Visby is a city of both roses and ruins and capital of the Baltic island of Gotland in south east Sweden. It is one of the most important Hanse towns with a well conserved mediaeval cityscape.
The prevailing townscape is due to a law of the nineteenth century: for the restoration and preservation of the mediaeval buildings, property owners were exempted from paying tax.
Visby was designated as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 1995 and is undoubtedly a priceless gem of the Middle Ages.
