The Viking Ship Museum

Inside the Viking Museum at Roskilde, Denmark. photo by Paul Shoul

In a new article on GoNOMAD, I write about The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark. The museum is very unique and has actual Viking ships that were found and restored. Here’s a selection from the piece.

Not only will a patron get to learn about the creation of the ships, but they can then test out their own rowing skills in a modern-day Viking ship. There are also nine Viking ships on display that were found at Skuldelev in Roskilde Fjord and Museum Island. Museum goers can take a look at all of the ships which have been dredged from the fjord.

The museum focuses on the ships, seafaring and boatbuilding culture in ancient and medieval times. The oldest part of the museum, the Viking Ship Hall, was opened in 1969. Today, in addition to the five ships, guests can also view temporary exhibitions and a film about the excavation of the ships.

This is a great day trip for people visiting Denmark, not only for young travelers, but for families as well. Guests are able to learn about the history of the Vikings, their conquests and expansion, as well as their society and lifestyle. You can put on authentic Viking gear like headdresses, robes and weapons and look funny in front of the camera.

A lot of thought went into the museum, too. The architectural style has been described as “Japanese-inspired brutalism,” which gives a specific attitude to the historical perspective for the guests.

Another nice thing about this museum is the staff does not wear any Viking Age clothes or try to act gimmicky.

This is a straightforward presentation, and the staff feels that it’s truly important that the guests learn about the history of the Vikings through the actual content of the museum, and not just through the acting of the staff.

Read the rest of the article at GoNOMAD.com