Historical Gotland
World heritage site Visby
The Hanseatic city of Visby, with its unique cultural offerings, has been recognised by UNESCO as part of our world heritage and was entered in the World Heritage List in 1995.
World heritage site Visby
The Hanseatic city of Visby, with its unique cultural offerings, has been recognised by UNESCO as part of our world heritage and was entered in the World Heritage List in 1995.
"Visby is an outstanding example of a Northern European walled Hanseatic town which has in a unique way preserved its townscape and its extremely valuable buildings, which in form and function clearly reflect this significant human settlement."
From the grounds cited by the World Heritage Committee for inclusion in the World Heritage list
From the grounds cited by the World Heritage Committee for inclusion in the World Heritage list
The ring wall, almost 3.5 km in length, encloses the merchants’ old
stone buildings, churches and street network. The wall is built of limestone,
has three main entrances and over 50 towers, and is surrounded by moats. It
was built not only to protect the city from its enemies but also to wall it
off from the surrounding countryside.
Throughout the ages, merchants, industrialists, Vikings, kings and members of the nobility have visited this medieval city. Membership of the Hanseatic League made Visby enormously wealthy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, Visby became one of the foremost cities of the Baltic area.
The townscape is dominated by magnificent buildings of stone. Almost 200 stone buildings dating from the Middle Ages have been completely or partly preserved. At several places in the city, trading houses, with their impressive stepped gables, vaulted cellars and gothic-inspired façades, stand to this day.
Also typical of the 16th and 17th-century townscape are the half-timbered or framework wooden buildings.
Unesco
Throughout the ages, merchants, industrialists, Vikings, kings and members of the nobility have visited this medieval city. Membership of the Hanseatic League made Visby enormously wealthy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, Visby became one of the foremost cities of the Baltic area.
The townscape is dominated by magnificent buildings of stone. Almost 200 stone buildings dating from the Middle Ages have been completely or partly preserved. At several places in the city, trading houses, with their impressive stepped gables, vaulted cellars and gothic-inspired façades, stand to this day.
Also typical of the 16th and 17th-century townscape are the half-timbered or framework wooden buildings.
Unesco
