Storholmen Viking Village, Sweden

The museum is located by a beautiful lake and nature reserve with old oak trees and a Viking-Age burial field with 165 mounds and other types of graves. There are several reconstructed buildings and a boat that creates an authentic atmosphere. There are also herb gardens and rune stones.

Every half-hour there is a special activity such as story-telling, Viking games, music or lectures. You can have a guided tour of the museum and burial field, courses in crafts, and other events. At certain times it is possible to go on board and row a Viking boat on the lake and there is sometimes a sauna evening with barbecue and boat trip. A family of goats mingle with visitors.

During the summer festival in July, visitors can meet 30-50 Vikings in costume, doing authentic chores and crafts. Visitors of all ages can try blacksmithing, wool crafts, bead-making, baking flat bread over the fire and much more.

Some special events are also arranged: Folk-fest (6 June) – a multi-cultural national day celebration (Folkfesten Kulturmötet) together with around 20 local clubs, organisations and culture-actors, musicians, artists, and dancers. In late August there is the Children’s Archaeological Day (Barnens arkeologidag).

School classes can visit Storholmen (April to June) to learn about Viking Age using a wide range of resources and activities.

The site is also open by arrangment at other times of year. There is a cafe and a small shop in the Viking village.

There are many other interesting things to see nearby, such as rune stones, Viking burials, medieval churches, prehistoric fortifications, but also other museums. Erikskulle exhibits an excavated Viking boat, and there are two museums in Norrtälje.

Within walking distance (300m) from Storholmen is a playground and a beach, where it is possible to camp.

"Our main goal is to work for an open, inclusive and living cultural heritage. In a time when history is aggressively used for xenophobic purposes, it is important to provide knowledge and meeting grounds for people with different backgrounds. It is important to work against myths of a “homogenous” Nordic people. Viking history tells of important cultural connections, in our region especially with the east: Russia, the Baltic and the Arabic world."