Michael On The Move: Exploring Sweden

Hi all, I hope you’ve enjoyed the great weather and didn’t get too sun burnt! I also hope you all enjoyed reading about Mexico! 

For this edition, I’ve decided to stay close to home and explore somewhere in Europe. Tired of the heatwave, I opted for a slightly cooler destination. This Scandinavian country is one of my favourite places I’ve visited in Europe. I fell in love with its culture, architecture and of course, fantastic cinnamon buns. While it’s probably best known for IKEA and ABBA, it has so much more to offer!  

If it wasn’t already obvious, this edition is all about Sweden. 

If you happen to visit during the summer, you may even catch one of Visby’s medieval festivals and theatrical walking tours.

Sweden is home to 267,570 islands and for this edition, I’ve chosen to focus on one that I found particularly picturesque: Gotland, and more specifically, its medieval capital, Visby, a UNESCO Heritage site.  

One of the first things I did in Visby was stroll along the city walls. Completed in the 13th century and still largely intact today, these walls stretch for 3.4 kilometres and were originally built to protect the town from foreign invaders and raiders from the countryside. They are now recognised as the largest and best-preserved medieval city wall in all of Northern Europe, making it a key part of the UNESCO World Heritage. As you walk around the walls, you’ll pass many of the original defensive towers, including the Powder Tower, the oldest surviving structure in Visby and once an important guardian of the harbour. You’ll also come across the historic city gates that lead into the charming old town. If you happen to visit during the summer, you may even catch one of Visby’s medieval festivals and theatrical walking tours. If all this sounds like too much walking for you, don’t fret, there are also miniature trains that take you around the walls and into the city.  

Nearly 300,000 people visit this church every year and visitors can be treated to services, concerts, guided tours and cultural events. 

I know I seem to talk about churches in almost every edition, and unfortunately, this one is no exception. Although I promise that in the next edition, no churches will be mentioned!  

In my opinion, the churches in Visby were absolutely stunning. Unlike many of the churches I’ve written about before, most of these churches are actually ruins. Among these is the St Lawrence’s Church, built in the 1210s, alongside St Catherine’s, St Clement’s and the combined ruins of St Hans’ and St Peter’s, to name a few. I really enjoyed wandering between them and created my own little church ruins walking tour. In some of the sites, you can actually walk inside and climb up old towers and steeples. If you want to see an actual, working church, then a trip to Visby Cathedral is for you. It is the only surviving medieval church in Visby and was built using locally sourced resources. Nearly 300,000 people visit this church every year and visitors can be treated to services, concerts, guided tours and cultural events.  

During my Scandinavian cruise, I tried to get a cinnamon roll from every destination we stopped at and the ones in Visby were one of the best ones I tried.

And of course, no trip to Sweden would be complete without trying the local food. In my opinion, whenever you are anywhere in Scandinavia, trying a cinnamon roll is an absolute must. During my Scandinavian cruise, I tried to get a cinnamon roll from every destination we stopped at and the ones in Visby were one of the best ones I tried. Of course, Sweden is also famous for its classic meatballs, but in a coastal town like Visby, you must try their local fish delicacies. Popular dishes include pickled herring and Skagenröra, a creamy shrimp and dill salad. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can try the surtströmming: fermented sour Baltic herring that has become something of an internet trend recently. Known for its overpowering, unpleasant smell, this has become an online food challenge. Whatever your tastes, you’re bound to find something delicious to try in Visby! 

So, next time you are planning your next cool summer holiday, maybe take a trip to Visby. This picturesque, medieval town has everything you could want from ancient city walls to beautiful church ruins and a lovely old town for you to explore that I haven’t even been able to mention in this column piece. And once you have finished exploring this city, there are very convenient ferries that can take you onto bigger places to explore like Stockholm and the mainland parts of Sweden!  

I hope this article has given you a taste of what the smaller Swedish islands can offer and maybe this could be the destination of your next holiday! 

 Until next time…