SWEDEN
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The port of Visby seemingly comes straight out of dreams.
Since its heyday, this well-preserved port town has lured scores of artists and craftspeople, including Studio Ghibli's famous director Hayao Miyazaki.
It's the primary visual inspiration for the animated film Kiki's Delivery Service.
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Stretching over 3.4 kilometers, this well-preserved limestone wall is Visby's icon.
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It was erected in the 13th century to protect the Hanseatic town against attacks from the countryside of Gotland.
The medieval street plan is also intact, with irregular patterns and entries into the town running through original gates.
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At its peak, Visby had more churches than any other town in northern Europe.
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Most of them, however, were abandoned during the Reformation in the 1530s and afterward left to decay. Only Saint Mary's Church survives.
Though now nothing but ruins, they are special in their own way.
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Dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Visby Cathedral was erected in the late 12th century.
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It was reshaped into its current appearance in the next century, featuring a three-towered limestone facade and intricate stone carvings.
As the only remaining medieval church in Visby, the cathedral serves as a symbol of the town’s religious and cultural heritage.
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A network of museums that contains artefacts and artworks from the island.
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It occupies a block of houses in the town center, comprising six traditional structures around a central courtyard.
It displays thousands of years of Gotland's history, from the Stone Age to the Viking era, and through the medieval period.
Highlights include the extremely rare Viking picture stones.
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