Swedish Wanderlust

One of the most awe-inspiring sights in Visby (and perhaps the most iconic) is the Ringmuren, the town’s medieval city wall. Winding 2.11 miles around the old town, this stone fortification rises with quiet authority above red-tiled rooftops and cobbled lanes, wrapping the town in a protective embrace that has endured for over 700 years.

Constructed in the late 13th century, the Ring Wall was more than just a barrier; it was a declaration of wealth, power, and civic pride. At its height, the wall featured 27 towers, each one a sentinel standing guard over a vital trading hub of the Hanseatic League. Though parts of it have weathered or crumbled with time, most of the wall still stands today- making it one of the best-preserved medieval city walls in all of Europe.

Its construction wasn’t merely symbolic. In a time of rising tensions between Visby’s merchant elite and the rural farmers of Gotland (as well as the ever-looming threat of foreign invaders), the wall offered very real protection. It separated the town’s wealthy trading class- who aligned themselves with German merchants and continental power structures- from the rest of the island. Some historians even interpret the wall as a physical manifestation of the growing divide between urban and rural Gotlanders.

Walking beside the Ringmuren today, especially in the golden evening light, you can still sense the echoes of the past: the hurried footsteps of a watchman, the creak of wooden gates, the anxious hush before an approaching fleet. It’s easy to imagine the wall alive with archers during the fateful Battle of Visby in 1361, when the Danish king Valdemar IV invaded the island and slaughtered its defenders just outside the northern gate.

Today, visitors can stroll the length of the wall, explore several of its towers, and marvel at the craftsmanship that has survived centuries of war, weather, and neglect. The Ringmuren isn’t just stone- it’s memory made visible, a living monument that still defines the shape and spirit of Visby.

And let’s be honest- any town with a 13th-century wall still standing deserves a little bragging rights. While most cities tear things down to make room for parking lots, Visby kept its medieval mojo intact. The Ringmuren isn’t just a backdrop for Instagram- it’s a 700-year-old flex. So when we finally walk through those ancient gates this summer, you’ll know we’re not just tourists… we’re time travelers with really good taste.