Gotland is beautiful — but certain places are not yours to walk.
According to island folklore, the land belongs not just to people, but to vittror — the “hidden folk” of the forest and underworld. They’re invisible, ancient beings who live in a parallel realm beneath the earth. And they have roads.
These vittra paths (vittrerstigar) are invisible routes the vittror use to travel between their underground dwellings. Locals say if you block a path with your house, your barn, or even a fence post… things start going wrong.
Animals fall sick Tools break You can’t sleep Or worse: you see them
So how do you avoid disturbing the vittra?
Ask someone who’s lived there long enough. Folk knowledge — the kind passed down through grandparents and coffee tables — still holds. Some even use metal rods or dowsing to “sense” where the paths lie, like ley lines but more personal… and more politely threatening.
You won’t find vittra paths on a modern map. But that might be the point.
Swedish Word of the Day: Vittra (noun) – hidden folk/spirits
(Det sägs att vittran ser dig även om du inte ser den. – They say the vittra sees you even if you can’t see it.)
Swedish Wanderlust 