The ruins of Bichishausen Castle are picturesquely located in the Große Lautertal valley. It was erected in the early 13th century, but the tower was demolished already around 1300. Heinrich Treisch von Buttlar modified the castle as residence in the 16th century, but it was left to decay after his wife died in 1545.
The freely accessible ruins offer a unique panoramic view of the valley, the river Große Lauter and the village of Bichishausen, but are rarely visited by tourists. In the small castle complex you will find an outer castle, a core castle with a palace and the courtyard with the foundations of a keep. A tip for visitors who want to climb the castle ruins in wet weather or snow: You can reach the very top via the built-in stairs, but the steel stairs can be very slippery in bad weather.
References:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.