Hotels in Visby, Sweden

A little about Visby...

Visby is the largest city on the Swedish island of Gotland; it is arguably the best-preserved medieval city in Scandinavia and has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Among the most notable historical remains are the 3.4 km long stone wall called Ringmuren ("the Ring Wall"), that encircles the city and the old church ruins.

Its population is 22,236 (2005), and it is the seat of the Governor of Gotland County. Like other towns and cities in Sweden, Visby is not a political or administrative entity of its own. It forms an integral part of Gotland Municipality, where it is the seat.

Some affectionately call Visby the "city of roses and ruins" and natives to the island often just say "town". Whether it lives up to that distinction among other old Swedish cities is debatable.

In the first week of July, Visby is the scene of the Almedalen Week (Almedalsveckan), an important meeting place for everyone involved in Swedish politics. During the week, representatives from the major political parties in Sweden take turns giving speeches in the Almedalen park.

In August the tourist season is at its peak. In week 32 from Sunday to Sunday the annual Medieval Week (Medeltidsveckan) is held. During this time regularly dressed tourists are outnumbered by people dressed in Medieval costumes. The festival started in 1984. There are a variety of events: music, jesters, theater, a medieval market, jousting tournaments and much more.

Transport: Visby is linked to the mainland of Sweden by ferry. The three-hour ferry arrives from Oskarshamn near Kalmar and Nynäshamn near Stockholm.

The University College of Gotland or Högskolan på Gotland is a university college located in Visby on Gotland, Sweden. Although the institution tends to use the non-official name Gotland University in its own English-language information, it is not, by official Swedish terminology, a university, since it is not authorized to issue PhD degrees.