Visby
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Visby is a city in southeast Sweden, on the island Gotland. It was founded in the 10th century and is internationally popular because of its remainings from that time.
Visby is the seat of residence for the Governor of Gotland County and the seat of Gotland Municipality.
In contemporary Sweden Visby is primarily known for the largely intact 3.4 km long stone wall that circles the oldest part of the city. The wall is called "Ringmuren" (the ring wall).
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History
Between the 12th and 14th centuries, Visby was an important center of the Hanseatic League. During the drive for Christianisation of the Baltic lands and the time of Riga's foundation around 1200, Visby became the mother city to Riga.
Gotland came to Sweden in 1645 at the Treaty of Brömsebro after 300 years of Danish occupation.
Visby_panorama-600px.jpg
The Hanseatic Town of Visby is part of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
Miscellaneous
Some affectionately call Visby the "city of roses". Whether it lives up to that distinction among other old Swedish cities is debatable.
Near Visby there is the static inverter plant for the first HVDC interconnection of a windpark (HVDC Visby-Nas).
Notable natives
- Christopher Polhem Important Swedish inventor in the 18th century