We’re now just 11 days from arrival and 14 days from the start of Medieval Week in Visby, and a very real question has been rattling around in my head:
Where do all these people sleep??
Because let’s be honest—Medieval Week sounds like a fairytale:
Horses clopping down cobblestones, fire dancers, music echoing from church ruins.
But it also sounds like a logistical nightmare.
There are only so many beds on a medieval island.
🏕️ So where do they stay?
After some (mildly obsessive) research, I’ve learned this much:
🏰 Inside the walls: Gorgeous. Atmospheric. Booked out since 1423.
🛏️ Just outside the walls: Still magical, usually walkable, slightly less competitive.
🏕️ Camping, but like, old-school camping: Medieval villages spring up outside the walls where people live in tents with no zippers and cook over open fires. I am both intrigued and terrified.
⛴️ Day-trippers via ferry: Some people come for the day and leave before the nightly drum circles begin. This feels bold.
😅 What about me?
We managed to find a hotel very close to the wall, which feels like the perfect balance of access and escape. but I’ll be close enough to hear the music drift over the stones at night.
🇸🇪 Swedish Word of the Day: “boende”
Boende – lodging, accommodation
Used in a sentence:
Boende i Visby under Medeltidsveckan? Lycka till!
(Lodging in Visby during Medieval Week? Good luck!)
Swedish Wanderlust 