One of the things I’m most curious about when it comes to Visby’s Medieval Week isn’t just the jousting or the music or whether I’ll end up wearing a linen smock and leather pouch (still undecided, thank you)—it’s the craftsmanship.
The real, hands-on, tool-in-hand, hammer-on-iron kind of craftsmanship.
I haven’t been yet, but the thought of watching someone forge a hinge, shape leather, or spin wool using tools that haven’t changed in centuries? That’s the kind of time travel I’m here for. Imagine the hiss of metal in water, the scrape of a hand-carved plane across wood, the rhythm of ancient work brought to life.
These weren’t hobby tools—they were survival tools. Passed down, patched up, worn smooth by generations. They built walls. Mended cloaks. Fixed carts. I’d probably embarrass myself trying to use one, but I’d be grinning the whole time.
🕯 Why I’m So Into This
Because there’s something grounding about it. In a world full of screens and “you must accept cookies” popups, I’m drawn to things that are tactile, slow, and stubbornly analog.
When I think of medieval Visby, I don’t just picture knights and churches—I picture someone hunched over a bench in the low light of morning, sharpening their knife or tightening a woven strap, not because it’s “quaint,” but because that’s how you kept your world intact.
There’s dignity in that. And I want to see it for myself.
🇸🇪 Swedish Word of the Day
Verktyg (VEHRK-teeg) – Tool
Used in a sentence:
“Om jag får hålla i ett medeltida verktyg, kommer jag att fundera på att byta karriär… eller åtminstone starta ett Etsy-konto.”
“If I get to hold a medieval tool, I might reconsider my career… or at least start an Etsy shop.”
Swedish Wanderlust 