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Witness / Attend in Visby
Medeltidsveckan (Medieval Week)
The medieval Hanseatic capital of Gotland, on the island's west coast, one of the best-preserved walled towns in northern Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its intact 13th-century ring wall, church ruins and cobbled lanes host Medeltidsveckan, Medieval Week, every early August.
Run by Medeltidsveckan pa Gotland, with published dates and a real program.
Dates & details verified against: Official event site ↗
Why here
Medeltidsveckan, Medieval Week, turns the UNESCO-listed town of Visby into a living medieval world for eight days every early August, and it is one of the great historical festivals in Europe. The setting does half the work: Visby is a genuinely medieval Hanseatic town, ringed by an almost complete 13th-century wall with dozens of towers and studded with roofless church ruins, and for a week the whole place fills with encampments, markets, music, feasting and jousting tournaments among the medieval stones. Thousands dress in period costume, craftspeople work leather, iron and cloth, and the programme spreads across historic sites like Strandgardet below the walls and the ruins in the old town. The festival draws on Visby's real history as a rich Baltic trading power and on the Danish sack of the town in 1361, an event still marked in re-enactment. Running since 1984, it has grown into the largest event of its kind in the region while keeping a homemade, participatory feel: you do not just watch, you can dress, feast and join in. To witness a true medieval town become medieval again is unforgettable.
Best months
Medieval Week is held once a year over eight days in early August, in and around Visby on Gotland. It runs largely outdoors in the summer warmth, though Baltic weather can bring wind or a shower, so a layer and comfortable shoes for cobbles help. The town is small and fills completely, so accommodation across the island books out far ahead and prices rise for the week. Many street events and encampments are free to walk among; jousting and some staged shows are ticketed. The 2026 edition runs 2 to 9 August; 2027 is expected in early August.
Getting there & around
Visby is reached by ferry from Nynashamn or Oskarshamn, about three hours, or a short flight from Stockholm, with the ferry terminal and airport minutes from the walled town. Book ferries, flights and rooms very early for the festival week, or stay elsewhere on the island and travel in, as Visby sells out. The old town is compact and walkable, closed largely to cars, with festival sites within the walls and just outside at Strandgardet. Many events are free; buy tickets for jousting and staged performances ahead. Combine with island cycling.
Skill levels: beginner
Schools & guides (1)
Medeltidsveckan pa Gotland
OrganizerMedeltidsveckan, Medieval Week, has been staged in and around Visby on Gotland every early August since 1984, filling the streets of the UNESCO-listed Hanseatic town for eight days. It builds a living medieval world of jousting tournaments, encampments, craft markets, music and drama across sites such as Strandgardet and the ruined churches, drawing on Visby's history as a Baltic trading power and the Danish sack of the town in 1361. The 2026 edition runs 2 to 9 August.