At the entrance to the Draga Valley, by the fringes of the village of Begunje, the picturesque ruins of Kamen Castle look down from the top of a rocky ledge. This centuries-old trade-route guardian, built on a raised location, awaits you with its Romanesque tower and the imposing ruins of its Gothic and Renaissance extensions.
The castle was built in the twelfth century by the counts of Ortenburg; however, they chose not to live there, and so the castle was managed by castellans. In 1418, the castle came into the possession of the counts of Cilli, and subsequently fell into the hands of the Lambergs in 1436. The most distinguished member of the Lamberg family to come from Kamen Castle was Gašper Lambergar, a tournament knight who is sung about in the folk poem Pegam and Lambergar.
The counts of Lamberg abandoned the castle in the middle of the eighteenth century and moved to the more comfortable Katzenstein Mansion in Begunje.
The castle's location at the entrance to the Draga Valley, its preserved Romanesque tower — which can be climbed all the way to the top — the remnants of its Gothic and Renaissance keeps, and the trail that leads you through the castle area all guarantee a memorable visit. A visit to the castle is free of charge and at your own risk.
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.