View of the glorious city of Visby from the sea

The date of the founding of the city of Visby is unknown for certain and is lost somewhere in the darkness of centuries, but this place was inhabited back in the 9th century AD. and definitely earlier too, since it had sources of fresh water and a convenient bay for trade. Name Visby comes from Old Norse Vis- holy place and By- village. The city was founded gutami- the indigenous population of the island, who gave it its name.

In 9-11 centuries. and especially during the Viking Age, Gotland and Visby were the most important trading towns in the Baltic on the great trade route from Danish Hedeby to distant Novgorod and further to the East. It is not without reason that the richest treasures of Arab, Anglo-Saxon and German coins of this time were found on Gotland. Power in Visby belonged to the local council - tingu gutov.

In 1161, in Artlenburg, the inhabitants of Visby entered into an agreement with the Saxon Duke Henry the Lion, who renounced the trade monopoly in the German city of Lübeck, for which the Germans were allowed to trade in Visby. From that time on, more and more incoming German merchant elements began to appear in the city, which over time acquired significant weight in city politics.

This fact caused natural irritation of the indigenous population of the island - sailors, pilots, peasants, which later resulted in confrontation, sometimes even armed, which is why the townspeople also naturally became concerned about their own safety.

City wall in Visby or ringmur They began to build at the beginning of the 13th century, and in 1280 they rebuilt it, increasing the height and adding new towers. In 1288, the conflict between “city and countryside” reached its extreme point and the militia of the peasant republic, together with a number of Danish mercenaries, tested new fortifications during an unsuccessful assault on the city. The tests were generally considered successful by the townspeople; the wall was slightly reconstructed and by the beginning of the 14th century. it acquired its current appearance with a length of 3.5 km and 29 towers (currently 27 have been preserved).

The cunning Swedish king Magnus Ladulos entered the conflict as a peacemaker, and for supporting the city in this war he received an “act of obedience” from the townspeople with some financial obligations. The city prevailed over the village, but from that moment Visby began to slowly lose its independence.

By the end of the 13th century. The Wendish Hansa, led by the city of Lübeck, began to gain more and more weight in trade in the Baltic, in addition, trade with Russia decreased significantly due to the Mongol invasion. Trade flows increasingly shifted south into the Mediterranean, while in Visby, meanwhile, things were going downhill.

In July 1361, the Danish king Valdemar IV (Atterdag) appeared on the horizon and landed with an army 13 km away. south of Visby. The Swedish king Magnus Eriksson had already ceded Blekinge, Skåne and Halland to him and could not provide any help to Gotland, even if he wanted to. The peasant army of Gotland opposed the Danes, which was defeated in three battles near the village. Fjelemur, at Aimund Bridge and under the walls of Visby. The burghers preferred to sit outside the city walls and pay indemnity. The indemnity was large, and now the Danish Visby finally ceased to be a key link on the Baltic trade routes.

In 1391, 1394, the city was attacked by the “Vitalian brothers” - sea pirates who fought with the Danes on the side of the Duke of Macklenburg, the father of the Swedish king Albrecht, captured by the king Margaret. Pirates captured the island in 1394, turning it into a naval base of operations against the Danes. The war soon ended, but the pirates were not used to sitting idle, and began to rob everyone, which is why trade in the Baltic began to completely die out.

Concerned, the Hanseatic League forked out the cash and hired the Teutonic Order to solve the problem. The Teutons quickly equipped a fleet and, together with the friendly Livonian Order, defeated all the pirate cities in the Baltic, including Visby in 1398, within a few years. Until 1408, Gotland was ruled by the Teutons, after which they sold it and all its contents to the Danish crown.

In 1436, King Eric of Pomerania, expelled from Sweden, invaded Gotland and settled in Visborg Castle, turning Visby and Gotland into a real pirate nest for 13 years, doing the same thing as the “Vitalian brothers”, albeit on a slightly smaller scale. Yes, it was a fun time... Wisborg Castle was built by the Germans around 1400 near the southern part of the city wall.

In 1448, on the orders of King Karl Knutsson Bonde, the Swedes attacked Visby, captured it and led the people to swear allegiance to the Swedish crown, but the Danes recaptured the city and the island that same year. Gotland became disputed territory for almost 200 years. It was ruled by Danish Lansmans, sometimes purely nominally, especially since in church terms the island belonged to the Lynköping diocese in Sweden.

In 1524, King Gustav Vasa sent a fleet to the island of Gotland. In general, there were no problems with the countryside and the city, but the Swedes could not take Visborg and were forced to retreat this time.

In 1620, the Danes organized the Gotland Merchant Company in Visby, whose activities on the island almost led to open rebellion. The company had to be quickly wound up, since Sten Sture, vigilantly monitoring the situation on the disputed island from Stockholm, would not fail to take advantage of the opportunity.

In 1645, the next Danish-Swedish war ended in peace in Bromsebra, according to which the Swedes, among other things, got Gotland for themselves. True, in 1675-1679 the Danes again ruled the island a little during the war for Skåne, but from 1679 Gotland finally became Swedish. Before leaving, the harmful Danes completely destroyed Visborg Castle. Finally, peace seems to have come to Gotland...

In 1718-19, during the Great Northern War, Gotland experienced several devastating raids by Russian military teams under the command of Apraksin, who landed on the island and burned coastal villages.

1808 "Finnish War" between Russia and Sweden. "To have the island of Gotland seems to us as valuable as to own Finland"- this is what Emperor Alexander I said to Rear Admiral N.A. Bodisko, commander of the Russian troops assigned to capture Gotland. On April 22, 1808, a Russian squadron, disguised as Swedish flags, entered the harbor of Visby. There was no resistance, since almost everyone capable of holding weapons fought in Finland. On April 25, Gotland was included in the Russian Empire “for eternity.”

“Eternal Times” lasted three weeks, after which the Swedish fleet with a landing party entered Visby harbor. Bodisko, having no more than 2 thousand Cossacks, soldiers and sailors with 6 guns, decided to surrender the city and the island on a chord, without a fight, in order to avoid senseless casualties and destruction, for which the local residents are still grateful to him. At home, he was put on trial and spent three years in Vologda, in exile, but was then forgiven and ended his life as commandant in Sveaborg.

In the 19th century, before the invention of Swedish socialism, Sweden was a very poor country. The government in Stockholm tried to somehow improve the living conditions in Visby, but it didn’t go beyond the plans, and therefore medieval Visby remained largely untouched, for which I personally thank him [the government] very much. In the second half of the 19th century. In Europe (and in Sweden), interest in medieval antiquity began to arise and Visby began to turn into a tourist center. Archaeological excavations on the island clearly showed the Swedes what a treasure they owned.

Among other things, Visby is now an industrial center with a population of 25 thousand, a large commercial port, a university town and, in general, a notable resort place.

You can climb walls only at your own peril and risk!

Impression

It is said to be the longest and best preserved medieval city wall in Europe. 3.5 km. long with 27 towers. Nothing has been added to the walls; for the most part they have retained their original height. Only a small area in the port area has been dismantled. The stones of the destroyed Visborg castle were apparently used for the needs of medieval city construction. And in general, there are plenty of stones on Gotland.

Visby - views of the city and the Baltic Sea coast

It seems that in Visby there was no redevelopment as in medieval Vyborg under Catherine II, the city landscape was not disrupted with new buildings, as in St. Petersburg under Putin, and in general, it seems that nothing significant was built until the beginning of the 20th century. More than 2 hundred medieval houses have been preserved here.

The town is strongly recommended for a thoughtful and leisurely visit to lovers of fortification and antiquity, since it has it here, and in abundance. You can go in any season, even right now... Just don’t forget to wear rubber galoshes (just kidding).

The gate tower of Visby, this is where the Gotland militia died, remaining faithful to the ancient liberties and customs of the Vikings.

“In 1361, on Tuesday after St. James, the Gotlanders fell in battle with the Danes at the gates of Visby. They are buried here. Pray for them!” This is reported by the Latin inscription preserved on the so-called Korsbetningen (mass grave).

BACKGROUND OF THE BATTLE

The rise of Gotland is due primarily to its extremely favorable location. But the history of this island is rich in tragic and violent conflicts. The rapid growth of Visby, dating back to approximately 1170-1270, aroused envy and hostility on the part of both close and distant neighbors. The old merchant dynasties of Gotland, descendants of peasants, back in the 13th century. those who were engaged in selling Russian precious goods - furs and wax - to the English court could not look indifferently at the Germans and Gotlanders who lived in Visby.

There was a deep conflict between the peasant merchants and skippers, who adhered to their “style of trading” with the traditions of the Viking times, on the one hand, and the townspeople, representatives of the trading culture of the late Middle Ages, on the other; in the 80s of the 13th century. open war arose between the two groups; victory remained with the townspeople, who took refuge in the city, surrounded by a powerful ring of walls. The Swedish king Magnus Ladulos supported them in gratitude for the fact that they recognized his power and, in addition, began to pay constant taxes to his treasury. Visby thus occupied an undeniably dominant position on the island. But now other rivals have appeared, more distant. Merchants who previously traveled from the North Sea to the Baltic via Gotland began to look for other routes. They abandoned the route through Jutland, along the narrow isthmus between the Elbe and Lübeck, which required transshipment of goods, and from the middle of the 13th century. made attempts to go by sea to the north, bypassing Jutland. At the very entrance to the Baltic Sea, they unexpectedly found a new source of income - salted herring supplied by Skon fishermen. By the way, it was the hostile and even hostile relations between the townspeople of Visby itself and the rest of the population of the island that largely led to the terrible defeat in 1361, but more on that below.

The German Hanseatic cities, and above all Lübeck, gained great influence on the Scanner Islands and Faleterbu. The Vendian cities also began to send their goods to the North Sea, bypassing Gotland. All this led to the fact that the dominant role in trade on the Baltic Sea passed from Visby to Lubeck, whose merchants did not disdain to gain dominance by any means. In 1299 it was decided to stop using the seal of the “united merchants” in Visby; this decision symbolizes the relocation of the center of Northern European trade. The coasts of the Baltic and North Seas merged into a single trading area, in which Visby found itself on the periphery, both geographically and economically and politically.

However, the heyday of Visby has not yet passed, although it has lost its position as the “main city” of the Hanseatic League. Now it was a major local center in the great trading Hanseatic League, retaining its significance as an important intermediate point on the way to Novgorod. Although a relatively small number of goods were involved in the trade turnover of the late Middle Ages, these goods were striking in their diversity. Accounts of the large funeral for lagman Birger Persson from Finst from 1328 have been preserved. The goods purchased for these funerals were brought from afar: saffron - from Spain or Italy, ginger - from India, "grain of paradise" - from West Africa, cinnamon - from Ceylon , pepper - from the Malabar coast, almonds, rice and sugar - from Spain, wines - from the Baltic region and from Bordeaux. Trade in these goods still brought large profits to Visby, as did trade in Swedish and Russian raw materials, cloth, salt and beer from Germany and countries to the west of it. It is not for nothing that the Lübeck chronicle of the mid-13th century, written by Detmar, cites a popular saying at that time that in Visby “there is always a lot of gold” and that there “pigs eat from silver troughs.” At this time, Visby and Gotland suddenly began to play a large role in important political negotiations between Denmark, on the one hand, and Sweden and the Hanseatic League, on the other.
Fresco depicting the Danish king Valdemar Atterdag in full military gear. Church of St. Pedera, Naestved, Denmark.

Relations between Sweden and Denmark around 1360 are still largely unclear. King Valdemar Atterdag of Denmark and King Magnus Eriksson of Sweden either fought with each other or entered into alliances, and in 1360 Skåne again passed to Denmark. At the same time, there were still several unresolved issues in the field of relations between Denmark and the Hanseatic cities, especially regarding trade privileges. The Danish king demanded payment of a very large sum for the renewal of the privileges given by Denmark to the Hanse, but the Hanseatic merchants turned out to be intractable this time. The king decided to teach them a lesson, and by the way, Sweden. He had at his disposal a good army of professional mercenary warriors, with the help of whom he hoped to capture large booty. In the spring of 1361, Waldemar Atterdag completed preparations for a military campaign, the purpose of which was known only to a narrow circle of people. The most dramatic events in the entire medieval history of Visby were approaching.

Valdemar's fleet headed first to the island of Öland and took the Borgholm fortress there. Then Waldemar sailed to Gotland and in the second half of July landed on the western coast of this island. Here he met strong resistance, apparently from a hastily assembled militia. Reports about this campaign agree that it was the Gotlandic free bonds (many of them, by the way, never stopped doing the “cause of their ancestors,” that is, robbery at sea. That is, Gotland was a serious pirate nest in the Baltic, which was another reason for Atterdag to carry out a “cleansing” on the island) withstood a series of fierce battles with the well-trained troops of Valdemar. Information about three such battles has been preserved. But the last desperate battle took place directly under the walls of Visby.

A modern illustration of the Battle of Visby. On the left are the Danes, on the right are the Gotland militia.

Slaughterhouse at Visby
Quite little is known about the course of the battle itself. However, one should not assume that “bare-bellied” peasants fought with professional mercenaries and Valdemar’s guards. Nothing of the kind, many of these very militias were very wealthy people, moreover, the majority had, albeit very specific, but still some kind of combat experience. However, almost all of the militias died.
..At this very time, a whole garrison of well-equipped soldiers remained in the city. They simply watched the carnage and did nothing. Why? I have already mentioned the reasons for the hostility between the townspeople and the rest of the island’s population above. That is why the garrison abandoned the Gotlandic militia to certain death.

Medieval miniature illustrating the Battle of Visby.


After the destruction of the Gotlandic militia, the Danes began the siege of Visby. It lasted exactly 1 day (!), and ended after short negotiations. The townspeople opened the city gates and the Danish king Valdemar Atterdag entered Visby. Valdemar did not stay long on the conquered island. The tribute he took from the city was rich, but he did not take from the inhabitants everything they had. Moreover. He issued a charter of privileges for the inhabitants of Visby, according to which they enjoyed all their rights and freedoms. There was no point in killing the goose that laid the golden eggs...

Valdemar Atterdag collects tribute from the inhabitants of Visby

WHAT IS THE UNIQUENESS OF THE BATTLE OF VISBY?
At the beginning of the 20th century. Archaeologists accidentally found several mass graves near Visby, where soldiers who died in battle were buried after the battle. Among the skeletons you can see the remains of bones belonging to people of all ages, there are bones of children and cripples. Even women took part in this merciless battle. In total, there were 1,186 skeletons with various types of injuries that resulted in death.
Photos of excavations of Gotland militia mass graves near Visby

In addition, some of the fallen were buried in their armor. And this despite the fact that almost all the iron that could be seen was collected from the battlefield itself.
Why did this happen? There are two versions about this.
First speaks of the July heat, which did not allow the armor to be removed from the corpses. Funeral teams were simply afraid of the infection, because at that time epidemics reduced the population no worse than war. For example, the plague came to Europe steadily every century.
Other the version explains the mass burial of the armor by a whole combination of factors: blood, brains, intestines, feces and vomit covering their surface, as well as rich loot and banal laziness.
When the twentieth century arrived, all organic matter had already gone into the ground. And archaeologists recovered from the ground the remains of chain mail and chain mail hoods, iron gauntlets of 10 different types and, most importantly, 25 relatively intact plate armor.

Here are the remains of one of the fallen at Visby - in the photo and in the drawing (for a better understanding of where the ground is in the picture, where the bones are and where the iron plates of the armor are).

But the most important thing is that the remains of the soldiers preserved evidence of the wounds inflicted, which made it possible to largely restore the hand-to-hand combat technique of the late 14th century. A forensic medical examination of the skeletons was carried out and all injuries were carefully described. Of the 1,186 who fell, 1,000 had serious limb injuries. Moreover, 70% of warriors are wounded in the lower legs, and about 12% are wounded only in the thighs. One militiaman suffered truly monstrous injuries - both legs were chopped off with one blow. Skulls protected by helmets were found, severed by strong transverse blows. Many warriors had their body parts completely cut off (heads, arms, legs).
Relatively few slashing blows to the hands were found, and as a rule these were not too strong, single blows. But with the lower extremities the situation is completely different. Thus, 75% of blows to the left shin were made from the outside (that is, the warriors who received them were in a left-sided stance), and 70% of blows to the right shin, on the contrary, were delivered from the inside (these blows were received while moving with a passing step from the right legs).

More than 90% of these particular skeletons have injuries to the right thigh on the inside. During a fight, this meant getting wounded by taking a passing step forward with the right foot during an attack, or retreating with a passing step with a counterattack. But the main cause of death for the majority of warriors was blows to the head, and they were inflicted with maximum force, and 30% of the skeletons had more than one such injury, which indicates that blows were struck in a series. But 70% of soldiers with serious head injuries also have seriously injured legs. Moreover, 65% of these injuries occurred in the left leg in the shin area. Thus, the warriors first received wounds to their legs (and most of the blows fell on the enemy’s left leg), which forced them to either fall or lose their balance, after which they opened themselves to a lethal blow (most often to the head). Some skeletons of warriors do not have bone damage, which suggests that they died from soft tissue damage, or wounds in the torso caused by arrows, spears, darts, cuts and punctures from bladed weapons. Several warriors died from wounds received from behind, most likely either killed during the retreat or surrounded.

Scheme of typical injuries to the skeletons of soldiers buried in mass graves near Visby

Thus, the system of armed hand-to-hand combat, based on a detailed study of the injuries of soldiers killed in the Battle of Visby, is fundamentally different from the stereotypes imposed on us by popular culture. European combat fencing was based on extreme pragmatism (which in general is not surprising) and most of the attacks were aimed at the enemy’s limbs, especially the legs, after damage to which the warrior was simply stupidly finished off.

Armor found in mass graves of Gotland militias

Here you can watch a video of the reconstruction of this battle

There are battles that are famous for their victories, for example, the famous “Battle of the Ice” and the Battle of Kulikovo. There are “not glorious” battles, but rich in finds on the battlefield - this is, for example, the site of the battle at the Zolotarevsky settlement near Penza. There are battles glorified both by the result and by the fact that they were depicted by talented artists - this, of course, is the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. There are many other battles, glorified to one degree or another, and against their background the Battle of Visby turns out to be glorified in a very specific way. Everyone who writes about armor mentions it, but no one is interested in either its result or its significance. Only one single fact is interesting, namely that it was there, and that those killed in it... were buried! Moreover, all of them en masse in a mass grave, and in addition, in all their equipment!

Armor from a burial at Visby. Gotland Museum.

The museum building where all this is exhibited.

It is known that the Middle Ages were poor in iron. Iron armor and weapons were valued; they were not abandoned on the battlefield, but collected, if not for themselves, then for sale. And then they buried “a whole treasure” in the ground. Why? Well, today we can only guess about this, but we should talk about the battle itself in more detail.

Visby city gate and fortress wall.

The same towers and gates on the opposite side.

It all started with the fact that on July 22, 1361, the Danish king Valdemar IV moved his army to the western coast of the island of Gotland. The inhabitants of the island paid taxes to the Swedish king, but the population of the city of Visby was very multinational, and Russians, Danes, and Germans lived there, and everyone traded! Since 1280, the city was a member of the famous Hanseatic League, which, however, led to the fact that the inhabitants of Visby were on their own, and the peasants of Gotland served them and... did not really like them. Well, people lived well and, according to the peasants, did nothing. But here they are... The song is familiar, isn't it? And it came to direct hostility between townspeople and villagers. Moreover, it came down to swords and, although the peasants called the Estonian knights to help them, the townspeople beat them in 1288! And they began to live and live well and make good money, but now it was not the local men who laid their eyes on their wealth (“men are men” - the movie “The Last Relic”), but now the king of Denmark.

Battle of Visby. Drawing by Angus McBride. Surprisingly, for some reason he dressed one of the warriors in sheepskin, although... this is happening in July.

So this is where the Danish troops came from on the island and why they were moving towards Visby. At that time people lived by robbery! Some have it, others don't! So we have to go and take it away!!! Here, however, local peasants got involved in the matter. It’s one thing when you rob your rich, and quite another when foreigners come to rob you. On the first day of the invasion, two clashes took place between the Danish army and the peasants. The very next day, peasants gathered from everywhere and attacked the Danes, but the forces were unequal, and they killed from 800 to 1000 people of the local peasant militia. But... the brave peasants did not give up, did not give up, and on July 27... gave the aggressors a battle 300 meters from the city wall! And then about 1,800 people died, but how many Danes died is unknown. In any case, there were some killed among them, but there were only a few of them. Archaeologists managed to find only a few items - for example, the wallet and armor of a certain Dane from the Roord family from Friesland. As noted above, the battle took place at the very walls of the city, but... the city militia did not go beyond the wall and did not support “their” fighters, and such cynicism confuses many.

Plate armor from Visby.

But there was a reason for such a relationship, and it was serious. The fact is that the island’s peasants had another interesting “business” besides agriculture. They robbed merchant ships that crashed on the coastal rocks, sailing to Visby, and simply killed the people who escaped from them, having previously robbed them to the bone. This, by the way, explains the good weapons that the “peasants” had, which they could not have by definition. But if for many years you have been robbing merchant ships washed ashore by a storm, then... you will have cloth, and velvet, and a good sword, and chain mail, even if you were at least three times a peasant.

Coat of plates is a typical piece of armor from the burial at Visby.

Interestingly, in the end, the Gotlanders lost as many people in this battle as the French did in the famous Battle of Poitiers in 1356.

Then the fun began. Do you think that the city's inhabitants are under siege? Nothing happened! Having watched from the walls and towers the defeat of the hated peasants, they hastened to surrender to the King of Denmark and thereby save the city and their property from plunder. It is believed that they gave almost half of their wealth to the winners, and this “payment” itself became a truly legendary event, although it is not known for sure whether it actually happened or not, and even if it did, how it happened. True, although the Danes took tribute, they still plundered several churches and monasteries. Then King Valdemar appointed several sheriffs to manage the city of Visby, left them a detachment of warriors, gave the residents a safe conduct, in which he confirmed their rights and liberties (!), and... left the island.

King Valdemar collects tribute from the inhabitants of Visby. Painting by K. G. Hellquist (1882).

A year later (what he was waiting for is unknown!) he also added the title of King of Gotland to his title. But then King Albrecht of Sweden declared that the island was part of his possessions, that his right was inviolable, and if Valdemar allowed himself to do this, then let the swords speak. The island was so easily returned to Swedish control that apparently Denmark's hold on it was not strong. It was only in 1376, under Queen Margaret I, that Gotland officially became part of Denmark.

Another version of armor made of plates, found in a burial near Visby.

King Albrecht became embroiled in the civil war of 1389, in which Queen Margaret supported the "rebels" and forced him to abdicate. But... the king is the king, so he was given the island of Gotland with the “capital” of Visby, which at that time was captured... by the real robbers - the Vitali brothers, and... they supported him and recognized his rights. Such “touching friendship” between aristocrats and robbers happened in those days. They were driven off the island only in 1408.

Gauntlet.

Well, now about the most important thing. And the main thing in this battle is that those who died in the battle were buried in common graves. Moreover, no one took off either the armor or clothes from the soldiers. They were simply thrown into holes and covered with earth on top. Why this happened is unknown to anyone for certain, but there are two versions that explain this oddity.

Another plate gauntlet.

Historian John Keegan, for example, believes that the reason was the July heat and fear of plague, which, it was then believed, could result from “malignant miasmas” and a large number of corpses (the remains of approximately 2,000 people were discovered!). This is the first reason.

The second could be the result of banal disgust: the Danes captured such loot that they were too lazy to bother with the corpses swollen from the heat, to clean off the blood, leaked brains and dirt from the chopped armor, and that is why they rushed to bury all the dead. But they collected almost all the iron from the field itself, so there is simply nothing on it.

Chain hood.

Be that as it may, for archaeologists this unusual “necropolis” became a real gift. It was possible to find out very interesting things, which were not reported in any chronicles at that time. For example, that a third of the island’s army consisted of... minors and elderly people. That is, the weakest and most incompetent died, while the strong and most skilled... fled!

The study of bone remains in five mass graves outside the city walls provided rich material for analyzing battle damage, but, most importantly, archaeologists obtained many well-preserved samples of military equipment. In the graves they found chain mail, chain mail hoods, plate gauntlets of more than ten types (!), and even 25 pieces of very well-preserved plate armor. Moreover, at least one of them was made from plates made in Rus', with which Visby traded, and traded actively.

Sword from 1400, possibly Italian. Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The injuries suffered by the soldiers who fell in the Battle of Visby are very interesting. Judging by them, the actions of the soldiers in it were very organized, which speaks of their training and discipline. The Danes acted - precisely the Danes, because their victims were buried, something like this: one Dane strikes with a sword or an ax a Gotlander standing right in front of him. He raises his shield to deflect the blow, but at the same time his left side opens and that’s where the other Dane delivered his blow. That is, the Danish warriors fought in pairs, or were taught to stab “where it opened”, and not wait for “who will win”!

Perhaps this is what the Danish warriors looked like when they entered the island of Gotland. Rice. Angus McBride.

English historians received full confirmation that the main type of armor at that time was coat-of-plates, that is, “jackets made of plates.” These were clothes made of fabric or leather, onto which plates were riveted on the inside, posing as rivet heads. The combat gloves were made according to the same principle: metal on the bottom, fabric on top. But it is clear that between the skin and the metal there was another thin glove made of leather or fabric. True, neither helmets nor shields were preserved from the graves at Visby. Perhaps the helmets were removed from the dead, but the shields... were used for firewood?

In any case, the Battle of Visby is important precisely because it happened, and after it this “fraternal burial” remained.

Sweden is located not only on the mainland, but also partly on islands. The leading position in terms of tourism is occupied by the island of Gotland, located in the Baltic Sea, 100 km east of the mainland. The city of Visby is the administrative center of the island of Gotland, the entire area of ​​which is a fief with the same name.

Visby's area is slightly larger than 12 km², and the population as of December 2017 is more than 24,000 people.

Visby, the best preserved medieval city in Sweden and all of Scandinavia, is recognized as a World Heritage Site and is protected by UNESCO.

Neat cobblestone streets, fairy-tale houses made of wood and stone, an endless number of ancient ruins and an abundance of roses in the ubiquitous flower beds - this is how you can describe Visby, which is sometimes called the city of roses and ruins.

Streams of tourists come here to see the most interesting sights, which are considered the pride of all of Sweden. The main city of the island of Gotland has quite a lot of interesting places, but a few of them are included in the list of the most significant.

The first attraction is the fortress wall, built back in the 13th century. It surrounds almost the entire old center, so it turns out to be a city within a city.

This ancient wall has been perfectly preserved, and now you can still see its former grandeur. The length of the structure is 3.5 km, and its structure includes 44 watchtowers up to 20 m high. If you look at the wall from the sea, you can see the Powder Tower, rooted in the ground, and on the north side - the Maiden Tower with grass growing among the stones. An ancient legend tells that the daughter of a city jeweler was walled up alive in the Maiden Tower, having betrayed her fellow countrymen out of love for King Waldemar IV of Denmark.

Some towers have observation decks from which you can admire panoramic views of the island of Gotland and the city of Visby.

The second attraction on the list in Visby is St. Mary's Cathedral. This is a majestic building located at Vastra Kyrkogatan.

The cathedral building was rebuilt many times, so its architecture contains elements of different eras: an ebony pulpit from the 17th century, a marble baptismal font from the 13th century, and exterior decoration from the 19th century. The cathedral amazes with its beautiful domes made of black smoked wood.

St. Mary's Church is a truly unique landmark in Sweden. It is the only active church in the city of Visby and the only active medieval church on the island of Gotland. Organ concerts and a choir often perform here.

Entrance to the cathedral is free, photography is allowed inside.

Behind the cathedral there is a staircase leading to the hill - you can climb it and admire the breathtaking view of the sea, red roofs of houses, and the city wall. This is also a great opportunity to take original photos of Visby, especially photos of the cathedral with the sea in the background.

Botanical Garden

A small compact botanical park is located in the old part of Visby, not far from the embankment. The park is bordered on both sides by a fortress wall, there are several entrances and exits, and the address is as follows: Tranhusgatan 21, Visby, Sweden.

The founder of the garden is Carl Linnaeus, to whom a monument is erected here. In fact, this monument in itself is a unique landmark of Visby: it is made from a single elm trunk and looks very original and unusual.

There are many plants in the garden from all continents of our planet - both simple and exotic. Tulip trees, magnolias, mulberries, Chilean araucaria, and numerous varieties of roses harmoniously coexist here.

The Visby Botanical Garden is a great place for walks and picnics. There are antique stone benches and tables, a Chinese gazebo, and also lawns on which you can lie down.

The park offers a beautiful view of the fortress towers, and on its territory there is another attraction - the romantic ruins of a church covered with ivy!

Entrance to the park is free, you can visit it any day until 22:00.

Gotlands Museum

The next attraction of Visby is one of the best museums in Sweden (according to the Swedes themselves), the Gotlands Museum. In Visby he located at: Strandgatan 14.

Here are presented silver and gold treasures from found Viking treasures, rune stones of the 5th-11th centuries, mummies, products of East German tribes, ancient Roman coins, evidence of a large-scale battle near Visby, paintings by the artist Ellen Ruusval von Hallwil, and household items of the inhabitants of Gotland.

You can view all these exhibitions any day of the week from 10:00 to 18:00.

Ticket prices: for adults 400 kr, family – 500 kr.

More detailed information about the museum and the exhibits presented in it can be found on the website www.gotlandsmuseum.se/en/.

Another attraction, famous not only in Visby, but throughout Switzerland, located at Lummelundsbruk, Visby, Sweden.

Visiting the cave is only possible with a guide. Admission for adults costs 150 CZK, for children from 4 to 12 years old – 75 CZK.

Before the tour of the cave itself begins, visitors are shown a film about the history of its discovery.

There are no stalactites hanging from the ceiling here, but the sound of the water of underground rivers can be clearly heard and springs gushing out from under the stones can be seen. It will be especially interesting to visit this attraction for those who have not yet seen more impressive underground passages and grottoes.

Excursions are conducted according to the following schedule:

• Friday from 10:00 to 14:00;
• from Saturday to Thursday – from 10:00 to 16:00.

By the way, the temperature inside the cave is +8 °C, and the duration of the excursion is approximately 30 minutes. That is, in order not to dream only about how to go out into the sun as soon as possible, it is advisable to take a warm sweater with you.

Places to stay in Visby

Uncle Joe's

Sweden is the most expensive country in Europe, and on the resort islands prices are even higher. There will be no difficulties with accommodation on the island of Gotland, in particular in Visby - there are quite a lot of offers, but in the summer it is impossible to find housing for less than 100 €.

In general, for that kind of money you can only stay in a double hostel room. For example, Uncle Joe’s and Visby Logi & Vandrarhem Hästgatan are popular among booking.com users.

Volontärgatans Lägenhetshotell

For 120 € you can rent a campsite outside the city, for example, Visby Strandby - it can accommodate 6 adults. In the 4*Best Western Strand Hotel, which occupies a building that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you can rent a double room for 160 – 180 €. For a day in an apart-hotel you will have to pay from 175 € - this is the price requested at Volontärgatans Lägenhetshotell, located 1.5 km from the main square of Visby.

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How to get to Visby

The best way to get to Visby is from Stockholm - the 200 km distance between these cities can be covered by ferry or plane.

Visby Airport

There are 10-20 flights per day from the capital of Sweden to Visby, and you can fly from the airports of Arlanda and Bromma. Flight duration is 45 minutes.

Flight schedules change constantly, and some road carriers serve this route only in the summer season.

Ticket prices start from 70 €, but such figures are very rare. As a rule, you have to pay 90-100 € for a flight.

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To Visby from Stockholm by ferry

There are several ports from which ferries run to Gotland, which is rich in many attractions. But the port closest to the capital of Sweden, from which the ferry goes to Visby, is Nynäshamn.

Ferries in this direction run 2-4 times a day, the journey time is 3 hours 20 minutes. You should check the schedule before your trip as it changes frequently. You also need to take into account that there are ferries that carry exclusively passengers with a car and vice versa - only pedestrian passengers. You can find out this information on the website www.destinationgotland.se/.

It is possible to buy tickets on the same website, and in the summer season this must be done in advance. Travel from the capital of Sweden to the island of Gotland to the city of Visby will cost 10-40 € - the price depends on the chosen place (in a cabin or in a common room). Discounts are provided for children, students and pensioners.

From Stockholm to Nynashamn

Nynäshamn is located 57 km from the capital of Sweden, and from there you can reach it by train or bus. The train and bus stations in Stockholm are located nearby. Both the bus and the train stop near the pier. Travel time is almost the same - 1 hour. Even the cost of tickets is comparable - about 20-25 €. So you can choose transport based only on personal preferences.

Buses from Stockholm depart from Cityterminalen and arrive directly at the pier in the port of Nynäshamn. There are about 5 flights per day, so you can arrive at any ferry with plenty of time. The schedule can be found on the website www.flygbussarna.se/en.

You can buy a bus ticket at the bus station ticket office.

Trains from the Swedish capital's Central Railway Station run to Nynashamn from 5:00 to 24:00 every 30 minutes. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the railway website www.sj.se/ or directly at the station terminal.

Weather conditions in Visby

The city of Visby, like all of Gotland, is located in a temperate maritime climate zone. In summer, the air warms up to a temperature of +25 °C, in winter – up to +7 °C. As for precipitation, it falls about 500 mm per year (this is mainly rain and fog).

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Attractions Visby

City wall

Visby has a perfectly preserved 3.5 km long fortress wall. (end of the 13th century), encircling almost the entire historical part of the city and having 44 towers 15-20 m high. From the sea, Kruttornet is especially noticeable (Powder Tower), and from the north - Jungfrutornet (Maiden's Tower). In it, according to legend, the daughter of a goldsmith was walled up; out of love for the Danish king Valdemar IV Atterdag, she betrayed the inhabitants of her hometown. (1361) .

Museums

In the center of Visby on Strandgatan (Strandgatan) at the Gotland Museum of Antiquities (Gotlands Fornsal) presents a rich collection of antiquities - witnesses to the 8,000-year history of the island. The exhibition includes unique runic stones, inscriptions on which were made in the years 400-1100, gold and silver items, Roman coins, etc. In the natural science department of the museum (Phenomenal) you can experiment yourself (Opening hours: mid-May-mid-Sept. daily 10.00-17.00, other times Tue.-Sun. 12.00-16.00).

The Art Museum contains works by Gotland artists dating back to the 19th century; however, preference is given to modern masters (St. Hansgatan 21) (Opening hours: mid-May-mid-Sept. daily 10.00-17.00, other times Tue.-Sun. 12.00-16.00).

Market Square

From the south side of the Market Square (Stortorg)- ruins of the Gothic church of St. Carina (St. Catherine; consecrated 1250), at one time part of a Franciscan monastery; the ruins are considered the most beautiful in Visby. There are many bars and restaurants around the Market Square, and life is always in full swing there. In summer, residents and guests of the city prefer open terraces. North of the square - on the street. St. Hansgatan (St. Hansgatan) you can see the ruins of the churches of St. Drotten and St. Lars (both - XIII century), their powerful towers also served as defensive ones.

Cathedral

St. Mary's Cathedral was a temple of German merchants (consecrated 1225), then it was rebuilt many times, and in 1899-1907. restored. Today it is the only church in Visby where services are held. Interesting Baroque pulpit, made in Lübeck from walnut and ebony wood (1684) , and a baptismal font made of red Gotlandic marble (XIII century).

Ruins of the Church of St. Nicholas

To see the ruins of the Church of St. Nicholas, you need to turn from the Church of the Holy Spirit onto a side street and pass by the ruins of the small chapel of St. Gertrude. Construction of the church of the Dominican monastery began in 1230, and in 1525 it was destroyed by the Lübeck people. In summer, the ruins serve as a kind of backdrop for Singspiels (information and tickets at travel agencies).

Gallows Mountain

To get to Gallows Mountain you need to go through Norderpoort (Northerport) past the ruins of the Church of St. Geran (XIII century). The walk lasts half an hour.

Visby area

Ruma

Dalhem

7 km east of Ruma (Roma)- Dalhem (Dalhem). Church (1250) - one of the most interesting attractions of the island. Beautiful frescoes and stained glass windows. 300 m to the south is the building of the former station. Nowadays it houses the Railway Museum. Excursions on a miniature narrow gauge train to Hesselby (Opening hours: midday-midday Aug. daily 13.00-16.00).

Snekgårdsbad

Departure from Visby along highway 149 via Norderport to the north. After 4 km turn onto the road to the seaside resort of Snäckgårdsbad (Snackgardsbad). Next is the magnificent Pharmacy Garden (6 km), where your eyes are wide open from the abundance of medicinal plants - there are hundreds of species here! An unforgettable experience not only for herbalists and herbalists! (Opening hours: end of May - end of August daily 9.00-18.00, July until 20.00).

Lummelund Caves

To get to the Lummelunda stalactite cave, drive 4 km along highway 149 to Lummelunda (Lummelunda). The cave was discovered just a few decades ago (Opening hours: mid June - mid August 9.00-18.00).

Likkershamn

From Likkershamn fishing port (Lickershamn) a narrow path 600 m long will lead to one of the most beautiful and massive raukars - Virgo (Swedish - Jomfru). Magnificent sea view.