Trelleborg viking market

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Top 10 Viking sites in Denmark

Photo: Simeon Baker - Copenhagen Media Center

Denmark has a rich Viking history and plenty of Viking sites that are just waiting to be explored. This is why we've gathered the top 10 Viking sites around the country for your convenience. Well, 12 sites actually because keeping it to 10 was a bit of a challenge.

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Roskilde Viking Ship Musuem

01

Set sail at the Viking Ship Museum

The Viking Ship Museum lies on beautiful Roskilde Fjord and contains five completely reconstructed Viking longboats, built from salvaged wrecks from the Fjord itself. And if you are up to it, you can even roam the fjord in one of the reconstructed Viking ships.

Jelling

02

Practice the runic alphabet at the Jelling Monuments

Jelling is one of the most important historical sites in Denmark. Here you’ll find the incredible Viking rune stones, known as Denmark’s birth certificate. They tell the story of Denmark’s birth as a nation, as well as King Harald Bluetooth’s introduction of Christianity to the country.

03

Get hands-on Viking experience at Ribe Viking Center

In Denmark’s oldest town, Ribe, you can sense the history all around in this picturesque country town. At its Viking Centre, you can wander through a full-size reconstruction of Ribe’s Viking market place. They even have an annual international Viking market where Vikings from all over the world meet and exchange tales.

04

Deep dive into Denmark's history at the National Museum

The National Museum is located in the heart of Copenhagen, and it is a great place to start your Viking trail across Denmark. Learn all about Denmark’s distant past and see priceless treasures such as Viking jewellery, coins, weapons and rune stones.

05

Scandinavia's biggest ancient burial ground, Lindholm Høje

Lindholm Høje is the biggest ancient burial ground in Scandinavia. The site dates back to the Iron Age and Viking period and contains a staggering 700 graves, marked with striking stone rings and patterns. There’s also a great museum for you to visit.

06

Experience a Viking market at Trelleborg Fortress

The Viking stronghold of Trelleborg is an impressive ring fortress is surrounded by a 134-metre-diameter wall. Walk the site and visit ancient archaeological finds in the museum, next to a reconstructed castle. In summer, you can enjoy a fantastic Viking market.

07

Visit a Viking burial mound at Ladby Viking Museum

South of the town Kerteminde on Fyn, you’ll find Ladby Viking Museum. This museum is at the site of a Viking burial mound found to contain a 20-metre-long Viking warship in which a Viking chieftan was buried along with his most precious things.

08

See a Viking house up close at Fyrkat Viking Center

A long time ago (980 AD to be exact), the Danish Viking king Harold Blåtand erected the impressive Fyrkat fortress. At Fyrkat Viking Center you can deep dive into the fortress' history as well as explore the 28.5 m long reconstructed Viking house.

09

Visit the largest Viking ring fortress, Aggersborg

At Aggersborg you can wander around the atmospheric ruins of a round Viking castle fortress which was the largest of its kind. It's location near Løgstør was strategically chosen by Harald Blåtand in 980 as it overlooked the narrowest passage in the Limfjord.

10

Get to know the crafty Vikings at Bork Viking Harbour

At the southern end of Ringkøbing Fjord, you’ll find Bork Viking harbour. Learn all about life in the area in Viking times at the visitors’ centre and experience reconstructed Viking ships and houses.

11

Explore the pre-historic Denmark at the Land of Legends

Interested in more than just the Viking Age? Then a visit to the Land of Legends in Lejre is for you. At this 106 acre archaeological open air museum, you can explore reconstructions of a village from the Iron Age, a Viking market place and camp-site from the Stone Age - just to name a few.

12

Learn about the Viking village of Aros at the Viking museum

Did you know that Denmark's second largest city, Aarhus, was actually founded by Vikings some 1200 years ago? At the Viking Museum, you can learn about the ancient Vikings of Aros (now known as Aarhus).