Sweden - Becky Ohlsen [111]
Gammalsbygårdens Gästgiveri (66 30 51; info@gammalsbygarden.se; s/d Skr700/900; closed Christmas-Easter; ) Criminally cosy, this country farmhouse sits on the hauntingly beautiful southeast coast, 5km north of Eketorp. The picture-perfect lounge is complemented by individually decorated rooms (all doubles except one), with neat whitewashed walls and nifty floor-heating. A couple have private balconies. The food (mains around Skr160), mostly fish and venison, is also wonderful – reservations are a must.
Restaurang Fågel Blå (66 12 01; meals Skr79-175; 10am-4pm early–mid-Jul & mid–late Aug; 10am-6pm mid-Jul–mid-Aug; 11am-3pm Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm Sat & Sun Apr, Jun & Sep; 8.30am-2pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-4pm Sat & Sun early–mid-Oct; 11am-3pm, 11am-3pm Mon-Fri, 7.30am-4pm Sat & Sun May) Head to this renowned cafe-restaurant, evocatively set by the lighthouse in the far south, for local favourites like Ottenby lamb, roast deer with potato and turnip gratin, or baked Baltic salmon, all served with a side of sea views.
You’ll find supermarkets in Mörbylånga.
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GOTLAND
Gorgeous Gotland has much to brag about: a Unesco-lauded capital, truffle-sprinkled woods, A-list dining hot spots, talented artisans and more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in Sweden. It’s also one of the country’s richest historical regions, with around 100 medieval churches and countless prehistoric sites, from stone ship settings and burial mounds to hilltop fortress remains. Information boards indicate sites along roadsides.
The island lies nearly halfway between Sweden and Latvia, in the middle of the Baltic Sea, roughly equidistant from the mainland ports of Nynäshamn and Oskarshamn. Gotland is both a region (landskap) and a county (län). Just off its northeast tip lies the island of Fårö, most famous as the home of Sweden’s directing great, the late Ingmar Bergman (Click here). The island national park of Gotska Sandön lies 38km further north, while the petite islets of Stora Karlsö and Lilla Karlsö sit just off the western coast.
Information on the island abounds, with both www.gotland.net and www.guteinfo.com (in Swedish) good places to start.
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VISBY
0498 / pop 22,240
The port town of Visby is medieval eye-candy and enough in itself to warrant a trip to Gotland. Inside its thick city walls await twisting cobbled streets, fairy-tale wooden cottages, evocative ruins and steep hills with impromptu Baltic views. The city wall, with its 40-plus towers and the spectacular church ruins within, attest to the town’s former Hanseatic glories.
A Unesco World Heritage site, Visby swarms with holidaymakers in the summer, and from mid-June to mid-August cars are banned in the old town. For many, the highlight of the season is the costumes, performances, crafts, markets and re-enactments of Medeltidsveckan (Medieval Week; www.medeltidsveckan.com), held during the first or second week of August. Finding accommodation during this time is almost impossible unless you’ve booked ahead.
Information
Bank (Adelsgatan) With ATM.
ICA supermarket (Stora Torget) Sells stamps, as does the tourist office.
Library (29 90 00; Cramergatan; 10am-7pm Mon-Fri, noon-4pm Sat & Sun) Free internet access (Skr20 mid-June to mid-August).
Tourist Information Centre (20 17 00; www.gotland.info; Skeppsbron 4-6; summer 8am-7pm, shorter hours rest of year) The tourist office is at the harbour.
Sights & Activities
The town is a noble sight, with its 13th-century wall of 40 towers – savour it for a few hours while walking around the perimeter (3.5km). Also take time to stroll around the Botanic Gardens and the narrow roads and scandalously cute lanes just south of the gardens. Pick up a copy of the booklet