The main reason to see the island of Gotland in Sweden is because it is the second-largest island after Zealand. Also called the Baltic Sea island, Gotland is a place surrounded by greenery, cliffs offering spectacular views, museums awaiting the island’s history, churches and well-preserved ruins from the Middle Ages.
Occupying almost 3,000 square kilometres, the island of Gotland awaits secrets and sights to see and visit on your trip to Sweden.
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What to see on the island of Gotland?
The most interesting area to visit on the island is Visby. Visby is the largest town on the Swedish island of Gotland as well as the capital of the province of Gotland. It is one of the best preserved medieval towns in Scandinavia, which is why it was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1995.
1. Gotland Museum
Gotland’s cultural history museum is called ‘Fornsalen’ (literally, ‘Hall of Antiquities’) in Swedish. It awaits exhibits on the geological formation of Gotland, the first inhabitants, the Viking Age, the medieval period and the present day.
The museum is open daily between May and September from 10am to 6pm, and from October to April from 11am to 4pm. Children under the age of 19 get in free, while adults from May to September cost 150 SEK, and from October to April 100 SEK.
2. Almedalen
In ancient times this was the port of entry to the city. Built outside the city walls, Almedalen is now known for its political rather than cultural overtones. According to the venue itself, Almedalsveckan has become a phenomenon among political festivals, and several countries have even created similar venues over the years. Admission is free.
The Almedalen Week is an annual event in Visby, an important meeting place for all those involved in Swedish politics.
Almedalen Week 2022
This 2022, Almedalen Week, will be a digital event for four days and the political parties will for the first time split the days between them.
3. St. Karin’s Church
Also called the ruins of St. Catherine’s Church, this is a must-see building on the island of Gotland. It is located in the centre of Visby, just off the south side of Stora Torget.
The ruins are free to visit during the summer. From June to September it is open Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 16:00, and in October Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 15:00.
The most beautiful view is obtained by standing to the west and looking forward to the graceful gothic lantern of the cross-section and observing the lightness of the architecture that prevails for the slender pillars and girded arches still well preserved.
4. DBW Botanical Garden Visby
Founded in 1855, the initials DBW stand for De Badande Wännerna, as this is where the Society of the Friends of the Baths was founded in the early 1900’s.
The botanical garden is located next to the beach, north of Almedalen.
5. Visby Cathedral
Visby Cathedral (also known as St Mary’s Church) is the only surviving medieval church in Visby. After the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the city of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland became its own diocese and the church designated its cathedral.
Travel Tip: To organize your trip we recommend using Passporter totally free. You can be inspired by the experiences of other travelers, choose the places that interest you most, create the travel route with a geolocated map, upload all important documents such as reservations and invite your friends so that everyone can participate in the organization of the trip.
What are the best places to see in Gotland?
1. Asundens Raukfält
This is a nature reserve of 8 hectares, of which 5 hectares are water.
Its waters await history. St Ole’s Basin, for example, where the Norwegian king Christianised the first children. Unlike the other busy nature parks, this one was emptier of tourists.
2. Visby Town Wall
Visby Town Wall is a medieval defensive wall surrounding the town of Visby on the island of Gotland, Sweden. It is the strongest, longest and best preserved medieval wall in Scandinavia, and is therefore an important part of the World Heritage Site Hanseatic City of Visby. It was built in two stages during the 13th and 14th centuries, some 3.44 km of its original 3.6 km still remain.
3.Fiskargränd
If you’re looking for a photographable area, Fiskargränd is your key spot. This is the street that runs alongside the Fiskaren block. The roses that decorate the facades of the houses, among other plants, began to be planted in the early 1940s. Since then the alley has been commonly called “the city of roses and ruins”. Fiskargränd is just around the corner from the Botanical Garden.
4. Botaniska Trädgården
Free to enter, the botanical garden is open daily from 06:30 to 21:30. You can also walk your pets in the area, always on a leash. Pets are not allowed in the greenhouses.
The exhibition you can see now started in May 2022 and will end in September 2022. It is an exhibition about Swedish flora and recommendations about wild plants. From 27 November 2022 to 31 January 2023 the exhibition will be about the stories of 24 plants from different parts of the world.
5. Björkume
Nature reserve with a sea of trees within it with herbaceous species, whose forest is dominated by blackberry, redbud, honeydew or lily of the valley. The reserve is large and covers 240 hectares of woodland and marshland, stretching from block 149 to the beach between Stenkyrkehuk and Burge. You can access it with an escalator right next to the cliff board.
What to do in a day in Gotland?
The island has too many interesting places to see, but if you only have one day to visit Gotland, these are the places you should visit:
Start your tour in Visby, the best-preserved provincial capital since medieval times. There you can stroll through Almedalen, an urban green space often used for political events. Afterwards you can go to the Gotland Museum, and see the history of the island. From there you pass the ruins of St. Karin’s Church, and right next to it you can see Stora torget. If you continue towards the coast you will find Hansestaden Visby, from the Middle Ages.
You can end the tour at Fiskargränd, where you’ll get some lovely photographs of the place, or finish on the Swedish coast at Visby Town Wall.
Where to stay in Gotland?
- Visby Fängelse: Housed in a former 19th-century prison, this hostel faces the Baltic Sea, a 7-minute walk from the historical exhibits at Gotland Museum and 7km from Visby Airport. Room rates are around 35 euros per room per night.
- NOVI Resort Visby: This four-star, sea-view hotel costs around €150 a night. It has direct access to the beach, is 2km from the Gotland Museum, 3km from Almedalen and 5km from Visby harbour, which offers ferries to the mainland.
- STF Rävhagen: In cabin format at €73 per night, this three-star hotel puts it in a good location for visiting the area.
- Clarion Hotel Wisby: Overlooking the Baltic Sea, this hotel is located on a cobbled street within the medieval city walls, a 2-minute walk from the Gotlands Museum and a 5-minute walk from Almedalen Park. Room rates are around €182 per night.
Where and what to eat in Gotland?
- Lilla Bjers Gårdskrog: This restaurant is famous for its lunch. They offer three courses and their cuisine uses only local produce. Lilla Bjers is a green and organic oasis in Västerhejde in Gotland, 7 km south of Visby. This comedy was co-produced here for less than 2,500 years and shows a break from the Bronze Age cocaine we found in the forest.
- Värdshuset Lindgården | Restaurang & Hotell: as well as a hotel, this restaurant in a medieval building is a 2-minute walk from the Gotland Museum and Visby’s 14th-century city wall, and 6 minutes from the cathedral. The guesthouse has a cosy garden and a simple restaurant with a seasonal terrace. The menu features an extensive first-class wine list.
- Bad Wolf BBQ: As the name suggests, this is barbecue cuisine. Tacos, burgers, fried chicken quesadillas and chips
- Tocar madera: Spanish cuisine. Diners recommend tortilla de patatas, croquetas, gambas al ajillo.
How to get to Gotland?
As an island, Gotland can be reached by plane or ferry. Ferries from Sweden take an average of 3 hours, while ferries from Germany can take more than 13 hours.
You can also get to Gotland by air. Visby Airport is Sweden’s 12th busiest airport, with 251 domestic flights and 704 international flights departing from the airport each week.
What you should know before you travel to Gotland?
The currency of Sweden is the Swedish Krona Swedish or Krona (SEK). In shops you will find the denomination KR or SKR. SEK is used in banks and for international exchanges.
Knowing the timetables is also key. As is common in northern Europe, meals are eaten earlier. Therefore business hours are approximately 09.00 to 18.00 Monday to Friday and 09.00 to 16.00 on Saturdays. Meals are eaten very early. Breakfast is around 7.30 a.m., lunch around 12.00 noon and dinner at 6.00 p.m.
How to prepare what to see on your trip to Gotland?
Register or download the Passporter App and discover all the possibilities.
- Get inspired by the experiences of other travellers.
- Create your own itinerary and add suggestions from the app to it.
- Add the stops you’re most interested in, as well as the restaurants and bars where you want to eat (you can use the points of interest listed in this post as a reference).
- Organise your itinerary by route days according to their location on the map (you can take inspiration from the routes we present in the post).
- In Japan, there is no tipping.
- There are restaurants where they only accept credit cards.
- Check the travel budget that the app calculates for you based on your travel stops, restaurants, and leisure activities.
- Make any modifications you need and you’re all set for your trip.
- Share your experience. Upload photos of the places you visited on your trip to the app and recommend other travellers what to see on the island of Gotland, Sweden .
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