The Burgkirche ('castle church') is one of the largest and most imposing fortified churches in western Germany. The church is surrounded by a cemetery, which is surrounded by walls. The Romanesque tower of the church with Gothic battlements and turrets is the oldest part of the church, which was built in several phases in the late Gothic period. The restored stained glass windows and paintings in vaults - both from the 15th century - are worth of seeing. The church served as a graveyard of local nobility and has lots of interesting tombs.
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.