Explore the Visby witch trials

Step into a true story from 1705 with this self-guided walking tour

Distance
2 km
Start location
Övre Finngränd 1
End location
Kajsarn prison tower
Duration
1.5 hour(s)
Genre
Age rating
9+
Language

99 kr

Read this in — Svenska

The Visby Witch Trials

Travel back in time and explore a true story of the Visby witch trials. This self-guided walking tour takes you to locations that were at the center of the story of three women who were accused of witchcraft.

The tale of Little Ingeborg, Kuske-Greta and Bohl Strijds starts in spring of 1705. Visby is in a time of change, which alarms the church and the city’s good old boys. Gotland’s inhabitants are encouraged to keep an eye out for anything that could be perceived as incompatible with a Christian way of life. A local woman steps forward and accuses healer Little Ingeborg of witchcraft, which sets a tragic series of events in motion. A short time later, three innocent women find themselves incarcerated in one of Visby’s prison towers. They are subjected to brutal interrogations and absurd accusations of a liaison with the Devil himself. 

 

Travel back in time

Do you want to know more about what happened? Step into the story and talk a walk through Visby as it was more than 300 years ago. This interactive audio experience takes you to several historical sites in the city center. The narrator of the tour is a woman who used to live in the city and who knew Little Ingeborg, Kuske-Greta and Bohl. She needs your help to remember who she is and what her role was in all that transpired.

Slowly, but surely, the story unfolds. In fact, maybe the evil forces of Visby had nothing to do with witchcraft at all?

 

The StoryTourist app is your guide

To walk this tour, you’ll download the user-friendly StoryTourist app. The app is equipped with a map, GPS and a digital guide which makes sure you walk in the right direction. Once you have purchased the tour it is yours to keep. You can use it at any time and as many times as you wish.

Through the StoryTourist app, you will be able to interact with photographs, illustrations, and game elements. The app shows you what the city used to look like and what the lives of the people involved were like. 

The only thing you need to be able to step into the story is a smartphone with headphones. Travel back in time and experience Visby in a brand-new way with us!

This StoryTour is written by Claudia Sjöbeck.

Read this in — Svenska

How this tour works:

Your smartphone is your guide on this tour! Once you have purchased a tour, this is what you do:

  • Download the StoryTourist app from Apple App Store or Google Play, while connected to Wi-Fi.
  • Log into the app using the same email address you filled in when purchasing the tour. You will create your password the first time you log into the app. The tour you have purchased will be ready to download in the tour library once you have logged in. Make sure you are still connected to Wi-Fi while downloading the tour.
  • Go to the starting point of the tour, open the app, put your headphones on and head out on your StoryTour adventure!

Important information:

  • This is a location based experience. You have to be at the tour starting point in Visby, Sweden to start this walking tour.
  • Once the tour is downloaded to your phone, you can use it offline.
  • There is a map, GPS and a digital guide in the app, making sure that you’ll walk the right way.
  • This tour is available in English and Swedish.
  • Once you have purchased the tour, it is your to keep. You can use it whenever you want and as many times as you would like. You can start, pause and end the tour whenever you would like.
  • This tour is pet friendly – feel free to bring your dog on this walk!
  • This tour is not accessible to wheelchair users, due to stairs and uneven terrain during parts of the tour.
  • We recommend this tour from ages 9 and up, due to dark themes of the story.

What to bring:

  • Your smartphone, with the StoryTourist app and the tour you purchased already downloaded. 
  • Headphones, for the best possible listening experience
  • Make sure that your smartphone battery is fully charged. If you know that your phone has poor battery capacity, it can be a good idea to bring a powerbank as well.

Övre Finngränd

The walking tour starts here.

Finntrappan

Make a quick stop here to take a look at some pictures of what this area looked like 200 years ago.

Ingeborg's cottage

Visit Ingeborg's cottage and learn more about the tools she used for healing.

Lookout point by Sankta Maria cathedral

Make a stop here to compare the past and present.

St: Clemens

When you visit St: Clemens you will hear more about the rumors of treasure buried here.

Kruttornet "Gun powder tower"

Visit the prison tower where Ingeborg was held captive, and examine some forgotten objects.

The family Strijds house

Make a stop at the location where the family Strijds' house was once located. Help your guide to puzzle an old letter together.

The Lindgården Inn

This inn was where the trials against the women took place, stop here to experience what they were like.

Stora torget - the main square

By the main square you will be able to eavesdrop to people gossiping about the accused women.

Knägränd

Take a short break at Knägränd and listen to your guide making a big reveal.

The Kajsarn prison tower

This is where the walking tour ends, by the museum where you can visit Ingeborg's cell.

Locations you'll visit on this tour:

  • Klinten
  • The Sankta Maria cathedral
  • St: Clemens
  • Kruttornet "Gun powder tower"
  • The Lindgården Inn
  • Stora torget - the main square
  • S:ta Katarina ruin
  • Kajsarn prison tower
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