Stora Karls, Visby (Gotland)
The early morning found us anchored off the bird island of Stora Karlsö. This rather small island is composed primarily of uplifted limestone with a smooth hilly region in the interior and cliffs on the windward side. The flora and fauna was nothing short of fantastic. The island could actually be considered a sort of Natural History exhibit showing us a good percentage of the birds and wildflowers one would hope to see in the Baltic Sea. The sea birds, especially guillemots, razorbills, and eiders were once nearly exterminated here, but have recovered very well since the late 20th century today there are some 7,000 pairs of guillemots and 5,000 pairs of razorbills breeding at Stora Karls. As we hiked along the coastal trail and then inland to the magnificent lighthouse, numerous species of songbirds were both seen and heard. Many brightly-colored flowers were also observed, but I suspect the beautiful elder-flowered orchids (see photo) were the favorites of most people. The Swedes place special significance to these relatively rare flowers with regards to the coming of spring and call the two color phases (both purple and yellow) "Adam and Eve" flowers. Stora Karls is a uniquely beautiful place and we can thank the efforts of Willy Wöhler and others like him for saving this island not only for the birds, but for the enjoyment and edification of people like us.
During lunch, we sailed a relatively short distance to the ancient walled city of Visby located on the western shore of Gotland Island. The name of the island means 'Good Island', referring to its good soils, plentiful fish, and mild climate. Visby originally meant 'Sacrifice' when the early settlers started it in the 7th century, but it is now often called the 'City of Roses' because the extraordinarily mild climate allows the cultivation of temperate flowers, especially roses. The town grew in importance in the 13th century until it dominated the trade scene of northern and western Europe. The settlement prospered and its inhabitants became very wealthy. The German Hanseatic League came on the scene and soon dominated the town. They had a wall constructed around the entire city and built nearly 100 churches in the vicinity, both inside and outside the wall. In 1350, bubonic plague devastated the city and 10 years later, Denmark took control of the island, at about which time the Hanseatic League relocated its Baltic center of operations to Lubeck. This led to the downfall of Visby as a major trade center and the city soon became poor. Fortunately, Visby still retains much of its ancient atmosphere and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ancient city wall, which still stands, is the longest in all of northern Europe and the Old City area is extremely photogenic. There has been much restoration, especially with regards to living quarters and some of the Churches (most notably St. Mary's Cathedral, which we visited), but ruins are everywhere to be seen. No churches have been built on the island since 1400AD, and the once Catholic churches have all been converted to Lutheran faith.
The early morning found us anchored off the bird island of Stora Karlsö. This rather small island is composed primarily of uplifted limestone with a smooth hilly region in the interior and cliffs on the windward side. The flora and fauna was nothing short of fantastic. The island could actually be considered a sort of Natural History exhibit showing us a good percentage of the birds and wildflowers one would hope to see in the Baltic Sea. The sea birds, especially guillemots, razorbills, and eiders were once nearly exterminated here, but have recovered very well since the late 20th century today there are some 7,000 pairs of guillemots and 5,000 pairs of razorbills breeding at Stora Karls. As we hiked along the coastal trail and then inland to the magnificent lighthouse, numerous species of songbirds were both seen and heard. Many brightly-colored flowers were also observed, but I suspect the beautiful elder-flowered orchids (see photo) were the favorites of most people. The Swedes place special significance to these relatively rare flowers with regards to the coming of spring and call the two color phases (both purple and yellow) "Adam and Eve" flowers. Stora Karls is a uniquely beautiful place and we can thank the efforts of Willy Wöhler and others like him for saving this island not only for the birds, but for the enjoyment and edification of people like us.
During lunch, we sailed a relatively short distance to the ancient walled city of Visby located on the western shore of Gotland Island. The name of the island means 'Good Island', referring to its good soils, plentiful fish, and mild climate. Visby originally meant 'Sacrifice' when the early settlers started it in the 7th century, but it is now often called the 'City of Roses' because the extraordinarily mild climate allows the cultivation of temperate flowers, especially roses. The town grew in importance in the 13th century until it dominated the trade scene of northern and western Europe. The settlement prospered and its inhabitants became very wealthy. The German Hanseatic League came on the scene and soon dominated the town. They had a wall constructed around the entire city and built nearly 100 churches in the vicinity, both inside and outside the wall. In 1350, bubonic plague devastated the city and 10 years later, Denmark took control of the island, at about which time the Hanseatic League relocated its Baltic center of operations to Lubeck. This led to the downfall of Visby as a major trade center and the city soon became poor. Fortunately, Visby still retains much of its ancient atmosphere and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The ancient city wall, which still stands, is the longest in all of northern Europe and the Old City area is extremely photogenic. There has been much restoration, especially with regards to living quarters and some of the Churches (most notably St. Mary's Cathedral, which we visited), but ruins are everywhere to be seen. No churches have been built on the island since 1400AD, and the once Catholic churches have all been converted to Lutheran faith.
