Visby, Gotland

Don’t be put off by the fact that Visby stands on an island in the middle of the Baltic. A flight to Gotland from Bromma airport close to central Stockholm takes just 40 minutes, making it entirely plausible as a day trip. The walled medieval town is a remarkable place, recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, which states, “Its 13th-century ramparts and more than 200 warehouses and wealthy merchants' dwellings from the same period make it the best-preserved fortified commercial city in northern Europe.” If time allows, hire a car and explore the rest of Gotland and its neighboring island Fårö, reached in a couple of minutes by ferry. For many years Fårö was the home of Ingmar Bergman.

A short flight from Stockholm or 2-3 hour ferry ride will take you to the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea. Officially a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, the medieval town of Visby, on the southeastern island of Gotland, is a well-preserved example of a European Hanseatic League trading route from the 12th to the 14th century. You'll see a great deal of history here, from well-preserved fortresses, defense walls, wooden houses, and medieval church ruins to the Gotland Historical Museum—housing artifacts like engraved steles, axes, daggers, sickles, swords and spears, stones, skeletons, Viking silver, and more, all from the Stone Age, Middle, Bronze, Viking, and Medieval Ages Today, Visby and the island of Gotland remain a top tourist destination for Swedes.