Visby City Wall
Name Swedish name Description
The Gunpowder Tower ( formerly the Sheep Tower ) Kruttornet ( formerly Lambtornet ) Kruttornet is the oldest tower in the city wall of Visby and was built as a defensive tower to protect the medieval harbour , which was located in the part of Visby now known as Almedalen park . It was built in 1160-61 , in connection with the conclusion of a trade agreement with the Duke of Saxony as a free-standing defensive tower . Originally an identical tower , which has since disappeared , existed on the opposite side of the harbour entrance . The harbour has also vanished due to post-glacial rebound . From the top of the tower , crossbowmen could shoot straight into approaching ships . The tower had no gate , only a small hatch about 10 metres ( 33 ft ) up the wall , accessible via a removable ladder . This design made it more difficult for an aggressor to gain access to the tower . Its name , literally the Gunpowder Tower , is of a significantly later date . During the wars with Denmark in 1361 and intermittently from 1394 to 1487 , it served as a gunpowder store for both sides , since it was not unusual for the representatives from the town of Visby to change their allegiance
The Love Gate Kärleksporten Kärleksporten was built as late as 1872 . It was constructed in a section of the wall which had collapsed and was used by local fishermen as a passageway between the Strandpromenaden ( the Beach Promenade Road ) and the area now known as the Visby Botanical Garden . The wall north of Kruttornet facing the sea , originally lacked towers . The name of the round-arched passageway ( literally , the Love Gate ) actually stems from the ropes that were coated with tar on the town-side of the wall during the Middle Ages . The similarly sounding Tjärporten ( the Tar Gate ) became Kärleksporten . According to tradition , couples who pass through the gate should stop here and kiss each other . There are numerous romantic inscriptions on the stones of the gate
The Slit Bottle Sprundflaskan Sprundflaskan . This full-length tower was erected at either the end of the 14th century or at the beginning of the 15th , with the dual purpose of strengthening the town defences and reinforcing a weak spot in the wall . Its present name has been used since the 17th century and possibly stems from the tower resembling a bottle
The Fallen Wall Murfallet Murfallet . As indicated by its name , this is a collapsed part of the wall , which may also contain traces of an earlier tower . On the sea side of the wall , a small hill may contain the remains of the collapsed wall . As of 2014 it is used as a passageway for cars
The Maiden Tower Jungfrutornet Jungfrutornet was erected during the 15th century to improve the town 's defenses against attackers coming from the sea . According to tradition its name is derived from the legend of the daughter of Nils Guldsmed from Unghanse , Öja in the south part of Gotland . She was supposed to have been immured in the wall as punishment for betraying the town by letting King Valdemar IV of Denmark and his Danish troops into Visby during the campaign of 1361 . Recent research has established that the tower did not exist at that time . It is more plausible that the name derives from a unit of measurement known as the jungfru ( 8.2 centilitres ( 2.9 imp fl oz ; 2.8 US fl oz ) )
The Silver Cap/Kames Silverhättan/Kames Silverhättan or Kames is the most recent tower of the city wall of Visby , built by the Teutonic Knights who ruled Gotland between 1398-1408 . The name Kames dates from the 17th century and stems from the Latin word comes , meaning count . Its alternate name , the Silverhättan ( the Silver Cap ) , stems from an earlier silver-coloured roof , probably made of lead . The tower forms part of the most recently erected group of defensive towers and is placed at an angle between the part of the wall facing the sea and the part facing land . It is supported by two large buttresses . At the top of the tower , on the third floor outside , there was originally a wooden gallery for archers . On the same floor there was also a place where a fire could be lit , mainly used for signalling purposes . In the beginning of the 18th century during the Great Northern War , the arrow-slits were enlarged . It was feared that the Russian military , which had earlier ravaged the eastern coast of the island , would attack Visby . The governor and major general Anders Sparfeldt equipped parts of the city wall , the towers and the gate towers , with firearms . The Silver Cap was a northern outpost and the strategically located tower served as key fortification for securing the beach along the part of the wall facing the sea
The Snäckgärds Gate Snäckgärdsporten Snäckgärdsporten has been known by many names throughout history , among them the Västerport ( the West Gate ) . It is one of the oldest gate towers of the wall . During the 18th century , the gate was blocked up and not opened again until 1885 , in connection with reconstruction works . From the 1840s and a few decades on , the gate room itself was used as part of an establishment serving coffee , tea and punsch . The gate itself has slots for a portcullis . This served as a protection against hostile assaults with weapons such as battering rams . In addition to an extra set of internal walls , this provided a good defence for the relative weak spots that the gates were . In 2009 , new internal , wooden floors and stairs were built in the tower , which became a new observation point in the town . The tower is accessed from the inside of the wall via a walkway and a ladder from the Silverhättan
The Lübeck Breach Lübeckerbräschen Lübeckerbräschen is the name of a partially collapsed section of the northern wall . It is possible that it was here that Lübeck forces assaulted the town in 1525 . A number of arrowheads have been found here during archaeological excavations . At the time of the assault , a significant part of Visby was burnt to the ground , and churches and monasteries plundered . Many of these were never rebuilt and as of 2014 , Visby hosts a large number of church ruins . Recent research indicates that the collapse of the wall was unconnected to the assault in 1525 ; but the location may coincide with the place of the attack . On the razed part of the wall , there was a small tower riding on the wall which , when it collapsed , pulled a substantial part of the wall down with it . That part of the wall was erected on unstable ground and this may have caused the foundation of the wall to move , prompting the collapse
The Fish oil Tower Tranhustornet Tranhustornet . The so-called Fish oil Tower is a ground tower which lies east of the Lübeckerbräschen . On a map from the 18th century , the tower is marked as a place for extracting oil from fish , hence the name . To the east of the tower there lies a stone house which is older than the city wall
The Saint George Gate Sankt Göransporten Sankt Göransporten . The road from this gate leads from the town centre towards the now ruined Saint George 's almshouse and church . Outside the gate , a bridge spans the Nordergravar ( the North Trenches ) , a part of the medieval defence system . In old documents , the gate is called the Andre Lång Henrik ( the Second Tall Henry ) and this may have been the medieval name for it . During the 19th century it was known as the Ödeporten ( the Abandoned Gate ) and at the beginning of the 20th century it began to be known by its present name . Its construction can be connected with the construction of the aforementioned almshouse and church , which was a large medieval complex for lepers . In the middle of the 18th century , the gate was blocked up , possibly in connection with the installing of a fireplace in the tower . The fireplace was used for boiling tar for a rope manufacturer on the town-side of the wall . The gate tower has been subject to attack by a siege engine as is evident by a catapult stone still stuck in one of the arrow-slits on the fourth floor . The bridge leading from the tower across the trench was rebuilt in 1901 . On the wall on both sides of the gate , traces of collapsed small towers perching on the wall can be seen
Tall Lisa Långa Lisa Långa Lisa with its six storeys is the tallest tower of the wall . The tower has retained its original , medieval name . During an examination of the tower in 1901 , a number of catapult stones were found in the niches on the upper floors . They were part of the tower 's arsenal
The North Gate Norderport Norderport is one of the oldest towers in the city wall and was the main entrance to the town for people and goods from the north part of the island . Originally , there was only a simple gate in the wall . The original slot for the toll barrier , dressed with wood , is still visible . The gate entrance was probably rebuilt when the tower was erected . Norderport and Österport are the oldest gate towers of the wall , probably built shortly after the erection of the first wall , possibly as early as 1280 . Norderport lies on a steep slope . It was stoutly built , and hence had good defensive capacity . The outer , wooden gates were reinforced with a portcullis . Openings for chains and ropes to pull it up still exist . Through other openings , water could be poured onto the portcullis if an enemy attempted to set it on fire . In the outermost wall posts , iron rings are attached . These were probably used to secure a chain that could be stretched across the gate entrance . During times of peace , the gates were normally open and the entrance only blocked by the chain . The rooms above the gate contained a fireplace , which proves that the gate could have been permanently manned throughout the winter . On several of the floors , the arrow-slits have been widened to accommodate cannons . This was done in 1710 . At the top of the tower , there are traces of an external wooden gallery for archers . In the 17th century , a fire consumed all wooden parts of the wall from Norderport to Silverhättan . As of 2014 the gate is one of the few which can be used by cars
The Coin House Mynthuset Mynthuset ( Mint House ) . Despite its name , there is no evidence that this building ever functioned as a mint . The name more likely comes from the Swedish word for coin . The northern and eastern wall of the building form an integral part of the city wall , suggesting that the building was present before the wall was constructed . Dendrochronological examinations have shown that the building was built circa 1225 , and probably incorporated into the wall in the 1280s . It was probably used as a building for collecting toll , which the name , location and the fact that the building is older than the wall , indicates . It is also possible that it has been used for storage . It is aligned diagonally , in relation to the wall . Because of its location , it was difficult to build the wall in front of it . Instead , the building was incorporated into the wall , strengthened and turned into one of the wall towers . It has three floors . On the north gable of the house , the blocked up openings for bringing goods in and out are still visible . The southern and western walls have disappeared , following a devastating fire
The Butter Box Smörasken Smörasken is one of two caponiers ( the other being the Sparbössan ) built in the 16th century with the purpose of being able to supply flanking fire in the defence of the wall . They are both connected to full-length towers . Both are semi-circular fortifications projecting from the wall . In this arrangement , the military doctrines of two separate ages met : firearms and crossbows . Crossbowmen guarded the high , inaccessible tower against soldiers with firearms . The introduction of firearms risked making the wall more vulnerable , and hence the caponiers were introduced . They made it possible to provide enfilade cannon fire parallel with the wall . The caponiers had three floors , a low cellar and above two artillery decks . The name Smörasken is known since 1723
The Well Gate Brunnsporten Brunnsporten . The town of Visby inside the wall has always had a shortage of water , with only a few wells . In 1863 , a well was dug in the Östergravar ( the East Trenches ) outside the eastern part of the wall . At the same time the gate was constructed to facilitate access to the well . When the gate was made , the design for it was taken from gates and churches on the island and thereby giving it a shape different from all the other gates in the wall
The Dalman Tower Dalmanstornet Dalmanstornet was built as a gate tower for a gate in the earliest wall . The name refers to one of the vice governors of Gotland , L. R. Dalman . On the town-side of the wall , there have been parallel defensive walls that strengthened the gate and increased its defensive capacity . On the outer façade , above the original gate vault , there are remains of a niche intended to house the statuette of a saint or a coat of arms . At some point in time , this decorative element was probably removed to a place above the portcullis . The barrel vaulted room in the tower has benches , and in an upper floor room there is a fireplace with a chimney that leads to the top of the tower . Because of its height , the tower ( circa 17 metres ( 56 ft ) ) was used as a navigational aid for ships sailing to Visby . In 1784 , the tower was converted into a granary . At the same time , the open side towards the town was blocked up and the tower received its current roof
The Money Box Sparbössan Sparbössan This caponier was built in the trench below Dalmanstornet in the middle of the 16th century . From the 1830s to 1900 , the area in front of it was used as a shooting range , and the wall of the caponier still carries marks of rifle fire
The East Gate Österport Österport was the gate for the road leading to eastern and central Gotland . It was possibly an important communications route from the outset of habitation in Visby . Over the old gate a five floor tower was erected . Three of the floors lacked openings towards the town . In the room above the gate , there was both a fireplace and a privy , which shows that the gate was permanently manned . As of 2014 the surface of the road through the gate is circa 1 metre ( 3.3 ft ) higher than when the gate was constructed , as layers of road surface have been successively added . In the 17th century , the gate tower 's outer defenses were still preserved . These consisted of two parallel walls running circa 25 metres ( 82 ft ) out from the city wall at an angle , thus providing protection for the gates and the bridges crossing the trenches . In 1873 , the wooden gates themselves were still preserved in the Norder- , Söder - and Österport . As of 2014 the original gates from the Österport are preserved and on display in the courtyard of the Gotland Museum . All announcements by the magistrate and other official notices were displayed on the town gates and in the Stora Torget ( the Main Square ) until 1811 , when the island 's first newspaper ( Wisby Tidning ) was started . During the turbulent times of the 1710s , the tower was armed with cannons . In a Danish account from 1633 ( Hans Nielssön Strelow 's Chronica Guthilandorum ) , it is claimed that the Österport used to have a beautiful spire , which was destroyed in a fire in 1610 . As of 2014 the gate is open for pedestrians . Outside the gate lies a shopping mall , built in the 1970s
The Mill Tower Kvarntornet Kvarntornet . The tower 's name is known since the early 17th century . A Danish historian visiting the town wrote in 1753-54 that the tower consisted of three floors which were full of rotary querns turned by hand , that were used by the maids of the town burghers to grind malt and grain . Medieval city wall towers with similar uses are known from several German cities , e.g . Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbühl . During the 19th century , snus was produced in a small factory established in the tower . The tower is semi-circular , which is unusual for Visby but common in the Baltic states . The tower was built as part of the first , lower wall and was kept intact when the height of the wall was later increased . Except for the Söderport , no other tower in the wall has such well-made stonework as the Kvarntornet . Inside the tower , openings to a former archer 's gallery are still visible . The tower originally had five floors and an upper part with battlements . Originally , the side of the tower facing the town was completely open , and a wall covering that side was added later . The roof dates from the 18th century . On the tower façade , two stones that have been shattered by cannonballs are still visible
The School Gate Skolporten Skolporten . A small gate was made in this part of the wall to facilitate coming and going to the school , when a primary school was built outside the wall in 1891 . It has since been enlarged several times and the wall has partially collapsed in this area . As of 2014 it is one of the gates which cars are allowed to pass through . The school , now known as Solbergaskolan , is still located outside the gate
Towers , buildings , gates and parts of the wall
Visby City Wall (, sometimes Visby stadsmur) is a medieval defensive wall surrounding the Swedish town of Visby on the island of Gotland. As the strongest, most extensive, and best preserved medieval city wall in Scandinavia, the wall forms an important and integral part of Visby World Heritage Site. Built in two stages during the 13th and 14th century, approximately of its original still stands. Of the 29 large and 22 smaller towers, 27 large and 9 small remain. A number of houses that predate the wall were incorporated within it during one of the two phases of construction. During the 18th century, fortifications were added to the wall in several places and some of the towers rebuilt to accommodate cannons.