. Thanks to the Botanical Gardens in Sweden Visby, the town has garnered the nickname the, “City of Roses”. Travelers can also visit the Historical Museum of Gotland and the Dominican Monastery of St. Nicholas while traveling with their Visby Sweden map.
If you plan to explore extensively in Visby, obtaining a Visby Sweden map is a good idea. Not only are there many attractions inside the Ringmuren, but the wall itself has attractions built right into it. A good Visby Sweden map will often point these out, including the Maiden’s Tower, marking the spot where a peasant girl was buried alive for helping a Danish King during a revolution, and Powder Tower, which is the oldest fortification tower in Visby.
If you are interested in the history of Visby or would simply like to have some information about the town and the wall as you tour, you can also spend time walking the streets of Visby with an organized tour group. Organized tours are available in English as well as in the local language, so be sure to look at the schedule in advance if you have a preference. In addition to getting some history on the wall and the city, most tours will also take travelers through the Historical Museum of Gotland where they can see some of Gotland’s most interesting historical artifacts.
