My travels in Sweden:
A cruise to Ystad and Visby, 2025

Content:

1. From Stockholm to Ystad
2. From Ystad to Visby (and back to Stockholm)

A cruise to Ystad and Visby

August is late in summer and we plan to do a cruise. This year we decided to take a cruise from Stockholm where we live to Ystad and Visby.

Map over Ystad:

From Stockholm to Ystad it's 610 km by car, by cruise it's even longer.

More information about Ystad:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/ Ystad (Ystad, Wikipedia)

Where there are links in English I use them, otherwise they are in Swedish.

Day 1 and 2, From Stockholm to Ystad:

Stadsgården:

We departed 3 pm from Stadsgården in Stockholm. We arrived 1 hour earlier to do the safety and check in. We expected rain but we got fine weather already from the start. No rain and +22 degree Celsius, a little bit windy. The ships is Birka Gotland. The ship was built 2004 in Finland and earlier names was Birka Paradise and Birka Stockholm.

On 7th floor we have our cabin. It's not a very big ship, still there is a long hall to walk through.

When it's time to departure we get up on the top floor, 11th floor. In front of us is Londonviadukten. Long time ago it was a shipyard here.

On the North side we have the amusement park Gröna Lund. It was here our warship Wasa sunk 1628, today you find the warship at a museum, very popular to visit.

The Terrace on floor 10th. If we remember correctly this was a pool area earlier.

Tre Kronor af Stockholm:

At Blockhusudden we met the brigg Tre Kronor af Stockolm, a beautiful ship. Even if it looks old it was built 1997 to 2005.

After we had eaten the buffet we ordered we took a walk up to the upper floor to enjoy the view in the evening. We got a bit tired after all food go to our cabin for a rest after this.

Later in the evening we visit Backstage to listen to the artists singing. This night it's Disco music, very good show by Birka Crew.

Before the music show starts is a presentation of the crew.

Second day:

Waking up next morning and we have Ystad harbor in front of us.

Ystad:

My father was at sea during the years 1937 to 1945 and visited many harbors around the world, most Swedish. But haven't found that he visited Ystad.

Big ship narrow passage.

No tug boats needed with modern ship, they can maneuver with high precision.

We anchor up at the same pier where Polferries is moored with its ship.

If you need to exercise after all that eating, there's a running track up here.

We didn't book an excursion but planned to walk around the old quarter of Ystad. It's a 20 minute walk before we reach the city, but first a security check.

There were transfer buses but we couldn't wait for them.

To come to old town of Ystad we have to cross the railway, a bridge take us over it.

First sign with information. It says that the movie Svinalängorna was filmed here 2010. It was based on the novel with the same name, 2006.

Cross the street Österleden and continue on the street Jennygatan.

Jennygatan:

A lot of old houses are preserved, this one at the street Föreningsgatan. As you can see the weather is perfect, not rain as the forecast said.

Street Stora Östergatan:

At the square Österport we walk left to the street Österportstorg. After a couple of hundred meters it change name to Stora Österportsgatan, one of the main streets. Here there are even more old houses and all the stores. We turn left here.

Street Besökaregränd:

They call this kind of old houses for Korsvirkeshus or Timber framing house. Common in the 17th century, this one from the 18th century. This part of Southern Sweden belonged to Denmark at this time.

We go into the courtyard to see what has been preserved.

It looks genuinely old and there is also a nice restaurant here.

Across the street is another Korsvirkeshus, or almost all of them are built like that.

The block in front of us has the name Lars, same as mine name. But unfortunately not my house.

We enter another courtyard. There seem to be many craftsmen working here.

This timber framing house built 1702.

In a modern building they have an ice cream parlor and next door there is a funeral home.

We continue walking along the street Stora Östergatan. Here we pass the Thor neighborhood, one of our gods a thousand years ago was called Thor, perhaps named after him.

Square Stor torget:

At the square Stor torget there is some market going on, the day is Monday.

Street Garvaregränd:

Here on Garvaregränd there was once a potter.

Fire department museum:

When walking on the street Lilla Östergatan we find a sign about a museum of Fire department.

Here are a lot of things to look at, there was also a guide here who told us about the history of Ystad's Fire department. This is an expensive water pump that was bought a long time ago. Earlier they used water buckets.

I recognize the fire extinguisher on the left from when I was growing up. It was probably old back then, in the 1960s.

Ystad's monastery:

We have now come to Ystad's medieval monastery.

In the neighborhood around the monastery you can see many older buildings. Our friend Jan who is with us tells us that when he was here a few years ago they were not renovated to this good condition.

The monastery also has a museum, but we felt there was no time this day to visit it.

Sat down for a while on a bench and from here we had a view over the monastery pond.

The gable of the monastery is built using timber framing technology.

Next to the monastery is its herb garden with an accompanying house.

Gunilla walks around the herb garden and tries to recognize the plants. It's not that difficult because there are signs on most of them.

From the street Klostergatan we see the eastern gable of the monastery.

We now leave the monastery area to go to St. Mary's Church, which is located near Stora Torget.

The church Mariakyrkan:

We want to see how it looks inside and enter the Maria church.

The church has a traditional interior.

The square Maria Kyrkoplan:

Sat down outside the church for a rest and have this building in front of me.

The street Teatergränd:

Jan our friend who knows Ystad well take us further to other places.

It's like the town Visby which we will visit tomorrow with all these roses.

he street Harmonigatan:

Not that old houses with a different style.

The street Långgatan:

It's hot today and we feel a bit thirsty, is there a pub nearby ?

Yes, here we could sit down in the shadow and drink some soda with ice.

It is a large courtyard in an old preserved style.

After quenching our thirst, we now go to Västra Vallgatan. Here a small stream will flow and this is the outer edge of the old town. When we pass a modern house with the gate open, I take the opportunity to peek in. I see how, even though it's a modern house, they've built it in the old style.

The street Västra Vallgatan:

The river:

No flowing water here today. In the background, the old cemetery.

The street Lilla Västergatan:

Now we had got enough and turn back towards our crusier.

Our King Karl XII stayed here one night, maybe.

Mariakyrkan in the background.

The street Skansgatan:

Passing through a park and we are almost at the harbor.

Now we take the transfer bus back to the ship.

We are back, it was a long walk in old town of Ystad.

When the ship leave the harbor we had company of a pilot boat.