Follow in the Footsteps of the Vikings at Bork Viking Museum

A Journey Back in Time Thanks to Authentic Reconstructions

Old Viking houses, a wooden stave church, mills, a real Viking ship. Every corner of Bork Vikingehavn tells its own story. Several of the buildings here are exact reconstructions of houses excavated in central Jutland, and that is the detail that lifts this place above a themed attraction.

The chieftain's great longhouse with its attached byre is a copy of a house discovered in 1995 near Tarm, only a short drive from the museum. The wooden stave church of Sankt Erasmus, raised on the site in 2010, goes back to the discovery of a timber church buried beneath the stone church at Vorgod, north of Skjern. The plank walkway and the harbour works are based on finds from Nybro, roughly 25 kilometres southeast of Bork Havn.

Because the Vikings were genuine traders who travelled widely in their ships, a ship belongs at the heart of the site. At Bork Vikingehavn you can inspect an authentic reconstruction of one. Havørnen, the Sea Eagle, is modelled on a Viking ship found in the Oslofjord.

There is one more thing here that almost no visitor knows about in advance. Look for the Bork tapestry, an embroidered telling of Mikkel Hollmann's chronicle of the battle at Søndervig. It is West Jutland's own answer to Bayeux, and it hangs quietly in a museum most international visitors have never heard of.

When was Bork Vikingehavn built? The museum opened in the year 2000, funded with support from the Danish Holiday Fund, the former Egvad municipality and Ringkøbing county. It is one of the sites operated by Ringkøbing Fjord Museer, a group of museums and attractions telling the history of the area around the fjord.

Become a Viking Yourself at Bork Vikingehavn

At Bork Vikingehavn you are not just an observer. You can find out for yourself what being a Viking actually felt like. If you have booked a holiday home with children, a visit here belongs on the plan. On selected days, adults and children can learn to shoot a bow, make a real leather pouch, or watch the capable smiths grinding their swords. On the big warrior playground the smallest Vikings can burn off as much energy as they like.

These are the activities that turn you into a Viking on selected days at Bork Vikingehavn:

• Archery

• Chopping firewood

• Grinding flour

• Baking flatbread over the fire

A Spectacular Programme and Souvenirs in the Museum Shop

On selected days you can be drawn into the spectacular staged battles, guided Viking tours, dance performances and music events. For up-to-date details on events and activities, please visit the museum’s official website, as the programme varies throughout the year.

And although your visit will be memorable enough on its own, the museum shop lets you take an authentic keepsake home, for instance a replica of Viking jewellery or a piece of Viking inspired art. Entry to the shop itself is free, so you can browse without buying a ticket.

A Break in the Viking Hall

If hunger strikes, settle into the Viking hall and enjoy a good meal inspired by the ingredients of the Viking age. You can also sit outside in the sun, or in the shade in the newer open dining halls. The long tables are set as though for a feast, and there are Viking age board games to play while you eat. The only real question is who gets to sit in the great man's chair.

If you have brought your own food, simply find one of the tables reserved for families catering for themselves. This is very normal in Denmark and nobody will think anything of it.

In the Viking shop you will find good things to eat, jewellery, toys and other Viking inspired items that make a proper holiday souvenir.

Bork Vikingemarked: The Highlight in August

Every year on the second weekend in August, Bork Vikingehavn hosts the Bork Vikingemarked, the Viking market. More than 300 Vikings take part, selling handcrafted goods and good food. There is dancing and music, horsemanship, staged combat, games and fun for the whole family, and around 6,000 to 7,000 visitors come through the gates.

The tradition is older than the museum itself. The first Viking market in this area was held back in 1989 at Bundsbæk Mølle, more than a decade before Bork Vikingehavn existed. When the village was built, the market moved here and found its permanent home.

Eat Like a Real Viking

In the museum café, Kølsvinet, there is good food waiting for hungry Vikings. The name is worth knowing: a kølsvin is the keelson, the heavy timber laid over the keel of a ship to carry the mast.

Bork Vikingehavn on Social Media

Follow the call of the Vikings onto social media. On Facebook you hear about news and events at Bork Vikingehavn first.

Opening Hours at Bork Vikingehavn

You can find the latest opening hours on the museum’s website, making it easy to plan your visit during your stay in one of our holiday homes in Denmark. In July and August, the Vikings are usually in residence every day from 11:00 to 17:00. Opening hours are shorter and may vary during the shoulder seasons. Free parking is available directly outside the entrance to the open-air museum.

How Much Does Admission to Bork Vikingehavn Cost?

Adult admission runs between 125 and 150 DKK depending on the season. Children and young people up to the age of 18 go free, provided they visit the open air museum accompanied by an adult.