Gotland is by far one of the most popular destinations for Swedes inside Sweden. It is a real-life fantasy island full of viking lore, Mediterranean vibes, Mykonos-style beach clubs, and beautiful Swedish nature.

Usually my family choses to explore other places in Europe, but due to coronavirus this year, we took advantage of nearby destinations during our summer. We were pleasantly surprised!

Where is Gotland?

Located in the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe, the island sits between Sweden and Latvia! This makes it a very strategic island for military when defending the Baltic Sea and mainland Europe from Russia.

Why Travel to Gotland?

Are you a viking fanatic? History? Geology? Military? This island has it all. There are traces of civilization having began over 7,000 years ago (according to a DNA sample from discovered skeletons)!

This island was powerful during the Viking age – as we can see from ancient runes, cairns, buried treasure, prehistoric graves, housing foundations and more!

What makes it more special is that it offers an unparalleled experience giving a sense of history while still keeping the twenty-first century’s conveniences and comforts. For example, Gotland loves its beer. In fact, the same beer is brewed as was drunk all over Europe in the Middle Ages!

Unique Things to Do in Gotland

Gotland is quite small, but it packs quite a punch when it comes to activities and sites to see. We only had a 3-day weekend, but we tried out best to fit everything we could in to have a relaxing and eyeopening adventure.

• Rent a bicycle in Fårö (you will need an entire day for this)
• Wander around the quaint town of Visby!
• Visit the Gotland Museum (Visby) to learn about Vikings, fossils, and treasure
• ‘Hang’ out at the Galgberget Gallows – a preserved medieval execution site
• Drive to Gotham city (far from a city, but still worth it)
• Take dip in the Blue Lagoon
• Climb the stones of Digerhuvud (landscape from Mars)

The best day spent…

As I mentioned above, my favorite day in Gotland was when we took a bus up to Fårö, which is a small island. It looks bigger than it is on a map, but it really isn’t. We rented bicycles for 300 sek each from a small shop outside of the ferry port. We’re not experienced cyclists, but since Fårö is mostly flat, we managed to bike 40 km (25 miles) during a 5 hour period. Remember to bring snacks and water because there are a few and far places to stop to refuel.

Our destination was Digerhuvud, which is famous for having odd rock formations and looking a bit like Mars. The terrain on Fårö is beautiful lakes (some which are green from algae!), woods, wheat fields, and slate rock beaches (perfect for skipping rocks).

Hint: Take the bus early at 9:30 am from Visby > Fårö (about 1.5 hours). Try to get the bus that goes across the 15-min ferry (you can also walk on). Grab the bus again back on the mainland around 5pm (you’ll probably have to walk on the ferry).

How to get to Visby (Gotland)

If you’re coming from Sweden, you can take a short flight (45 minutes from Stockholm), or a ferry from Nynashamn, Oskarshamn, or Vastervik.

Where to Stay?

Visby is the main attraction on Gotland when it comes to towns, so most likely you’ll want to stay there as your ‘home base.’ However, if you want the country house + a car rental, there are plenty of Airbnbs located around the island for seclusion. Sweden in infamously expensive, and Gotland is not different. That being said, there  I always use booking.com to look for boutique hotels at a better price.

Where to eat?

We had 72 hours in Gotland, so there were a few restaurants we wanted to hit up! My #1 is always Surfers, which is a Sichuan Chinese restaurant. Make sure to call for a reservation!