Gotland: Hanseatic history, coasts and trails

Gotland is mostly flat and is considered a destination for cycling. At the same time, a trip can take you from Visby’s medieval history to coastal landscapes, nature reserves and hiking trails. When planning a hotel stay, it helps to first consider whether you are most interested in experiencing the town’s history, nature, or trails on foot and by bike.

Visby: Hanseatic history and townscape

Visby was a former Viking settlement and the most important centre of the Hanseatic League in the Baltic region from the 12th to the 14th century. Its 13th-century fortifications and more than 200 warehouses and merchants’ houses from the same period make it the best-preserved fortified trading town in Northern Europe. The town wall is about 3.5 kilometres long and 11 metres high; it was completed in 1288, and 27 defensive towers remain. Kruttornet is the oldest tower in the wall. Sankta Maria is the only medieval church in Visby that did not become a ruin. The Drotten church ruin was built around 1240 as a parish church for the Germans in Visby. The DBW Botanical Garden, established in 1855, is also one of the town’s historic sites.

Museums, picture stones and guided tours

Fornsalen is Gotland’s oldest cultural history museum. On display are the island’s unique picture stones: their depictions of sun symbols, animals and ships offer insight into the history, lives and worldviews of the island’s inhabitants. Fornsalen also exhibits the Spillings Hoard, described as the world’s largest Viking Age silver hoard. The “Skepp & skoj” exhibition offers children and families a playful way to learn about the Viking world and seafaring.

The Gotland Museum offers guided tours among medieval houses, church ruins and towers of the town wall. One town tour explores Visby’s medieval street plan, ruins, wall, Hanseatic history and the people who lived there. On the legend walks, guides lead groups by lantern light through ruins and dark alleys in the evening, telling stories of ghosts and hidden treasures. On another tour, visitors can descend into a cellar beneath a restaurant at Stora torget and see the remains of a medieval Russian church and a cemetery. The ruins of S:t Lars, Drotten and S:ta Karin are open to visitors from May to September; check current opening arrangements before your visit.

Coasts and nature reserves

The Digerhuvud Nature Reserve stretches along the northwest coast of Fårö. A paved road makes its different areas easy to reach, and visitors can explore the rauks there. Rauks along Gotland’s coast are limestone monoliths shaped by natural erosion during the last Ice Age. Slite skärgård has a different landscape character: the nature reserve covers more than 6,000 hectares and is Gotland’s only area with an archipelago character. Visitors can explore it by boat or kayak. The island of Fjaugen has a jetty and old fishing huts that are open for overnight stays; check the overnight arrangements before your trip.

The Langhammars Nature Reserve covers 480 hectares. Grass snakes are often seen near its wetlands. Stora Karlsö is a breeding area for several bird species, including razorbills and common guillemots. These nature experiences are quite different from Visby’s medieval sights and offer another focus for planning a trip.

Hiking and cycling

The trails vary in length and landscape. The Östkustenleden is 78 kilometres long and runs from Anga to Närsholm through eight parishes and eight nature reserves. The 30-kilometre Klintkustleden runs between Björkume and Hallshuk, passing cliffs, wetlands and old fishing villages. Shorter is the seven-kilometre pilgrimage trail between Roma Kungsträdgård and Dalhem, which is accessible year-round. The Eksta coast is a cycling route in a nature reserve on Gotland’s west side, running from the fishing village of Djupvik to Hammarudden. Another nature and culture cycling loop starts in Visby, visits two nature reserves and two medieval churches, and passes through Gotland’s agricultural landscape. Check the route conditions and accessibility before setting out.

For orientation, Naturkartan.se brings together numerous excursion destinations and hiking trails on Gotland in its app and website; the County Administrative Board and Region Gotland are involved. Check the latest information when planning. Buses stop at more than 20 nature reserves year-round, with connections to additional areas in summer. As routes can change, it is worth checking the current timetable. Destination Gotland operates ferry services between Visby and Nynäshamn and Oskarshamn. For a specific trip, check the timetable for your travel dates.

Rural culture and Gotlandic cuisine

Norrbys is Gotland’s first cultural reserve and preserves rural settings from the 1940s. A marked nature and culture trail there is open to visitors year-round. Milling days are held every year, usually in May, when the water level in the pond is high. The garden café serves traditional Gotlandic saffron pancake. Kattlunds in Grötlingbo also combines history with a trail through the landscape: the farm is one of the best-preserved medieval farms in the Nordic region and dates back to the 12th century. Its marked nature and culture trail can be explored independently year-round.

Gotlandic saffron pancake is considered an island speciality and is served with cloudberry jam and whipped cream. Regional food culture also has a long history: sheep farming on Gotland dates back to the Viking Age, and Gotlandic lamb is known for its texture and flavour. The Burgundy truffle ripens on Gotland in the transition from autumn to winter; the harvest time varies from year to year.

You can choose your destination and accommodation based on the experiences that interest you most.

Discover more destinations

Dalhem, Fleringe, Gothem, Havdhem, Hejde, Hejdeby, Lummelunda, Lärbro, Slite, När, Ljugarn, Väte, Sanda, Hemse, Fårösund, Klintehamn, Tingstäde, Katthammarsvik, Lojsta, Vamlingbo, Stånga, Väskinde, Kappelshamn, Fröjel, Ronehamn, Lau, Fårö, Romakloster, Visby, Gotland, Burgsvik, Eksta.

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