Almedalen harbour, City Hall

Sights in Visby: Almedalen - the medieval harbour

Almedalen was the medieval harbour of Visby. It was the trading hub in the Baltic Sea before Lbeck took over the role. The importance of Visby became too strong. Behind the city wall was the 42 meters long City hall, known as 'Vinhuset' (The Wine House). At the 2nd floor was the burgher's hall, at its first floor was the market-place and the money exchange offices and the cellar basement included the pubs and the store rooms for beer and wine. Nothing is preserved above ground of The City hall today.

Several gates in the city wall lead to the impressive warehouses at Strandgatan.

Click photo to enlarge:

In Almedalen stands the house of the public baths, and in the front what's left of the medieval harbour. Just a small pond..... In the background is "Kruttornet" (The Gunpowder tower), the oldiest building in Visby, was previously called Lambertz's tower or The lamb tower. For a period it was the prison of town. It is here "The medieval week" starts its parade every year.

One of the big warehouses that still exists in the centre of Visby. 'Gamla Apoteket' (The old pharmacy) stands among other warehouses along Strandgatan. The warehouse is almost 30 m. long, and with narrow stepped gables. Some of the 9 gates in the harbour that led to the "The Wine house". It was a big market-place, it contained pubs and storerooms for wine and beer, but it was also the City hall of Visby, just close to Almedalen.

A flower in Almedalen during early autumn.

Nowadays Almedalen is well known, at least in the media world, for its annually political meetings.

Started February 2002

Sights in Visby: Almedalen