The charm and serenity of Gotland, Sweden

Being in Gotland can’t really put into words…it’s a place that needs to be experienced and felt.

I found myself going back to Gotland this month, but this time for a shorter trip. I was there 2 years ago in the summer with my friend, photographer Jacki Bruinquel, so I’ve combined the photos from both trips.

Thing to see and do:

If you take the ferry from Nynashamn (Stockholm county) to Visby, in Gotland, it’s about 3 hours and will drop you off right in the harbour which is a few minutes walk into town. There are quite a few b+b’s dotted around town, but if you’re going in the summer, be sure to book at least 3-6 months ahead.

The charming medievall town of Visby, which is also a UNESCO world heritage site, has a mixed selection of restaurants and cafes. It’s a great place to just wander the cobbled streets and then while away the hours having a few drinks in the sunshine. We hired a car and did a road-trip, a fun experience driving on the opposite side of the road to South Africa.

NE of Gotland lies Fårö (pronounced ‘faw-roo’), Gotland’s smaller neighboring island, which is reached by free ferry from Fårösund in about 8 minutes. Fårö is one of Gotland’s most visited destinations, with its pretty sandy beaches and ‘rauks’ (rocks), left behind when the glaciers of the last ice age retreated. If you are wanting to go on holiday somewhere tranquil and calm and feel a sense of complete escapism, then Gotland is definitely the place to go. I loved every moment spent there and it’s a really safe place to travel solo.