Today all major roads on Gotland leads to Visby, the main city on the large Swedish island in the Baltic Sea. This has not always been so.
Roma
Since ancient times people on Gotland met in Roma for Gutnalting, the Gotland assembly, to settle disputes, to trade and gossip. Roma in the middle of Gotland was a centre of political power and in 1164 also became a religious centre when monks of the Cistercian Order founded a monastery. The monastery fell into ruin after the Reformation and the lands came under the crown. The church became a stable and other buildings were harvested for building material for a new manor. Roma served as a military base during WWII.
Just like Visby, a long thread of human history shows itself at Roma. My boardgame Gotlandia features Roma so obviously I wanted to visit during our vacation on Gotland.
Not much remain of the monastery. Most prominent is the church of which the walls still stand. Other buildings have either been repurposed as farm storage or guest houses or are visible only as outlines. Illustrated signs help you fill in the blanks as you explore. A three room exhibition (free admission) does a great job of connecting the dots from Iron Age burial finds to the daily life of a 19th century lady.
Besides the monastery, Roma features a train station, a church and a museum dedicated to the Swedes who settled in Ukraine in 1781 which unfortunately wasn't open when we visited.
Midsummer
We spent Midsummer at Kneippbyn, a family friendly fair park featuring the original Villa Villakulla from the 1970ies Pippi film adaptation. Our youngest enjoyed meeting Kling and Klang and we got the traditional dancing around the midsummer pole. I appreciated the modest size which meant that the kids could run around on their own without getting lost.
... and churches
I did of course manage to sneak in a few more churches even though the family started to show some church fatigue. While the novelty of gothic portals, oversized choirs, and restored passion friezes began to wear off, I do leave with an impression that each church on Gotland is unique and built and maintained for centuries by people who cared deeply for their local community.
Tips for visiting Gotland
Going in June means lots of flowers and bird life and less crowded beaches and streets. We did run into closed museums so check opening hours if you want to be sure to get in.
Most churches are open day time and well worth exploring. 90-something is a lot though and even if there is an app for it, don't expect to catch them all in one vacation.
There is an airport near Visby with commercial traffic, though most arrive by boat. The three hour trip from Nynäshamn south of Stockholm is comfortable and dog friendly.
Go for the spectacular landscape, the rich history, and the tourist friendly infrastructure. I'm sure I will return. Gotta visit them all.
