Page 15 - The Islander - February '21

The Islander, Page 15

Visby, Gotland from page 14 performances, held in St.
Nicolai Church, go back to
route and dominance by Denmark, the Hanseatic League the turn of the century. The
and other privateers, as well as the Teutonic Knights. most famous of these plays
Sweden got it back in 1645, but by then the island had was Petrus de Dacia, which
become impoverished and had lost its importance in the features music composed by
Baltic. Friedrich Mahler.
Visby, “the city of ruins and roses” and administrative Interestingly, not only
capital of Gotland, is a city frozen in time. Very little has has the temperate climate
changed since the 13 century when it was in its heyday. of Gotland produced an
th
To protect the riches of the city, a two-mile, 30-foot-high abundance of award-winning
wall was built to surround the town. Included in the wall roses that cover the walls and
were some 40 towers and numerous gates. The wall was buildings in the village, but in
capped on the end with the Powder Tower, which was the addition, 36 species of orchids
munitions storage for the town. make their home here.
Today’s visitors can still see remnants of the wall, as During summer, the
well as portions of the churches and cathedrals that were island swells from its usual
built. However, only one of these landmark churches is 58,000* residents to more Windmills dot the countryside in Gotland.
still in use. St. Maria Cathedral is the only medieval church than 300,000 visitors for the
that remains intact and is used today. Although roofless, various festivals. However, even with very admirable mainland. Perhaps the best way to enjoy this medieval
the nave serves as a concert hall for musical festivals weather, once the summer season is over, Gotland reverts masterpiece is aboard one of the cruise ships that now
that are staged late each summer. Today, the villagers of to its landowners. use Visby as a port of call on a regular Baltic Sea cruise
Visby look to festivals and tourism as their major source As one might expect, getting to Visby today is itinerary. Regardless of how you get there, the time
of income. Townspeople suffered a setback several years probably easier than it was in the Middle Ages. There’s spent experiencing Gotland and Visby, this true medieval
ago when the “ruin-plays” were discontinued. These an airport, and regular ferry service is available from the village, is priceless.
*Source: Gotland in Figures, 2017, https://www.
gotland.se/104323, Page 6
Don Kiselewski writes from his personal experiences,
having traveled in 122 countries and cruised the oceans,
seas and rivers of the world. Palm Beach Gardens Travel
Leaders, his family owned and operated agency, is
located at Mirasol Town Square, 11360 North Jog Road,
Building A, Suite 102-6, Palm Beach Gardens. The agency
has been serving the travel needs of the South Florida
area for over a quarter of a century. Contact him at (561)
694-9696 or Aussie@PBGTravel.com.
Photos by Don Kiselewski

Imagine This As Your...

An eye-catching alley of red roses in the medieval town of
Visby

driveway courtyard

rec room wine cellar

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