Visby is a popular vacation destination for Scandinavians during the summer and receives thousands of tourists every year. It is by far the most populous Swedish locality outside the Swedish mainland. TheGotland University is in Visby, and since 1July 2013, it is a department ofUppsala University under the name Uppsala University–Campus Gotland. Visby is also the sole county seat in Sweden accessible from the mainland only by boat and air.
Important annual events held in Visby include the annual political forumAlmedalen Week.
The name "Visby" comes from theOld NorseVis, (genitive singular ofVi) meaning "(pagan) place of sacrifices", andby, meaning "village". In theGutasagan (mid 14th century) the place is referred to as justWi meaning "holy place, place of worship".[4]
Visby is sometimes called "The City of Roses" or "The City of Ruins".[5][6][7]
The earliest history of Visby is uncertain, but it is known to have been a centre of merchandise around AD 900. It was inhabited as early as theStone Age, probably because of the access to fresh water and anatural harbour.[8] The oldest finds at the site of present-day Visby are what have been interpreted as "beach huts", with theradiocarbon dating method to the 7th–9th centuries AD.[9]
In the 12th century,Visby Cathedral, dedicated toSaint Mary, was constructed. It was reshaped in the 13th century to its current appearance, and was officially opened in 1225,[10] by the bishop of the Swedish city ofLinköping (in regional map). Several other churches were also constructed in the ensuing centuries. The city flourished, thanks to the GermanHanseatic League.[11]
The work on thering wall was likely begun in the 12th century. Around 1300, it was rebuilt to reach its current height, acquiring the characteristic towers, although some towers were not constructed until the 15th century. Theringwall is still largely intact.[12]
In the first half of the 14th century (1300–1350), Visby was at the height of its wealth and influence, and it was during this time thatLaws of Wisbuy, a set of maritime laws that had broad influence in the Baltic and beyond, were probably promulgated.[13]
In 1361,Gotland was conquered byValdemar IV of Denmark. 1,800 Gotlanders were killed in battle in front of the city. Valdemar tore down part of the wall, set up three huge beer barrels and threatened to turn his men loose to pillage the town unless they were filled with silver and gold. The Visby city fathers fulfilled the demand, with churches stripped of their valuables. Valdemar added "King of Gotland" to his title list.[14] His treatment of Visby, a member of the Hanseatic League, precipitated that League into war with Denmark; however, though Valdemar was forced into various concessions, he retained Visby as a Danish city.[15]
In 1411, the Norwegian, Danish and Swedish KingEric of Pomerania had the castle ofVisborg constructed, and settled himself there for 12 years, during which the city virtually became a pirates' nest, and the commerce halted. As of 1470, the Hanseatic League rescinded Visby's status as a Hanseatic town.[15]
In 1525, the final blow came. In the Danish throne quarrel,Lübeck, aFree City of theHoly Roman Empire and a leading member of the Hanseatic League, supportedFrederick I, whileSøren Norby the Danish governor of Gotland fought forChristian II, even after Christian's official resignation in 1523. While Norby fought a military action in Sweden, the Lübeckers successfully attacked Visby and set the city on fire from four sites. But unlike widespread belief, several churches survived at first. The churches of St. James (which already had been closed before), St. Nicholas and St. Gertrude were sacked by Lübeck's army. With the reformation, all churches except St. John, which became the city parish, were closed. In 1528, the citizens of Visby sacked the church of the Holy Trinity, or the church of Our Lord (Swedish:Drottens kyrka) in revenge for the plundering of their town. In 1533–34, the new Danish governor,Henrik Nielsen Rosenkrantz [da], demolished St. John's and St. Peter's churches to improve the defence of his castle Visborgs slott.St. Mary's Cathedral remained the last functional church and became the new city parish.[15][16][17]
Gotland was again taken into Sweden's possession in 1645, by theTreaty of Brömsebro, after 300 years of Danish rule.[15] The city developed slowly as things were left as they were.[18] In the mid 18th century,after a plague had reduced Visby's population, some attempts were made by Swedish government officials to improve living standards, but little was accomplished. Not until the early 19th century did Visby once again attract commerce and a harbour industry. At the same time – 1808 –Gotland was conquered by Russia, but was peacefully taken back by the Swedes after only a couple of months.[15]
General view towards the cathedral from Övre Finngränd on Klinten
Visby is the name of the locality, or town, as well as the name of the larger area surrounding it, Visbysocken. In 1936, the socken was incorporated within the newly formed Visby stad (Visby city), the only locality with historicalcity status on Gotland. Visby socken comprises the same area as theadministrative Visby District, established on 1January 2016.[19][20] As of 2019[update],Visby Cathedral,Visborg Church andTerra Nova Church in Visby belong to Visby Cathedralparish (Visby Domkyrkoförsamling).[21][22] Visby is also the only municipality seat of Sweden that is accessible from the mainland only by boat and air traffic.
Visby is situated on the central west coast of Gotland, on the rather steep slopes oflimestone cliffs surrounding the first natural harbor. The town has evolved around themedieval harbor that now constitutes theAlmedalen park. Long streets run parallel with the old shoreline with shorter alleys at a straight angle from these, lead from the harbor and up the slope up to the eastern higher part of town known asKlinten.[23]
The old, original part of Visby is more or less enclosed by the city wall to the north, east and south, with the old harbor and the Baltic Sea in the west. The more modern parts of the town expand mostly east and inland from the wall. Along the shore south of the wall is the modern harbor with its ferry terminals and further south is a green recreational area called Södra Hällarna. Just inside the north part of the wall as well as along the north coast outside the wall, are several beaches: Kallbadhuset, Norderstrand, Snäckgärdsbaden (or simply Snäck) andGustavsvik.[24]
Visby andTallinn are the only two North-European towns in which the city's medievalgrid plan has been fully preserved into present day.[citation needed]
According to theKöppen climate classification, Visby has anoceanic climate (Cfb). This renders the summers cooler and the winters milder than in most of mainland Sweden. However, in spite of its maritime location the city's climate is very much influenced by continental airflows. Precipitation amounts are quite moderate, especially for an oceanic climate, and relatively consistent throughout the year. Visby is one of the sunniest towns inSweden and in theNordic countries, especially so during summer.
Climate data forVisby Airport 1991–2020 monthly normals and extremes
The ferry terminal in the harbourTrain at Visby railway station during the last year of traffic, 1960
Visby is linked to the mainland of Sweden by ferry and by plane. Ferries arrive from bothOskarshamn inSmåland andNynäshamn, nearStockholm, each taking about three hours. The ferries are run byDestination Gotland and subsidized by the Swedish government.[31] Destination Gotland is the only ferry operator – in summer 2016, independent shipping company Gotlandsbåten ran ferries toVästervik and Nynäshamn,[32] but this service was unprofitable and was not repeated in 2017.[33]
Visby Airport is located about 5 km (3.1 mi) north of the city and offers connections to the Swedish mainland.[31] With 467,857 passengers in 2018,[34] it is the 9th largest airport in Sweden.[35] Daily flights toStockholm Arlanda Airport is a common way to reach or depart from the island.[36]
There are also city buses in Visby as well as buses to other parts of Gotland.[37]
Visby gave its name to the 1968 Visby Amendments, which were an amendment of the Hague Rules ofshipping law, leading to theHague–Visby Rules.[38]
Visby was previously served by two railway lines, theGotland Railway [sv] which ran from Lärbro in the north, to Burgsvik in the south, via Visby harbour and theVisby–Visborgsslätt–Bjärs Railway [sv], south to Visborgsslätt and Västerhejde. The first line, from Visby to Hemse was started in 1878, under the auspices of the Gotland Railway. Passenger transport was discontinued in September 1960. Freight traffic on the Slakteriet – Visby port route ran until May 1962. The last sections of the port track in Visby were removed in March 1964. Visby railway station, just south of the Söderport on Söderväg, was completed in 1878 and is one of the few remaining vestiges of the railway in Visby.[39]
During the first week of July, Visby is the scene of theAlmedalen Week, an important forum for everyone involved inSwedish politics. During the week, representatives from the major political parties in Sweden take turns giving speeches in the Almedalen park.[40]
In August, thetourist season is at its peak. During week 32, from Sunday to Sunday, the annualMedieval Week on Gotland is held. During this week, regularly dressed tourists are outnumbered by people that are dressed in Medieval costumes. The festival started in 1984 and comprises a variety of events including music, jesters, theatre, a medieval market, and jousting tournaments.[41]
The headquarters of the World Ecological Forum is located in Visby.[42]
Swedish authorMari Jungstedt set nine detective novels on the island of Gotland. The principal character, DS Anders Knutas, is based at police headquarters in Visby, and there are numerous descriptive passages of the city and the island.
Motorcycle speedway took place at the Gamla Speedway Track inGalgberget (directly opposite the junction of Hangarvägen and Lummelundsväg). The venue existed from 1951 until 2007 and hosted theBysarna speedway team, who were four timesleague champions of Sweden.[48][49]
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