Viking Villages in Norway
It’s no secret that there’s a strong Viking history in Norway. Even though the Viking era came to an end during the 11th century, the legacy of Vikings lives on. For those interested in learning more about Viking history, culture and tradition, there are several attractions ranging from museums and historical sites to Viking villages that bring history to life and give you a sense of stepping back in time to the Viking Age.
Let’s take a closer look at some of Norway’s best Viking villages!
Photo: © Tuffe Photography
Njardarheimr
Njardarheimr Viking Valley in Gudvangen is a recreated Viking village. There are a number of Viking villages in Norway dedicated to bringing our strong Viking history to life, but Njardarheimr is perhaps the most well-known. This lively Viking town is located within the perfect setting, in the heart of the beautiful UNESCO-listed Norwegian fjord landscape of Nærøyfjorden.
Njardarheimr is a living village, with villagers wearing costumes who are ready to share their knowledge about Viking culture and history. In Viking Valley, visitors can enjoy The Viking Experience, a guided tour that will provide plenty of insight into how Vikings lived and how the Vikings traveled. It’s a very family-friendly place, with many fun activities and learning opportunities for kids. If you’d like to pay a visit to Njardarheimr, one of Norway’s best Viking Villages, it can easily be done on our very popular Norway in a Nutshell tour.
Photo: Ida Kristin Vollum - Vest Foto
Avaldsnes Viking Farm
Avaldsnes Viking Farm is located on the island of Bukkøy in Rogaland, Western Norway. The Viking village has been reconstructed based on archaeological finds made in Rogaland and aims to bring Viking history and traditions to life. Here, you’ll find a traditional longhouse, a boathouse built to accommodate a Viking warship, a roundhouse in addition to several other smaller buildings.
While most people think of Vikings as seafaring warriors, the backbone of Viking society was actually the farmers who led fairly peaceful lives. This Viking-era settlement is all about sharing the strong farming and craft traditions of the Vikings, offering guided tours, a fantastic history center, and plenty of interesting activities, especially for children.
During the summer season, the Viking Farm is open for tourists with plenty of fun and interesting activities going on. On the weekends as well as in the evenings, you can rent the traditional Viking longhouse for a guided tour or a Viking banquet for a special occasion. In June, the Viking Farm plays host to a yearly Viking festival, which sees Viking enthusiasts from all over travel to the charming village of Avaldsnes.
Photo: Guidecompaniet
Kaupang Viking Town
Kaupang Viking Town in Larvik is another fantastic site dedicated to bringing the Viking experience to life. This settlement was built around the year 800 and was once the capital of Norway. Kaupang is an old Norse term for the marketplace, and the area used to be a center for international production and trade.
The Viking Town has plenty to offer visitors in terms of learning experiences, activities, and interesting sights. Knowledgeable guides dressed in Viking-appropriate attire have plenty to teach visitors about Norway’s Viking history and the local area. The Viking Town is a family-friendly place with a range of fun activities for kids, such as puppet theatre, crafts, a cultural trail, and more. There’s also plenty to interest adults, including a new archeological exhibition showing some of the important research and findings around Kaupang. Since most of the city still hasn’t been excavated, there may be plenty of hidden Viking treasures beneath your feet as you walk around exploring the town! Kaupang Viking Town is open to visitors during the summer season, offering the chance to learn about how Vikings lived in the town and to experience Viking traditions, crafts and food culture.
Not only is a visit to a Viking village fun and interesting for the whole family, but these places are also committed to the important task of preserving and celebrating the culture, history, and craft traditions of their ancestors. By spending time in a Viking village, visitors of all ages and interests can transport themselves back to the Viking age and gain insight into what it was like to live as a Viking all those years ago. We would certainly recommend bringing the Viking experience to life with a visit to a Viking Village, and if you’d really like to connect with your inner Viking.
Read up on the Vikings!
The Fascinating and Violent History of the Vikings
Let’s be honest, most people have quite an unsavoury impression when it comes to the Vikings and most educational resources tend to portray the Scandinavians as fearsome, ruthless, and dangerous.
How Vikings Created Modern Democracy
When most people think about democracy, they tend to go straight to ancient Greece. However, what many people are not aware of is the fact that fans of modern democracy can actually thank Vikings for its creation.
What is the Viking Honor System?
When most people think about the Vikings that once wandered the Norwegian fjords, they tend to picture chaotic and violent warriors that lived by no one's rules. However, the reality is that they had a complex honor system that they lived by.
Exploring the Social Class System of Vikings
The history of the Vikings is something that draws millions of visitors to Norway every year in order to see things like the Viking Ship Museum. Although it is possible to see fictionalized accounts of Vikings in numerous TV shows and movies, a great opportunities to actually learn about the Vikings is to book a fjord tour in Norway and visit some of the historic sites they once ruled.
The Most Legendary Female Viking Warriors That Ever Lived
When you think of Vikings, what comes to mind—their legendary ferocity, dedication to honor, their massive ships, and desire to invade and claim new lands? One thing that’s almost certainly left out is the fact that several of the most legendary vikings were in fact female.
The 10 Most Powerful Norse Gods and Goddesses
Just like any other form of ancient civilization, the Vikings of Scandinavian countries had their own god-based belief system. These mighty Viking warriors followed figures that were even more powerful than they were. After all, they needed some way to explain the natural wonderment of the fjords in Norway, so they turned to a collection of gods and goddesses as the answer.
A Brief History of Norway
From ice age to modern age, Norway has gone through tumultuous times to become the country it is today. The Viking era, unions, wars and independence has shaped Norwegian society and people through thousands of years. Getting to know the complete history of Norway is an arduous task, so check out this Brief History of Norway.
What Did the Average Viking Eat?
When your every-day activities include pillaging villages and exploring the impressive fjords in Norway, you are going to need a lot of energy to sustain yourself. This means eating some pretty astonishing meals in order to maintain proper health with such an active lifestyle.
Viking Travels
Many tourists who travel to Norway are eager to learn more about the history of the Vikings. And, we can’t blame them. The Vikings were fascinating, complex people. Although they are primarily known as fierce warriors, they also engaged in trade and transport across much of Europe and built incredibly advanced ships that fascinate historians to this day. Here is some of what we know about how and where the Vikings traveled during the late 8th to the 11th century.
What Did The Viking Household Look Like?
The Vikings lived a primarily nomadic lifestyle. In fact, in Norway today the term “Go Viking” means to go explore something new or to push your limits. However, when the Vikings did settle in towns and farms for either short or long periods of time, they built homes often referred to as longhouses.
The Fascinating History of Viking Ships
No history of Norway is complete without mention of the Vikings. The Vikings were Scandinavian seafarers who raided and traded goods across a wide swath of Europe from the 8th to the 11th century. Much of the Vikings’ ability to expand can be credited to their ships. Viking ships were used for transport, trade, and warfare.
Viking Christmas
Every December the Vikings would celebrate the Midwinter Solstice, the longest night of the year and the daylight is the shortest of the year. The celebration included drinking, feasting, songs, games, banquets, and sacrifices for the gods and the ancestor spirits for 12 days straight.
Medieval Viking Feasts
A feast is a huge celebratory dinner with everything served in abundance. The Vikings were famed for their glutinous indulgence of food and habit of eagerly drinking beer or mead wine with every meal.
Vikings Past and Present
Norway has a strong Viking history, and for interested travellers, there are plenty of fantastic attractions all over the country that you can visit to learn more about this interesting part of our history. In this article, we’ll tell you all about Norway’s viking past – and how you can explore its legacy in the present.
Viking Villages in Norway
It’s no secret that there’s a strong Viking history in Norway. Even though the Viking era came to an end during the 11th century, the legacy of Vikings lives on. For those interested in learning more about Viking history, culture and tradition, there are several attractions ranging from museums and historical sites to Viking villages that bring history to life and give you a sense of stepping back in time to the Viking Age.