Gotland is the Swedish island home to the medieval walled city of Visby.
Gotland lies in the Baltic Sea, east of mainland Sweden. Visby, its principal town, grew into an important Hanseatic trading centre during the Middle Ages. The town’s ring wall, medieval churches, street plan, and ruins preserve evidence of that commercial past.
Visby’s historic centre was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1995. The wall is roughly 3.5 kilometres long and includes towers and gates built or expanded during the medieval period. The annual Medieval Week has also made Visby especially prominent in cultural tourism.
Gotland is sometimes confused with Öland, another large Swedish Baltic island. Öland lies close to the southeastern mainland and is connected by bridge, while Gotland is farther east and is reached mainly by ferry or air. Visby is Gotland’s best-known settlement and administrative centre.