14 Remarkable Tourist Attractions to See and Things to Do in Visby, Sweden

January 1, 2023 Mustafa Natalwala 4185 Views 0 Comments

Visby is a town on the Gotland Island of Sweden. Some of the best things to do in Visby, Gotland include exploring historical buildings from different eras, town walls, adventure activities, coastal landscapes, caves, boat tours, and cliffs. The town is included among UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It is one the best preserved medieval towns in the country and some of the best places to visit in Visby hail from this period. The walls that surround the city were built during the 12th century and still stand strong today. You can take Visby sightseeing tours walking along these walls.

The history of this town goes back to 900 A.D., but archeological evidence shows inhabitation since the stone age. You can visit Visby tourist attractions like the Gotland Museum to learn more about the natural and human history on the island. The name of the city comes from Old Norse and means Place of Worship or Village of Worship. Many of the historical Visby sights are intricately linked to the history of Vikings.

Some of the best Visby attractions include ruined churches from the 13th and 14th centuries. Visby is called the city of Ruins and Roses owing to the churches destroyed during 1525 and the beautiful roses that grow here. The rose gardens are among the most beautiful things to see in Visby. You can head to DBW Botanical Gardens to check out the famed flowers.

When you travel to Visby, you also get access to the wonders of nature that surround the city. You get to explore forests, lakes, caves, cliffs, coastal terrain, beaches, islands, rock formations, and more. People can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities when they visit Visby, Sweden such as boat tours, swimming, hiking, trekking, bicycle tours, and more. If you are not much for activities, you can simply relax at the beaches and enjoy views of the ocean during Visby travel.

This Blog Post contains affiliate links. If you purchase anything from that link then I may earn a small part of the commission and for that, you do not need to pay any extra amount.

Table of Contents

Best 14 Tourist Places to Visit in Visby

1. Visby City Wall (Visby ringmur)

These 13th-century walls surround the city. Walking along these walls is among the top things to do in Visby, Gotland. The wall stretches for about 3.5 km and has 44 towers. You can look into the city from the towers of these walls to check out historic buildings and cityscapes. The sunset seen from atop this wall is one of the best Visby sights. You will need at least 2 hours to explore this wall.

2. Gotland Museum

This museum focuses on the history of Gotland island. You will an overview of 8,000 years of history of this island at this place. It is one of the best places to visit in Visby, Sweden to learn about the history of Vikings as well. This museum has the biggest Viking silver hoard in the world. You will need about 2 hours from Visby travel to tour this museum.

3. Gotland Art Museum (Gotlands Konstmuseum)

It is part of the Gotland museum and focuses on the history of art on Gotland island. The museum has several interesting things to see in Visby including paintings, sculptures, historical artifacts, cultural art, and more. You will need about an hour to tour this museum when you visit Visby, Sweden.

4. DBW’s Botanical Garden

This botanical garden was established in 1855 and stands around the ruins of St. Olog’s Church. The garden has a variety of plants and trees and features beautiful horticulture craftwork. It is also well known among Visby tourist attractions for hosting various popular events such as jazz events, farmer’s market, farming experience activities, and guided botanical tours. You will need about an hour to explore this garden.

5. St. Nicholas Church Ruin

The history of this church goes back to 1230 when it was a Dominican monastery. The church was ransacked by the Lubek army in 1525 leaving the ruins you see today. The church is also known among Visby attractions for hosting events and musical concerts. You will need 30 to 45 minutes to tour this place.

6. Visby Cathedral / St. Maria Church (Visby domkyrka)

This is the only old church in use today. The church was first built in 1225 and was later reconstructed during the 19th and 20th centuries. Some of the best features of this church include its red rooftop, square tower, carved pulpit, and red Gotland marble font. You will need 30 to 45 minutes from Visby sightseeing to tour this church.

7. Högklint Nature Reserve (Högklint Naturreservat)

This nature reserve has forests, cliffs, coastal attractions, small islands, beaches, caves, and more. It is most known for the highest cliff on the island. You can enjoy a variety of fun things to do in Visby, Gotland including hiking, camping, cycling, and more. You will need 2 to 3 hours to explore this place when you travel to Visby.

8. Fårö Island

This island is known for its beautiful scenery, pristine beaches, natural monuments, and adventure activities. The island is home to fishing villages, sedge-roofed buildings, sea stacks, lighthouse, and more. You can take a ferry to reach this island and you need at least half a day from Visby travel to tour this island.

9. Kneippbyn Amusement Park

This amusement park is among the best places to visit in Visby for family tourists. It has roller coasters, themed attractions, go-karting, trampoline, slides, pools, mini-golf, sports activities, shows, and more. You can easily spend a couple of hours at this park when you visit Visby, Sweden.

10. Blue Lagoon (Bla Lagunen)

This freshwater lake becomes quite popular in summer for swimming. It is surrounded by white sand and forested trails. It is one of the best natural Visby tourist attractions. You can easily spend an hour or so at this lake.

11. Lummelunda Cave (Lummelundagrottan)

This cave is one of the most popular Visby attractions for adventure seekers and explorers. This is one of the longest cave in Sweden stretching for 4.5 km. The cave also has a stream that runs all the way to the Baltic Sea. You will need about 2 hours to explore this cave when you travel to Visby.

12. Burmeister House (Burmeisterska huset)

Built during the mid-1600s, this is the oldest merchant house in the town. It is one of the most fascinating things to see in Visby. The house was built with horizontal timber with interlocked logs. The red color of the house comes from mixing color and tar. The interior of this place recreates the time when it was built and you get an insight into the history of the town. You will need 30 to 45 minutes from Visby sightseeing for this house.

13. Gamla Apoteket

This stone house was built in the 13th century. The step-gable building severed several purposes over the years such as residence, warehouse, pharmacy, and so on. It is one of the top historical Visby sights. You will need 20 to 30 minutes to explore this place.

14. St. Karin Cathedral Ruins

This is the most elaborate among the ruined churches of Visby. The church dates back to 1233 but its construction was completed in the 14th century. Despite being in ruins, the church is among the most imposing things to see in Visby. You will need about 20 to 30 minutes to explore these ruins.

If you are looking for more places to visit in Visby, check out the section below. We have compiled a list of places and activities you can enjoy in and around the city.

Things to do in Visby

Monuments, Museums & Historical Places to Visit in Visby

Visby Town Hall
St. Nicholas Ruins
St. Karin Ruins
Almedalsbiblioteket Library
Gotland Museum
Nar Lighthouse
Drottens Ruins
St. Lars Ruins
Fenomenalen Science Centre
St. Clements Church Ruins
Visby Cathedral
Visborg Ruins
Paviljongsplan Church
St. Goransporten Church
Kajsar Tower
Karleksporten Ruins
Magasin Visborg Museum
Jungfrutornet
Burmeister House
Gotland Vintage Car Museum
Gotland Art Museum
Klinten Historical Worker’s Quarter
St. Gertrude Ruins
St. Olof Ruins
St. Per Ruins

Nature & Wildlife Tourist Spots in Visby

Lummelunda Cave
Sodra Hallarna
Galberget Nature Reserve
Palissaderna
Follingbo Limestone Quarry
Blue Lagoon
Hogklint Nature Reserve

Entertainment & Leisure Tourist Spots in Visby

DBW Botanical Gardens
Almedalen park
Kneippbyn Amusement Park

Shopping in Visby

Adelsgaten Street
Hastgaten
Sankt Hans Quarter
Ostercentrum

Beaches & Islands in Visby

Gotska Sandon Island
Faro Island

Offbeat Places, Tours, & Adventures in Visby

Hiking
Trekking
Swimming

Sightseeing in Visby

Soderport
Norderport
East Graves
Snackgardsporten
Talluden
Gamla Apoteket
Korsbetningen

Food, Dining, Restaurants, & Street Food in Visby

Kranku Tea & Coffee
Gotlands Byggeri
Donners Plats
Kopmannen
Bakfickan
Strandporten
Cafe Amelia
Tidsfordrive

Where to Stay in Visby?

Here we have listed Top Rated Hotels in Visby. You can check the below-listed hotels for your perfect stay in Visby.

Custom Tours Package in Visby

How to Reach Visby?

By Air

The town is served by Visby Airport which sits about 3.5 km north of the town center. You can get direct flights to visit Visby from Gothenburg, Malmo, Stockholm, Helsinki, and Lubeck. Although some of these flights are seasonal. You can get cabs and buses to get to the city from the airport.

By Road

There are no trains to reach Visby. But, you can get buses to get around Gotland island. The city sits on routes 140, 142, 147, 148, and 149.

By Water

You can get boats for Visby travel from Nynashamn and Oskarshamn. Some ferries also allow you to make the trip with a car on board. Aside from this, many Baltic Sea cruises include Visby sightseeing in their itinerary.

Image Reference

Visby City Wall (Visby ringmur) – Clemens v. Vogelsang / Flickr
Gotland Museum – W.carter / Wikimedia Commons
Gotland Art Museum (Gotlands Konstmuseum) – Boberger / Wikimedia Commons
DBW’s Botanical Garden – Helen Simonsson / Wikimedia Commons
St. Nicholas Church Ruin – allen watkin / Flickr
Visby Cathedral (Visby domkyrka) – Arild Vågen / Wikimedia Commons
Högklint Nature Reserve (Högklint Naturreservat) – Sjunnesson / Wikimedia Commons
Fårö Island – Bernt Rostad / Flickr
Kneippbyn Amusement Park – Clemens v. Vogelsang / Flickr
Blue Lagoon (Bla Lagunen) – Bengt Oberger / Wikimedia Commons
Lummelunda Cave (Lummelundagrottan) – Helen Simonsson / Flickr
Burmeister House (Burmeisterska huset) – Arkland / Wikimedia Commons
Gamla Apoteket – Arild VÅGEN / Wikimedia Commons
St. Karin Cathedral Ruins – W.carter / Wikimedia Commons