9 Best Things To Do In Visby, Sweden

Julie
Contributing Writer
Published
| 4 min read
things to do in visby

As the capital of the county of Gotland, Southeastern Sweden, Visby is called the city of roses and ruins due to its incredibly lively ancient forts and buildings. The city was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1995. The old town section of Visby still shows its medieval heritage, encircled by a 13th-century wall. You can find various warehouses built during the 13th and 14th centuries. Many of them are now private homes, along with a few towering merchants’ houses. The city may be an ancient metropolis, but it’s still a small town that is easy to explore. This guide will take you through the most popular sights in Visby. Want to discover this city for your next adventure? Check out our list of the best things to do in Visby, Sweden, which have exclusively been curated for you.

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1. Admire the ancient Visby City Wall

City Wall - Visby, Sweden
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user ForAFewNicholsMore used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Bordering the town of Visby on the Gotland Island in Sweden, Visby City Wall is the most comprehensive ancient defensive wall in Scandinavia. As the strongest wall of 3.44 kilometers (2.1 miles), it plays a significant role in Visby World Heritage Site. Visitors can admire 27 large and nine small towers that still exist. You can also enjoy the old City Walls preserved with their original height and width and pierced by gateways. Walk along the sea road to take a lovely stroll with lots to discover before turning to the seaside.

Visby City Wall

Address: 621 55 Visby, Sweden

Website: Visby City Wall

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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2. Visit Visby Cathedral, the most significant church in Gotland

Visby Cathedral 1225. Built by the Germans in Visby.
Source: Photo by user denisbin used under CC BY-ND 2.0

Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only surviving ancient church in the city. It was built for German merchants and initiated in 1225. The church was expanded and converted into a basilica in the year 1350. There is not much left of the initial interior. St Mary’s Cathedral isn’t only considered as the most significant church in Gotland, but it’s also one of the greatest well-maintained ancient churches in Sweden. For any visitor to Gotland, a visit to this cathedral is a must.

St. Mary’s Church

Address: 621 56 Visby, Sweden

Website: St. Mary’s Church

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3. Explore the fascinating St. Nicholas' Church Ruin

St Nicolaus kyrkoruin Visby Gotland
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Arkland used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Built-in the 1230s, the church of St. Nicholas was initially part of the Dominican monastery. In 1525, the church was destroyed by an army from Lübeck Germany, along with the principal of churches in Visby. The church has a charming rose window in the gable, marking its most particular remaining feature. The St. Nicholas church ruins are a venue for musical Petrus de Dacia during the summer season, who was the convent of the monastery between 1283 and 1289.

St. Nicholas

Address: Smedjegatan 19, 621 55 Visby, Sweden

Website: St. Nicholas

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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4. Check out the exhibits at Gotlands Museum

Visby, Fornsal - Gotlands Museum - panoramio
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Banja-Frans Mulder used under CC BY 3.0

Gotlands Museum is considered as one of the impressive museums in Sweden. While it features amazing 8th-century exhibits, it provides human skeletons and medieval wooden sculptures from various ages, including the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, as well as the pre-Viking and Viking age. The museum offers an interesting exhibition of Vikings with many silver artifacts and picture stones. Besides exhibitions, the museum also provides good information about the story behind it, and this makes it a must-visit for everyone.

Gotlands Museum

Address: S:t Hansgatan 21, 621 57 Visby, Sweden

Website: Gotlands Museum

Opening hours: 11am - 4pm (daily)

Price: 160 KR (16 USD)

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5. Marvel at the plants and flowers in Visby Botanical Garden

Visby Botanical Garden 02
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Hajotthu used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Founded in 1855, Visby Botanical Garden has ever since been a well-known haven in the city. Visitors will find various unusual plants, such as a mulberry tree, chestnut, walnut, and an enormous tree, as well as a wide selection of roses and other exciting flowers. Enriched with plants from all over the world, you will enjoy oriental flowers and trees among other plants in the park, such as the Royal Empress tree.

Visby Botanical Garden

Address:Strandgatan, 621 55 Gotland, Sweden

Website: Visby Botanical Garden

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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6. Stroll around the Kruttornet

Kruttornet, Visby
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Bene Riobó used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Built as early as the 12th century, the Kruttornet is considered as the oldest part of the city wall at the harbor entrance. Served as a defense tower for the ancient harbor, now it is used as a storehouse of powder. The Kruttornet was located in the part of Visby, now known as Almedalen Park. In the Almedalen, diverse classic pictures of Visby’s silhouette are photographed, suitable for a picnic. If you visit Gotland, this old tower is, without doubt, a must. An hour-long walk around this Visby Ringwall is also recommended if you’re interested in historical sites. Since many historical happenings occurred here, Visby is a significant cultural and historical site!

The Kruttornet

Address: 621 55 Visby, Sweden

Website: The Kruttornet

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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7. Capture photos at Väktargången

Vi gillar hösten på Gotland! I dag går vi upp i Väktargången i Visby ringmur. http://www.gotland.net/sv/platser/vaktargangen-i-ringmuren

Posted by Visit Gotland - Gotland.net on Monday, 15 October 2012

Väktargången is located side by side with the part of the shopping street Adelsgatan in the inner city, Vårdklockkegatan. It is the security guard in the Visby Ring Wall, an ancient defensive wall surrounding the town of Visby on the island of Gotland. Seven hundred years ago, the Ring Wall was used actively as a guard to protect Visby’s wealth. Inaugurated in June 2009, the security guard has a stunning viewpoint with views of Nordergravar, the sea to the west, and the southern part of the inner city.

Väktargången

Address: 621 55 Visby, Sweden

Website: Väktargången

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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8. Get a spectacular view at Kyrkberget

Kyrkberget malung
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Dubbeltänk used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Walking the next steps to the St Maria Cathedral, you will have a spectacular view over Visby and the Baltic Sea from Kyrkberget. In the meantime, Klinten -the cliff- was where small cottages were built for the poorer population in the late 1700s. It is now under heritage protection. Visitors can see a well-maintained ruin with large open spaces and an undamaged ceiling and tall window arches.

Klinten & Kyrkberget

Address: 621 56 Visby, Sweden (Next to St Maria Cathedral)

Website: Klinten & Kyrkberget

Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)

Price: Free

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9. Admire the architecture of St.Karin Church

Sankta Karin Visby Gotland Sverige (3) - cropped
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user W.carter used under CC BY-SA 4.0

St. Karin Church was founded in Sweden as the first Franciscan monastery. The church is the ruins that dominate Visby’s central square, the Stora Torget. Free to enter, visitors can enjoy the arcade of soaring arches inside as its most notable feature. You can discover various rooms branching off the main corridor of the church using a torch, as well as climb stairs for a special point of view from the top of the arches.

St. Karin Church

Address: Stora TORGET 2, 621 56 Visby, Sweden

Website: St. Karin Church

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Scenic Visby is worth a visit

Experience the mainly splendid architecture of the ancient town wall that surrounds scenic Visby, which is worth a visit. Located so close to the harbor and with magnificent views, Visby offers the best town walls in the world that you must see! In the meantime, museums and Viking history are also remarkable. Easy to walk around, you can plan your itinerary and make sure you enjoy all that Visby has to offer.

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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One thing that excites me when I lived or traveled outside Indonesia (Europe, Asia, and the US) is the chance to learn new experiences: "I travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape me."

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