Schackenborg Castle is the private residence of Prince Joachim of Denmark, the 2nd son of the present Danish monarch. One of the Northern Europe’s most beautiful village street from the beginning of the 1700s leads to Møgeltønderhus, better known as Schackenborg Palace. Møgeltønderhus was the castle for the bishops of Ribe. It served as protection against the influx of Frisian culture from the south and guarded the waterway from Vidå to Tønder. The building was transferred to the King after the Reformation, and in 1661 the King conveyed the castle to general Hans Schack as a gesture of gratitude for his service in the war against the Swedes.
For 11 generations, the Palace belonged to the Schack family until it came into the Royal Family’s ownership in 1978. In 1993, Schackenborg Palace and its associated farm and lands were taken over by Prince Joachim. The Palace is not open to the public. In summer, there are guided tours to the palace garden.
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.