Gotland with DC-3: day 1

I looked forward to visit the Swedish island of Gotland with DC-3. The weather was a bit unstable, and when we met up in Roskilde airport on an early morning, a huge rainbow greeted us from the skies:

We took off as planned, and appreciated the beautiful views on our journey:

Jannik, our flight engineer:

Over Gotland, it was a bit misty. Approaching Visby, the main town on the island:

Jørgen was out tour leader, and served us with coffee and Swedish kanel gifflar (cinnamon pastries):

Charlotte assisted when needed:

We stayed in Gute, a small and cozy hotel inside the medieval Visby, surrounded by narrow cobblestone streets. Kompanigränd (street name):

These streets were quite uncomfortable to walk on, so on many of them a path of granite stones would be made in the middle – to make it easier for walking.

I dropped my small travel bag in the hotel, and went to explore Visby. It was time for the annual medieval festival, and many people were wearing medieval clothes.

The day was warm and sunny, and I just walked slowly around, getting lots of impressions.

Before going to Gotland, I read about its best restaurants, and I couldn’t believe my luck, when I suddenly saw one of them in front of me – “Crêperie & logi“. That was exactly what I wanted for lunch – a good French crêpe.

I had the one with crab salad, and I get hungry every time I look at the photo above – so delicious it was. And having it on the terrace in the settings of a medieval town definitely contributed to the whole experience.

The restaurant seemed to be quite popular – there was always a queue to get a table.

If you take the passage on the left of the restaurant up, one of the most stunning views of the town will open for you. Visitors had their photos taken there, so had I:

Visby is known for its well-preserved town wall, a medieval fortification incorporating defensive towers. The wall was founded in the 12th century, and built during 13-14th centuries. About 3.44 km of its original 3.6 km still stands.

A number of houses that predate the wall were incorporated within it during construction.

One of the  medieval markets in the town:

One of the few well-preserved properties from the 13th century, known as Van dem Berghe house. It has a well from the Middle Ages that is still active.

In the early 1790s, this house was the temporary residence of Count Johan Jacob Anckarström who later murdered the Swedish King Gustav III.

One of the medieval music concerts:

Lybska gränd, a typical narrow street in the town:

Visby was already inhabited in the Stone Age, and was a centre of merchandise around 900 AD. Today, it has approx. 24.000 inhabitants. It is the best preserved medieval city in Scandinavia, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995.

Stora Torget (Main Square) where we had dinner with Ingrid, Irene and Ulrik that night, in one of its many restaurants:

Visby Cathedral from 1225 (photo by Charlotte Solberg):

And if you walk further up the hill, another beautiful view of Visby opens up:

It was a day rich in experiences, and with so many different impressions. And Visby is such a picturesque town well worth a visit; with exciting history, beautiful architecture, delicious food, stunning views, and welcoming residents.