Medeltidsveckan （Medieval Week）

Name: Medeltidsveckan （Medieval Week）
Start: 2025-08-02
End: 2025-08-09
Location: Visby

Visby’s Dreamlike Stage Across Time

2026/08/01 - 2026/08/08

Every August, the ancient city of Visby on Sweden’s Gotland Island is reborn as a living medieval world for Medeltidsveckan (Medieval Week). The cobblestone streets fill with the clash of swords, the laughter of jesters, and the melodies of minstrels, as tens of thousands dress in period attire and spend a week as knights, craftsmen, and merchants. Whether you’re a history lover, a family seeking adventure, or a traveler curious about Sweden’s past, this is an immersive “time slip” that stimulates all five senses and your imagination.

Locals, tourists, reenactment fans, and fantasy enthusiasts are all welcome. With over 40,000 participants every year, it’s one of the largest historical festivals in Northern Europe, where anyone can experience life as a true “medieval resident.”

Main Attractions

Jousting Tournaments & Combat Shows

The biggest highlight is the authentic jousting tournaments held at the special grounds outside Visby’s city walls. Armored knights mount their horses, lower their lances, and clash in dramatic battles! Flags and banners wave in the stands, the sound of hooves and clashing metal echo, and the scent of grass fills the air. It’s a moment where you can feel the power of the Middle Ages up close.

Key Events

Beyond jousting, the week is packed with parades, street theater, fire shows, archery contests, medieval markets, and early music concerts. Kids can enjoy crafts and swordplay, while adults can try calligraphy or blacksmithing. At night, torchlit processions and medieval banquets fill the city with the aroma of roasted meat, spiced wine, music, and laughter.

Costumes and Decorations

Most participants wear medieval-style costumes—velvet dresses, linen tunics, leather boots, ornate headdresses, and more. Stalls and houses are decorated with colorful flags, shields, and pennants. The rough texture of fabrics, the weight of chainmail, and candlelight flickering on stone walls all help create an authentic medieval atmosphere.

Traditional Food & Drink

Stalls serve rustic medieval recipes such as spit-roasted pork, stews, flatbreads, and cheeses. Mead (honey wine), spiced ale, and berry cordials are popular drinks. The aroma of roasting meat and wood smoke, the flavor of herbs, the tang of sourdough, and the sweetness of honey fill your senses.

Cultural and Historical Background

The roots of Medeltidsveckan (Medieval Week) lie in Visby’s history as a major Hanseatic port from the 13th to 15th centuries. At that time, Visby was a key trading hub in the Baltic Sea, attracting merchants and craftsmen from all over Europe, and the city saw the construction of stone walls, churches, and warehouses. The 14th century brought turbulent times, including wars with Denmark and outbreaks of plague, leaving a strong medieval imprint on the city.

In 1984, local history enthusiasts and cultural groups launched Medieval Week to celebrate Visby’s medieval heritage and its eventual UNESCO World Heritage designation (1995). It began as a small reenactment event but has grown into a major festival drawing over 40,000 people from Sweden and abroad. Inside and outside the city walls, visitors can experience jousting, craft markets, parades, and musical plays that recreate daily life and culture from the Middle Ages.

This festival is not just a tourist event—locals and participants go all out to authentically recreate clothing, tools, food, and music, aiming to let everyone experience the “real Middle Ages” with all five senses. By sharing the medieval atmosphere across generations and nationalities, the festival deepens interest in history, local pride, and the bonds between people, making it a truly special week for all involved.

Participant Voices

We came as a family from Germany. Seeing Visby transformed into a medieval city was like a dream. The armor, the stitching on the costumes, the spices in the food—everything was so authentic, and the reenactors explained every detail. Our kids loved the archery and puppet shows, my husband was amazed by the mead (“it really tastes like history!”), and we were invited to a medieval feast by a local family, singing together late into the night.

Fun Facts

Visby’s city wall, built in the 13th century, is the best-preserved medieval wall in Scandinavia.
Hardcore participants camp in medieval-style tents outside the city walls and recreate daily life.
There are even “medieval weddings” where couples can get married in full costume.
All food in the festival area must be made using medieval recipes and ingredients.