Gotland

We are back in Stockholm now after a few days on the island of Gotland. Even if I had been here before I was taken by the beauty of the landscape. This is Sweden's largest island located on the the east coast next to the island of Öland. We took the ferry from Nynäshamn about an hour drive from Stockholm. The ride with the ferry then takes about 3 hours before you can embark at the harbor of Visby that is the largest city on Gotland. We were here with C's family (his parents, their two dogs and C's sister and her family). We stayed at Toftagården. We had a great time.

The day that we arrived it was raining but apart for that afternoon with rain the sun keep shining on us during our stay here. The ocean turned out to be to chilly to swim in but we still enjoyed the beach. The kids were happy to swim in the pool anyway.
Gotland is know for all it's sheep and fine wool crafts among other things. I loved touching and caressing the soft furry sheep skins. These slippers just seemed so warm and cozy. Perfect to put on you feet during a cold day.

Visby is a unique city in many ways. It is small and has plenty of charm. It is just wonderful to walk around on the old cobblestone streets and admire the small alleys. Visby is also know as the city of the roses. You have so many roses growing here everywhere. Actually Gotland is very special in many ways. It has a very rich history and the historical places of interest are very well preserved. There is lots of limestone which gives the landscape and the entire island a unique flora.

The stone wall that was built around Visby during the 1200's is still standing and guarding the city proudly. Every year they celebrate the Medieval week here in Visby. People come form all around the country to participate in this and are dressed in fancy costumes. Actually it turned out it was the Medieval week as we were here but I thought I would show you some more of that on another post.

There are lot's of old ruins that can be seen as you walk around the city.

Gotland not only has a rich history but also a rich heritage and culture. They still have their own flag and one of the specialities to try out is saffron pancakes. Very yummy.



The streets are just so pretty and pittoresque.

So many old beautiful houses. This turned out to be the old farmacy. As me and C stayed a day longer than the others we had time to visit "Fornsalen" the historical museum of Visby. I am so glad we did because this gave us a valuable insight into the rich culture and history of Gotland in many ways.

Tofta where we stayed was located just about a 20 minute drive south of Visby. We saw a lot more than just the city but I will show you more later on. Me and C also got the opportunity to drive to the northernmost part of Gotland and see Fårö. Up north is my favorite. I just love the landscape up here. Since this was C's first time ever on Gotland I wanted to show him the north before we left so we spent a day here on our own as the others headed back home.