Largely these rumours are true: the island has a distinct youthful feel as young, mobile Stockholmers desert the capital for a boisterous summer spent on its beaches During this time, bars, restaurants and campsites are packed, the streets ful] oj revellers, and the sands awash with bodies. However, it's not everyone's cup of tea: to avoid the hectic summer weeks altogether, come in late May or September when, depending on your bravado, you can still swim. Gotland itself, and in particular its capital, Visby, has always seen frenetic activity of some kind. A temperate climate and fortuitous geographical position attracted the Vikings as early as the sixth century and the lucrative trade routes they opened, through to Byzantium and western Asia, guaranteed the island its prosperity. With the ending of Viking domination a "Golden Age" followed Gotland's inhabitants sending embassies, maintaining trading posts and signing treaties with European and Asian leaders as equals. However, by the late twelfth century their autonomy had been undermined by the growing power of the Hanseatic League. Under its influence Visby became one of the great cities of medieval Europe, as important as London or Paris, famed for its wealth and strategic power. A contemporary ballad had it that, "The Gotlanders weigh their gold with twenty pound weights. The pigs eat out of silver troughs and the women spin with golden distaffs". This romantic notion of the island's prosperity remained popular until this century, when Gotlanders began relying on tourism to prop up the traditional industries of farming, forestry and fishing. Twentieth4;entury hype makes great play of the beaches and the sun, and with good reason: the roses that give Gotland its "Island of Roses" tag have been known to bloom at Christmas. It's not all just tourist brochure fodder, though. Nowhere else in Scandinavia is there such a concentration of unspoilt medieval country churches. Built before the end of the fourteenth century, 93 of them are still in use, displaying a unique Baltic Gothic style and providing the most permanent reminder of Gotland's ancient wealth. Getting there: ferries and planes Ferries to Gotland are numerous and, in summer, packed, so try and plan weu ahead. Gotlandslinjen, the ferry line, has booking centres in both Nynashamn and Oskarshamn. Or, in Stockholm, call into Gotland City («0823 61 70) й Kungsgatan 48, which can provide plenty of information and sell advance Oneway feres cost around 130kr during high season Oune to midAug), i Friday, Saturday and Sunday; and there are student discounts (thirty percenw . j all crossings. Taking a bicycle costs 30kr. See "Travel Details" for schedules frequencies. The nearest port to Stockholm is Nynashamn, which has a yo hostel («0752208 34; 83kr) that's open all year, not far from the train statiou Nickstabadsvagen 17 advance booktog is essential fiom September to ] Recently prices between the three airlines servicing the island have flyii a competitive option at least for under26s.