Getting There
By Plane -- Visitors can fly SAS to Gotland from Stockholm; there are three daily flights, which take about 30 minutes. The airport lies 3km (1 3/4 miles) north of Visby. For information and schedules, call tel. 0770/72-77-27. The only viable transit from the airport is via taxi; a one-way fare into the center of the city costs 140SEK to 180SEK ($28-$36/£14-£18). Taxis may or may not be waiting at the airport: If one isn't in line, pick up the telephone marked TAXI or TAXI-PHONE and summon one.
By Boat -- Those who want to take the boat to Gotland must first go to Nynäshamn; by bus from Stockholm, it's about a 1-hour ride. The last car-ferry to Visby leaves at 11:30pm and takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes. In summer, there also are five daily connections. You can make reservations through your travel agent or directly with the ferry service, Destination Gotland, for cabin or car space. It's wise to book deck space if you plan to travel on a weekend. Call tel. 0771/22-33-00 in Gotland.
Visitor Information
In Visby, contact the tourist bureau, Gotlands Turist Service, Skeppsbron 4-6 (tel. 0498/20-33-00; www.gtsab.se), open May to August Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm, Saturday and Sunday 7am to 6pm; September to April Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm.
Special Events
We've attended many a festival in Sweden, but not one of them appealed to us as much as this journey back to the Middle Ages. During the annual Medieval Week in August, for 8 days Visby once again becomes a Hanseatic town. At the harbor, Strandgatan swarms with people in medieval dress, many of them tending market stalls. Musicians play the hurdy-gurdy, the fiddle, and the flute; jesters play the fool. Toward nightfall a kingly procession comes into the square. The program has more than 100 such events during the festival, along with medieval mystery plays, masses, choral and instrumental music, tournaments, and displays of horses, as well as archery competitions, fire-eaters, belly dancers, and walking tours of the medieval town.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
