Five hundred miles of coast and more sheep than people: A revealing look at Sweden's largest island (where there are just two hours of darkness in summer)

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There are 959 passengers on board the huge car ferry taking us on our three-hour journey from the Swedish port of Oskarshamn to the island of Gotland. 

A little girl turns to her mother and asks: ‘Are all these people going to visit granny?’

We arrive at the capital, Visby, soon after 11 at night. It’s still quite light. 

Unique: Gotland’s distinctive rock pillars that can be seen on the Swedish island 

In early July, Sweden gets dark for only two or three hours a night. I catch a glimpse of a big building with a sign saying Gods Terminal. 

My Swedish wife Vivianne quickly reassures me that this simply means ‘goods terminal’. 

We are not about to meet our Maker – although Sweden’s most celebrated film director, Ingmar Bergman, for whom Gotland was a much treasured home for half his life and his final resting place, might have enjoyed the thought. 

After all, his darker films often dealt with God, death, faith and betrayal.

Gotland is a fascinating place. Even many Swedes, including my wife, have never been there. 

Rather like New Zealand, the island has more sheep than people. 

The brochures tell Swedes there’s no need to go abroad – it’s all here: ‘Crete’s dramatic rock formations, the turquoise seas of the West Indies, the savannahs of Africa, the vibrant nightlife of the French Riviera, and a medieval city whose city walls and church ruins evoke the essence of Rome.’

A great way to discover all the island has to offer is by cycling, as it is easy to get around Gotland by bike

With Russia only about 100 miles away, there’s no knowing what kind of tourists such a panoply of delights might attract. 

Gotland no longer has any meaningful military presence. Yet should Vladimir Putin wander across, even as a tourist, he would at least be confronted by Gotland’s unique and magnificently walled capital and main port, Visby. 

The city was once conquered by the Danes and the Germans and even suffered the odd pirate invasion. It was at one time at the centre of the Hanseatic League, a sort of late medieval version of today’s EU.

Today, it’s popular with cruise ships. But unless you’re planning to stay in Visby, it’s well worth taking your car to the island if you want to explore properly. 

Gotland’s coast runs for about 500 miles, with sandy beaches punctuated by dramatic limestone pillars.