Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(Cathedral of St Maria;
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
;
www.visbydf.se
; Norra Kyrkogatan 2;
9am-9pm Jul &
Aug, to 5pm rest of year)
Visby's church ruins contrast with the stoic Sankta Maria kykra. Built in the late 12th and
early 13th centuries and heavily touched up over the years, its whimsical towers are topped
by baroque cupolas. Soak up the beautiful stained-glass windows, carved floor slabs and
ornate carved reredos. The cathedral is used for intimate
music concerts
in summer.
Check the tourist-office website for details.
Gotlands Museum
MUSEUM
10am-6pm )
Gotlands Museum is one of the mightiest regional museums in Sweden. While highlights
include amazing 8th-century pre-Viking picture stones, human skeletons from chambered
tombs and medieval wooden sculptures, the star turn is the legendary Spillings horde. At
70kg it's the world's largest booty of preserved silver treasure. Included in the ticket price
gatan 21; adult/under 20yr/senior Skr50/free/40; noon-4pm Tue-Sun, closed for Midsummer)
,
which has a small permanent collection mainly focusing on Gotland-inspired 19th- and
20th-century art, plus temporary exhibitions showcasing contemporary local artists.
The museum is excellently laid out and explanations are in English as well as Swedish.
Read about the Black Death ravaging the island in 1350, the Vikings' old Norse religion,
the fossils and coral reefs that surround the island and the astonishing 1999 discovery of
all that silver on a farm in northern Gotland.
Sleeping
Wisby Jernvägshotellet
HOSTEL
(
MAP
0498-20 33 00;
www.gtsab.se
;
Adelsgatan 9; 2-/4-bed r from Skr495/
595; year-round; )
Run by the same folks as Hotel Villa Borgen next door, this is an excellent budget choice.
The spotless rooms are more spacious than some swing-a-cat hostels in these parts, and the
kitchen-dining room is airy and bright, with an outside terrace.
