Vikings’ Heritage Through Scandinavia | Denmark, Norway, Iceland & Sweden
Scandinavia is widely known for its beautiful landscapes, mighty natural grounds, and exciting historical background.
Author:Paolo ReynaReviewer:James PierceOct 02, 202291 Shares1.7K Views
Scandinavia is widely known for its beautiful landscapes, mighty natural grounds, and exciting historical background. And yet, the countries’ signature mark remains the one thing chaining them all together - Vikings’ heritage. The stories and influence of the courageous Norsemen run so deep; there is no going around it once you are in Denmark, Norway, Iceland, or Sweden. So, if you are up for some exploration, check out our short guide to make your Scandinavia tripthe best that it can be, and learn more about Vikings!
Aarhus, Denmark
Housing some of the best Viking museums in the country, the city of Aarhus seeps with their heritage sites and educational establishments. Initially called Aros by Vikings, the city houses more than enough exciting museums explaining Norsemen’s lifestyle, culture, warfare, and general traditions.
Aarhus was the perfect choice for Vikings to settle. Due to its excellent geographical location, it was used for trading and living, so naturally, there are plenty of remains all throughout the city. The locals also tend to pay their respects to the Viking Age by selling crafts and souvenirs of Viking ships, fake weapons, and other attributes!
Karmoy and Haugesund Settlement, Norway
If visiting a museum and hearing exciting stories is not quite enough for you, head straight to South West Norway, where the people take Vikings’ heritage exceptionally seriously, and you can be a part of it, too!
Karmoy and Haugesund Settlement is the perfect replica of an actual Viking living site in Norway! Here, you can see how they truly lived, trained, what they ate, and what they generally did during the day. The whole site is like a cold shower taking you years back to when the Norsemen actually lived here, trading, fighting, and living their simple day-to-day life. You will learn how to cook their traditional meals, prepare weapons, dress accordingly, and maybe, by the end, you will feel like a true Viking. Who knows, perhaps this is your real heritage?
Viking World, Iceland
While most people imagine that only Norway or Sweden were crawling with Vikings back in the day, this could not be further from the truth! They also left an unmistakable imprint on Iceland, where they settled around 850 AD.
Visiting the Viking World museum is absolutely vital if you want to take a closer look at their culture and history. Here you will see the famous Icelander, an advanced replica of a Viking warship. However, while other replicas are just that, copies without any other use than closer inspection, the Icelander is a fully functioning ship and has even sailed all the way to New York in 2000!
You will also acquire way more knowledge on Vikings’ raiding and plundering secrets and their navigation through the New World. And if you opt for an audio tour, they will tell you all kinds of stories of Norse mythology, so definitely check it out!
Aifur Krog & Bar, Sweden
Similar to its neighboring countries, tours to Swedentend to include Viking settlement sites and museums. While it is all good fun and highly practical, today we invite you to check out and learn of Vikings’ lifestyle a bit differently. Aifur Krog & Bar in Stockholm is one of the most engaging places to live and feast like a true Viking!
Starting with a charming design adorned with traditional Viking furniture and tools, the bar is a sight to behold. Not to mention the delicious cuisine! Well, delicious is a strong word and will depend on how you like roasted dwarf chicken and mead truffles, but no one can deny that the menu is definitely authentic and to the point. Everything from mains to desserts and drinks is heavily Viking-themed, making Aifur Krog & Bar your once-in-a-lifetime experience! And you know you cannot miss those!
Viking Ship Museum, Norway
You have probably noticed by now that ships were Vikings’ signature marks, and they took great pride in their craft. For a good reason, too! The designs are always intricate and yet carved to perfection, so you might want to see Norway’s Viking Ship Museum and learn all about it!
You will catch a glimpse of the Icelander in the Viking World in Iceland, but how about a whole museum dedicated solely to these massive wooden artifacts of conveyance?
Take a guided tour to learn about their building systems and step-by-step process, and just admire the multiple Viking ship models that have inspired many architects and builders throughout history!
Enjoy these sites and pay respect to the rich Viking heritage. If you looked more closely, you would see their traces and legacy all over. You just have to peer with your eyes wide open. Try doing that on your voyage, and make the Norsemen proud! Good luck!
Paolo Reyna
Author
James Pierce
Reviewer
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