Visby on Gotland Island, Sweden
As with most of our destinations in the Baltic, Visby is layered heavily in the complex history of this region. Situated on the western shores of Gotland Island, itself over 400 million years old, Visby and the surrounding area have archeological evidence of human occupation dating back over 8,000 years. The present day town site is dominated by the 13th century wall fortification and the impressive series of towers. Measuring just over 3km in length, the wall served as a measure of protection for the growing trade controlled by the Hanseatic League as well as the vast stores of wealth housed in the many medieval churches. Visby and Gotland in general, receive nearly 800,000 visitors each summer season, many of which are Swedes exploring the rich culture and sites immersed in the beautiful surroundings of this island.
Our explorations today focused on the picturesque and incredibly well-preserved historic center of Visby. With an optional activity to set out by bicycle and see the scenic countryside and rugged coastal terrain of this island fortress. This option would take our guests over 16km on the roadways and bike paths through small farmlands and along the limestone cliffs jutting out of the Baltic. This limestone dates back to the Silurian period and harbors a vast array of fossils. It also was the material that would build the fortified walls and medieval stone homes and churches of Visby. Folks that chose the two-wheeled method of exploring in the morning also had time in the afternoon to stroll the cobble paths of the walled city.
Setting out on foot from the ship, we would stroll along the shoreline, getting our first glimpse of the stone wall with the many medieval church ruins and the stepped gabled Hanseatic façades penetrating the horizon. Entering one of the pedestrian gates to the city, which interestingly is now just over 2.5 meters tall, was once much higher but the centuries of occupation and have reduced the height of the gate by over a meter. Once inside the city an immediate sense of its history overcame us as the brick and cobble streets that bisect the tightly packed buildings range in date from the 13th-18th centuries. One of the highlights of the city for many visitors is its unique botanical gardens, established in 1855 to harbor and showcase plants from all over the world. The microclimate provided by the nearby imposing wall and Baltic air has allowed botanical specimens from as far away as Chile to thrive here.
As we continued our meanderings through the streets we came to Sankta Maria Cathedral, its spires being the most visible structure in the city. Dating back to the late 12th century, this church is incredibly preserved and is still very much a part of the town’s religious ceremonial culture. We had a brief visit inside but had to cut it short for a wedding service that was beginning soon. Sure enough, as we vacated the building, the cathedrals bells chimed, calling the town to the wedding. Leaving the church we made our way through the town, enjoying the more peaceful and quiet atmosphere of the streets as the busy summer tourist season was all but over.
Our tour of the city culminated at the Fornsal Museum. Located in a restored 13th-century Hanseatic warehouse, this museum would provide us with a thorough and in-depth look at the many layers of life that have occurred here on Gotland, ranging from the prehistoric peoples through the fabled Viking times, to the medieval hay day that erected the walled town site. Perhaps the most interesting aspects were the excavated remains of the inhumations from the Neolithic and the 8th-century pre-Viking stone runes, or picture stones. Over 700 hordes of Viking silver have been discovered on Gotland and much of that silver is on display here. One of the major historical events of Visby that is featured at the museum is that of the 1361 Battle of Visby, in which Danish King Valdemar IV and his troops assaulted the walled city, resulting in a crushing conquest. This event is most strikingly memorialized from the remains of the over 1800 peasants slain outside the city walls found in several mass graves some 600 years later. These remains revealed the gruesome nature of battle in the period with most of the dead badly mangled. Our onboard archeologists Vincent Butler and Carol Knott provided a great deal of insight into the significance of these finds.
Lastly, the day’s experience here on Gotland was nicely concluded with a performance by local traditional musicians Spelfolki. With the evening nearly complete, we departed from Visby and set a course for Riga, Latvia.
