Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Norra Murgatan and Studentallén
Strolling around the twisting streets and atmospheric walls is not something that palls
quickly, but if you need a focus, aim for
Norra Murgatan
, above the cathedral, once one
of Visby's poorest areas. The end of the street nearest Norderport enjoys the best view
of the walls and city rooftops. Alternatively, head for the water's edge, where
Studentallén
is a popular late-evening haunt and the sunsets are magnificent - brilliant
fiery reds, glinting mirrored waters and bobbing sailing boats in the distance.
6
Strandgatan and around
Strandgatan
is the best place to view the impressive
merchants' houses
looming over
the narrow streets, with storerooms above the living quarters and cellars below; most
notable among these is the clearly signposted
Burmeisterska huset
in Donnerplats,
which is attractive and in good condition. One of the most picturesque buildings on
the street is the old pharmacy,
Gamla Apoteket
, a lofty old place with gloriously
higgledy-piggledy windows; it's at the corner of Strandgatan and Lybska gränd. If you
feel like something more educational, head for the fine
Fornsal museum
, which covers
pretty well all there is to know about Gotland, and Visby in particular - and there's a
rather good art gallery close by.
Gotlands Fornsal museum
Historical Museum of Gotland • Strandgatan 14 • June to mid-Sept daily 10am-6pm; mid-Sept to May Tues-Sun noon-4pm • 100kr •
W
gotlandsmuseum.se
The outstanding
Gotlands Fornsal museum
is a must-see for anyone interested in
Viking
history
. Housed in a mid-eighteenth century distillery, it comprises five storeys of
exhibition halls covering eight thousand years of history, plus a good café and
bookstore. Among the most impressive of the displays is the
Hall of Picture Stones
.
Dating mostly from the fifth to seventh centuries, these large, keyhole-shaped stones
are richly ornamented. The earlier ones are covered in runic inscriptions and are more
intriguing, with vivid depictions of people, animals, ships and houses. Other rooms
trace the history of
medieval Visby
; look out for the original trading booth, the sort of
place where the burghers of Visby and foreign merchants would have dealt in
commodities - furs, lime, wax, honey and tar - brought from all over northern Europe.
Gotland's ecclesiastical history is also well covered with an impressive exhibition of
ornate wooden carvings of bishops, Mary Magdalene and a truly magnificent triptych
dating from the early sixteenth century from Vall church on the island.
The Viking Treasury
It's the
Viking Treasury
on the first floor that really steals the show. Gotland's wealth of
gold and silver objects is unique; more hoards of Viking-age treasure have been found
on the island than anywhere else in the world, clearly a sign of its economic and social
importance. On display are hundreds of shiny coins and trinkets - some brought to
MEDIEVAL WEEK
During the second week of August, Visby becomes the backdrop for a boisterous
re-enactment of the conquest of the island by the Danes in 1361.
Medieval Week
(
W
medeltidsveckan.se) sees music in the streets, medieval food on sale in the restaurants (no
potatoes - they hadn't yet been brought to Europe) and on the Sunday a procession
re-enacting Valdemar's triumphant entry through Söderport to Storatorget. Here, people in
the role of burghers are stripped of their wealth, and the procession then moves on to the
Maiden's Tower. Locals and visitors alike really get into the spirit of this festival, with a good fifty
percent of people dressed up and on the streets. There are weekly
jousting tournaments
throughout July and early August.
