# Central Gotland

Central Gotland is sparsely populated (except Visby) and mainly made up by farmlands and forests.

## Settlements

* 57.50274918.4553031 Roma or Romakloster is a monastery town with around 1,000 inhabitants, and the only main retail location in the central island.
* 57.51777818.1630562 Tofta is a beach village with around 800 inhabitants.
* 57.38755718.2038733 Klintehamn is a port town with around 1,500 inhabitants.
* 57.33471418.7088164 Ljugarn with around 200 inhabitants, the oldest seaside resort in Gotland

## Understand

Central Gotland stretches from the Filehajdar nature reserve in the north to the Lojstahed forest in the south. While most of the island's permanent population outside Visby lives here, the woodlands and limestone plains (alvar) stretch wide.
In the Middle Ages, central Gotland was a rural deanery known as Medeltredingen, "the Middle Third".

## Get in and around

Central Gotland is accessible by car, bus and bike. The flat sceneries make tour cycling a good option during summer.

### By yacht

* 57.38918.1851 Klintehamn guest harbour, ☏ +46 498 24 09 46. 5–10 guest berths. Toilet, showers and self-service laundry. Cars and bikes for hire. Café, which handles the fees. Fuel, groceries, motor service etc. 0.5–1 km away. 0–19 m: 100–260 kr.
* 57.32218.7092 Ljugarn, ☏ +46 73 777 49 07, ljugarns.hamn@gmail.com. 30 berths. 240 kr, electricity 30 kr.
* 57.422718.91523 Herrvik, ☏ +46 73 600 63 07. 0–19 m: 110–270 kr, electricity 50 kr.

## See

* 57.51612218.2152151 Gotlands djurpark. A zoo.
* 57.51583318.462 Roma kloster. In Roma (also called Romakloster), 20 km from Visby, there are ruins of a Cistercian monastery from the 1160s, and a manor (Roma kungsgård). The manor is a popular destination and there are theatre performances in the church ruins in summer.
* 57.60399218.8021183 Gothemhammar (Gothemshammar). An ancient hill fort.
* 57.34697218.7385834 Folhammar. A nature reserve with rauks.
* 57.27599118.0962295 Ekstakusten. A nature reserve.
* 57.31717418.5823486 Garde kyrka. A medieval church.
* 57.3963718.172657 Vivesholm Nature Reserve (1 km north-west from Klintehamn, near road 140), ☏ +46 10 223 90 00, forvaltning.naturvard.gotland@lansstyrelsen.se. Peninsula with wet meadows by the shores (strandängar). The vegetation is rich partly due to the long time use as pasture. Great for birdwatching. Remains of a stronghold of the Victual Brothers, built 1396 (soon destroyed by the Teutonic Order) and a 1710s fortress at the same place. Dogs need to be on a leash. No campfires. Ordinary nature reserve restrictions.
* 57.41157518.7187868 Torsburgen. A nature reserve named for its ancient hill fort.
* 57.33843918.2317699 Vallhagar. An archaeological site.
* 57.50725618.74157510 Trullhalsar. A grave field.
* Cathedral in town of Dalhem.

## Do

* 57.544418.53141 Gotlandståget (Gotlands Hesselby Jernväg). 1878–1960 there was a railway to Roma (the station some distance from the manor and monastery), and a heritage railway remains: (891 mm, reconstructed along part of the former route, with some of the original stock).
* 57.328918.32742 Wild Horse Safari at Lojsta Hed, ☏ +46 70-547 82 68, kontakt@lojstahedrussen.se. Tours are at 10.00 and 13.00. The tour is about 2 hours. The Gotland pony (gotlandsruss) is the only wild pony breed in Sweden. In the early 20th century the breed was close to extinction, wherefore the "Lojsta Moor" reserve was set up. Still today a herd of wild russes roam the moor. During the summer the reserve can be accessed during guided tours. 200 kr per person. (updated Oct 2017)
* 57.334618.71473 Ljungarn beach (on the eastern shore of Gotland). A long sand beach.
* 57.398818.86994 Sandviken beach (on the eastern shore of Gotland). A broad sand beach.
* 57.615818.76425 Åminne beach (on the eastern shore of Gotland). A broad sand beach.
* 57.491718.12686 Tofta beach (18 km south of central Visby). A long sand beach. Undeniably the most popular beach on Gotland.

## Buy

The only shopping cluster is in Roma.
* 57.32991918.5077151 Etelhems krukmakeri. A pottery store.

## Sleep

* Brukshotellet Roma.

## Go next

* Northern Gotland with the Lummelunda cave and limestone mining lagoons.
* Southern Gotland with the most famous rauks.
* Karlsöarna, i.e. the islands of Stora Karlsö and Lilla Karlsö, are definitely worth a day's visit, Stora Karlsö is one of the world's oldest nature preserves, second only to Yellowstone National Park. Connection from Klintehamn in summer.