Visby and Stora Karlsö, Sweden

Viking Silver, Visby Trade and Nature

As we set forth in the morning, we were greeted by sunny, cool weather, which made for a pleasant day of wandering, first on our historical-cultural, natural history and photography walking tours of Visby; later on the nature walk on the island Stora Karlsö.

The city of roses and ruins is an apt description of Visby, the capital city of the island of Gotland. Roses bloom beautifully and abundantly here due to the mild climate, and of the seventeen great churches, there remains just one not in ruins, as the Hanseatic city Lübeck set fire to Visby in 1525. In the old town only 150 medieval houses remain, but they provide a picture of the glories of past times, as does Visby’s ancient city wall. Built in the 13th century, it encompasses almost the entire city and supports 44 towers. Since 1995 Visby has been a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Gotland is the largest island in the Baltic Sea and Sweden’s warmest and sunniest location. Some 75 miles long and 35 miles wide, it is situated atop a limestone plateau. The island was once a favored stopping place for sailing ships on their way to other destinations in the Baltic Sea and on to the rivers of Russia. Visby became a Hansa city in the 13th century and proved to be of strategic importance and mercantile prominence. As a result it came under the domination of three states: Sweden, Denmark and briefly Russia.

We explored Visby’s charming, narrow, cobble-stoned streets where our guides regaled us with stories of Visby’s history. A visit to the Lutheran Cathedral of St. Mary allowed us to get off our feet for a short time. This magnificent Romanesque and Gothic church, completed in 1225, was originally the house of worship of the German merchants. Often rebuilt, it was completely restored at the turn of the 20th century. There are four organs of varying sizes in the church, but funds have not yet been raised to restore the Baroque organ.

Our tour included a visit to the exceptional Gotlands Fornsal Museum. There we saw extraordinary rune stones created between 400 and 1000 AD, as well as an impressive array of silver bracelets and coins from some 20 trading countries stretching from Arabia to the Far East. The Vikings were vividly depicted by artefacts as were the brutal methods of warfare seen on skulls in coats of mail.

Midday a local folk group charmed us with waltzes and marches played on five violins and three nickel-harps. This unusual instrument is a combination of a hurdygurdy and a fiddle.

In the afternoon we cruised to the nearby island of Stora Karlsö, a fascinating nature preserve with a cave inhabited some 9,000 years ago, a wide range of limestone fossils and flowers. We were too late for the five-month long birding season nonetheless, we sighted several species of birds including an eagle.

Over another excellent dinner aboard the National Geographic Explorer, we were able to reflect on the day’s events, which underscored the dual themes of this Baltic adventure: the Hanseatic League and the Vikings. Afterwards, Cotton Coulson and Sisse Brimberg, our National Geographic Photographers, presented another brilliant photo show. Then it was time to sleep deeply, carrying images of the day’s experiences with us.