Gotland: Visby
The town of Visby, capital of Gotland, is a UNESCO World Heritage site and used to be one of the most important medieval towns in the Hanseatic League of city-states. The beautiful town is fully surrounded with 13th century defensive walls with towers – about 3.5 kilometers long and built of limestone, with 44 towers standing 15-20 m high, the Maiden’s Tower (Jungfrutornet) being the most prominent. Combined the fortifications with churches – some magnificent and some in ruins – and all this creates a postcard-perfect cityscape that you see when you arrive by ferry. Inside the walls are twisting serpentine cobblestone streets, with medieval buildings everywhere, and tons of cafes and restaurants. But wait – it gets even better! We came during the Medieval Week when every resident of Visby wears medieval closing and there are loads of fairs and festivals. It was like being in a timewarp!
