Making the most of Visby Gotland
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
This used to be a tender port.
From 2018 you will be berthing at a brand new cruise pier, which has been developed to handle the biggest vessels and can host two mega ships at once.
Ships Shuttle to the center of town is $12usd roundtrip. Walking distance to Old town is 1.2 km on a marked path.
There is a Citysightseeing Hop on Hop off bus for about $28usd.
They rent bikes at the port.
Every year in week 32, the Middle Ages return to Gotland and the once-powerful Hanseatic city of Visby. Up to 40.000 visitors celebrate the festival Medeltidsveckan with theatre, markets, crafts, tower games, music performances, lectures and other events.
Printable map to take along
The first thing that catches the eye when arriving at Port of Visby, is the impressive cathedral and all the rooftops of the stone buildings in the town, surrounded by the mighty medieval town wall with its towers. Centrally placed, Visby was for a long time the natural meeting point for sailors and merchants from all over the Baltic region. Still today, you can enjoy the majestic merchants houses from 17th and 18th century along with almost 200 stone buildings – some of them dating back from the 12th century. Still, the town is not a museum. More than 2,000 people inhabit the old town that offers a great variety of shops, cafés and…
Botanical Gardens The famous Botanical Gardens of Visby, dating from 1855, are just a 5 minutes walk from the Pier area.
Gotlands Fornsal Museum Gives you an overview of Gotland's 8,000-year history.
The Sancta Maria Cathedral Dominating the townscape since the late 12th century, the only surviving church from that time inside the town wall. All the others are ruins, some of them housing concerts or exhibitions in the summer in an exciting surrounding
Getting around
The town is very walkable. Be aware that it is somewhat hilly and might be difficult for people with a handicap. As streets (alleys) are very narrow an organized tour is not recommended, as most will not be able to hear the guide.
Nearby places
The rest of Gotland has also a great deal to offer. It is famous for its mild climate and the exotic landscape and has because become one of Sweden's most popular summer holiday destinations.
Food and shopping
Most shops, at least downtown, are open all week, even on Sundays.
Money
The national currency is the Swedish krona (SEK, plural kronor). 1 USD is about 5.91 SEK, 1 EUR is about 9.43 SEK and 1 GBP is about 12.28 SEK.
Automatic teller machines take major credit cards. Most stores, restaurants and bars accept all major credit cards, although in some cases there is a SEK 5 fee or a lowest purchase limit (between 50 - 100 SEK).
Staying connected
Swedish is the national language of Sweden, but you will find that people, especially those below the age of 70, also speak English very well - an estimated 89% of Swedes can speak English.
112 is the phone number to dial in case of fire, medical or criminal emergency.
There is an internet terminal in the tourist office.
Opening Hours and
Most shops, at least downtown, are open all week, even on Sundays.