DVA Annual General Meeting in Estonia
24-27 April 2025
The Annual General Meeting of the Destination Viking Association (DVA) took place in the Estonian city of Kuressaare 24 April, followed by seminars, working groups and site visits 25-26 April.
Participants and hosts outside Asva Viking village.
The meetings were interesting and useful and to meet so many of our members was fantastic and important.
The AGM decided that in 2026 the AGM will as a test be digital only, but don’t worry, we will organise at least two physical conferences with member meetings and site visits like we are used to during the physical AGMs. So, we will have plenty of opportunities to meet also in the coming year! And in the autumn this year there will be a conference with member meeting and site visits in Eastern Norway, and you will receive a detailed program in due time.
At the AGM meeting.
After the AGM there was a member meeting and here, new members Västerås in Sweden and Telemark County Council in Norway presented themselves. In addition, the new Viking Age Museum in Oslo was presented. This museum will amongst a wealth of other objects and themes be the now home of the Oseberg, Gokstad and Tune Viking ships. There were also workshops where members discussed important subjects for the route boosting process.
From the excursion – the hillfort at Pöide.
After the lunch, there were presentations of Estonian Viking heritage. In the afternoon, we went to the Asva Viking Farm for a delicious dinner.
The Viking dinner at Asva.
The following day there were site visits to Viking sites all over the island of Saaremaa visiting the two pre-Viking ship burials at Salme, a 6th-9th Century sacrificial site at Viidumäe, the Kaali meteor crater with Broze Age-pre-Roman Roman Age fortifications/shrine, the 7th-14th Century hillfort at Pöide, and a 7th-10th Century harbour site at Tornimäe. The tour concluded with a visit to the Kuressaare Castle.
Excursion - Viking ship burial at Salme
The day was rounded off with a dinner at the hotel with live music entertainment and presenting of diplomas to the two honorary members present: Bjørn Butler Jakobsen and Geir Sør-Reime.
Annely
Geir & Bjørn
Kajar & Rögnvaldur
All in all a well organised, interesting and forward-looking event!
I want to thank all participants in DVA for great work and our hosts for good planning and hospitality, especially Annely Holm and Kajar Lember.
Rögnvaldur Guðmundsson,
DVA Chair
[email protected]