Witness the Transcending Beauty of Gotland

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Gorgeous Gotland has much to brag about: a UNESCO-lauded capital, truffle-sprinkled woods, A-list dining hot spots, talented artisans and more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in Sweden. It’s also one of the country’s richest historical regions, with around 100 medieval churches and countless prehistoric sites.

The island lies nearly halfway between Sweden and Latvia, in the middle of the Baltic Sea, roughly equidistant from the mainland ports of Nynashamn and Oskarshamn. Just off its northeast tip lies the island of Faro, most famous as the home of Sweden’s directing great, the late Ingmar Bergman. The island national park of Gotska Sandon lies 38km further north, while the petite islets of Stora Karlso and Lilla Karlso sit just off the western coast.

Location

Gotland is Sweden’s largest island, and it is the largest island fully encompassed by the Baltic Sea (with Denmark’s Zealand at the Baltic’s edge). With its total area of 3,183.7 square kilometers (1,229.2 square miles) the island of Gotland and the other areas of the province of Gotland make up 0.8% of Sweden’s total land area.

Gotland is located about 90 km (56 mi) east of the Swedish mainland and about 130 km (81 mi) from the Baltic states, Latvia being the nearest. There are several shallow lakes located near shores of the island. The biggest is Lake Bastetrask, located near Fleringe in the northern part of Gotland. The highest point of the island is Lojsta Hed which stands 82 meters (269 feet) above sea level.

Climate

The climate on Gotland differs from the mainland. We have warmer temperatures and more sun hours. The winds are often coming from southwest, bringing mild Atlantic air.

Due to the passage of the Gulf Stream, the Swedish climate is probably milder than you might expect in these latitudes. Sweden has four seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn. The temperatures vary strongly from north to south, especially during winter when the northernmost parts are covered with snow. Springtime begins in April, lasts to June when the warm season reaches its peak in July and august with temperatures around 20-30 degrees Celsius. Autumn usually offers a gently mild and pleasant climate.

From north to south 1 600 kilometers line the coast with thousands of islands in a beautiful archipelago. Mountains form much of the northwest and many rivers flow through the forests, east, and into the Baltic Sea. Over half of Sweden is forested whilst the southern part is mostly flat with rolling hills.

Transportation

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Most sights are within walking distance in Visby. Attractions, shopping, restaurants and cafés are concentrated in or near the medieval town wall. For excursions in the vicinity of Visby, it’s easy to rent a bike for the day or for longer. If you would like to see the rest of the island you can either rent a car at for example Avis, Hertz or Europcar or use the public transport.

It’s easy to get to Gotland. The ferries go all year-round from Nynashamn and Oskarshamn, and will take you to Visby in about three hours.

You can fly from Stockholm with Gotlandsflyg and SAS. All year round there are also flights from Gothenburg and Malmo with Gotlandsflyg. Gotlandsflyg have summer departures from Sundsvall, Norrkoping, Umea, Angelholm, Helsinki and Oslo. Other airlines are Wideroe and Norwegian from Oslo and Flybe from Helsinki and Norwegian from Stockholm.

What to See

Gotlands Museum

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 is entry to the nearby Konstmuseum, which has a small permanent collection mainly focusing on Gotland-inspired 19th- and 20th-century art, plus temporary exhibitions showcasing contemporary local artists.

Sankta Maria Kyrka

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Visby’s church ruins contrast with the stoic Sankta Maria Kyrka. 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.

Museum Lars Jonsson

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Seven kilometers south of Burgsvik, in the old Vamlingbo prastgard (vicarage) on Road 142, Museum Lars Jonsson showcases delicate paintings and watercolors by local artist Lars Jonsson, famed for his depictions of Gotland’s birdlife and coastal landscapes.

There’s also a cinnamon-scented cafe, Naturum and soothing garden.

Romakloster

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Heading southeast from Visby on Road 143, on your way to Ljugarn, pull over to check out the 12th-century Cistercian monastery ruin Romakloster, a kilometer from the main road.

Summer theatre performances here are suitable for the thrifty travellers. The 18th-century manor house is also impressive.

Bungemuseet

Step back in time at the Bungemuseet, an open-air museum with 17th- to 19th-century houses, picture stones dating from 800 and a historic playground.

It’s near Gotland’s northeastern tip, about 1km south of where the ferry connects to Faro. Across the road is a cute cafe with superlative saffron pancakes.

Konstmuseum

The Konstmuseum has a small permanent collection that primarily focuses on Gotland-inspired 19th- and 20th-century art.

More exciting are the temporary exhibitions, which often showcase contemporary local artists.

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Images:

(1) http://www.visitsweden.com/ImageVault/Images/id_1320/scope_0/ImageVaultHandler.aspx
(2) www.virtualtourist.com
(3) www.ddss.nu 
(4) http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Lars_Jonsson,_Waldemarsudde.jpg
(5) https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4142/4771652076_9505bcb418_b.jpg