Some towns put their history behind glass. Visby? It leaves it standing in the open air – weathered, wild, and fully walkable. Two of the most hauntingly beautiful examples: St. Karin’s Church and St. Drotten’s Church, medieval ruins that remain open to curious wanderers like us.
St. Karin’s is the kind of place that stops you mid-step. Built in the 13th century by Franciscan monks, its towering skeleton still dominates the skyline. You can walk through its ribcage of arches and imagine the chants that once echoed inside.
Right around the corner is St. Drotten’s, a smaller, less ostentatious ruin- but no less powerful. It was once used by German speaking merchants, a reminder of Visby’s bustling Hanseatic ties. Today, it’s silent, but you still feel the hum of history in the stone.
Why I’m excited:
I can’t wait to visit these places; not as static relics, but as spaces that breathe. There’s something deeply moving about being allowed to walk among ruins, to touch the stone and feel time settle in your bones. And for me, it’s even more personal. Through DNA, I’ve been linked to VK429 and VK58; Viking individuals whose remains were found in Gotland and whose lives are part of this very soil. They may have fought here, traded here, prayed here. Walking these ruins in August won’t just be a visit- it will be a return.
Visby’s ruins don’t need to be rebuilt—they speak louder as they are. And this August, I’ll be listening—not just for history, but for echoes of family.
Also on find a grave; locations of my ancestors https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/274066648/vk456-viking?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Swedish Wanderlust 
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