A remote island in the Baltic Sea, easy to get to from Stockholm but rarely visited by foreigners. A place where you can explore history and nature, or just get away from it all. This is Gotland, a mysterious island where time seems to have stood still.
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Why Visit Gotland?
I went to Gotland for the history. This is a place where you can discover rune stones from the Viking era, ancient stone labyrinths and Bronze Age graves. There are numerous medieval churches, and remnants of historic fishing villages. And the city of Visby, once an important member of the Hanseatic League and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
But there is more. Visit outside of the summer tourist season and you’ll have the place almost to yourself. You will find nature reserves and beaches, hiking trails and cycle tracks. And the island is a paradise for bird watchers. It is on several migration routes and more than 400 species have been observed here.
What To See And Do On Gotland
For many visitors the main attractions are the natural environment and the opportunity to relax and rewind. But there is plenty to see and do if you want to go out and explore.
Visby
Visby is the main town, but small enough to explore in a day. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, partly because of its history as a member of the Hanseatic League (a trading alliance between coastal cities in northern Europe during the Middle Ages), and partly because of its well preserved walls and medieval city centre. It is also famous for its “twelve ruins”, churches that fell into disuse after the Reformation.
This is a place for exploring on foot. One of the main attractions is the 3.5 km city wall and its many original towers. Elsewhere in the city you can wander the narrow streets with their old buildings and discover the remains of the ruined churches, as well as the 13th century cathedral (the only medieval church still in use). There are a number of museums, including the Gotland Museum, which showcases the island’s cultural history.
This is also a good place to try the island cuisine, particularly the local pancakes. I can recommend Creperie & Logi, located in a historic building where I enjoyed galettes (buckwheat pancakes), both savoury and sweet.
Churches, Labyrinths And Rune Stones
Gotland is a place to explore early Christian history. It is known as the Island of a Hundred Churches, and you will find churches – mostly dating from the 12th to 14th centuries – wherever you go. Some were ruined during the Reformation, but others retain their original furnishings and you can even find some medieval wall paintings.
Several Viking rune stones (both Christian and pre-Christian) have been found on Gotland. Many of these are now in the Gotland Museum in Visby, but others can be found in churches, such as at Hablingo (where you will also see wall paintings and an ornate carved portal).
For me, one of the most interesting things in Gotland was the stone labyrinths to be found in some of the churchyards. There are more than 500 such labyrinths across the island (in churches and elsewhere), some dating back to the Bronze Age and others more modern. Read more – The Stone Labyrinths of Gotland.
Boat Shaped Graves
A particular feature of Gotland is the Bronze Age burial sites. Many of these are in the form of “boat shaped graves”, massive groups of stones possibly designed to carry the dead to the next world. You’ll find lots of these around the island, as well as dolmens and stone rings.
Read more – The Ancient Burial Sites of Gotland.
Gotland’s Fishing Stations
Yet another local peculiarity is the old fishing stations scattered around the coast. These were built as temporary homes for 18th century fishermen who would occupy them for a few days at a time in order to catch enough fish to keep their families throughout the year. You can still see the houses (now occupied occasionally by anglers), and one of the villages has been turned into a living museum.
Read more – Discovering the Fishing Stations of Gotland.
How To Visit Gotland
- You can reach Gotland by ferry or plane from Stockholm. The flight time is 30 minutes, and the ferry takes around 3 hours.
- Many of the houses on Gotland are holiday homes, mostly used during the Swedish summer months of July and August. This means that June or September are good times to visit, when the weather is good but the island is very quiet.
- Buses are available for getting around the island, although they are more frequent during the summer. You may prefer to hire a car, and bike hire is also possible.
- There are several restaurants around the island, but the greatest choice is in Visby.
- There is a wide range of places to stay in Gotland, including hotels in Visby and self-catering accommodation around the island.
