Vikings in
their Natural Habitat:
The Foteviken Viking Village Museum
The Foteviken Viking Village Museum
All imagess are
copyright Randy or Ann Asplund
Mainstreet: Thje Foteviken Viking Village Musem during the Market Event
Inside the viking town of Foteviken, Sweden
A view inside Foteviken showing some of the low roofs along the coast
Bjorn, the owner of the Foteviken Museum
Randy Asplund outside the Great Hall
Inside the Great Hall at Foteviken
Inside a house in Viking Foteviken. You can come on in and sit right down.
A merchant house in Viking Foteviken
Inside the merchant house of the previous picture
Living Viking style inside a house at Foteviken
Outside, a Grandfather tells stories to a young Viking
Viking smiths working the forge at Foteviken
Viking coin minting in Foteviken
The viking longship at Foteviken
Cooking viking style in Foteviken. That's the oven in the corner.
Sunset on the Foteviken viking village, 21st century
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Nobody knows how to play at being a viking better than a real
Scandinavian. The reenacting quality over there is incredible. On the
southern tip of Sweden sits an ancient site where viking markets were
held. Today, very close to that same spot is the Foteviken Viking
Village Museum. The village perches on a bluff overlooking the sea
between Denmark and Germany. It is surrounded by a high earthen wall
and wooden stockade. Inside are many buildings that are authentic
reproductions of the buildings used by the scandinavian people of the
early middle ages. There is a reconstructed viking ship, and even
a watchtower. And it gets better- During special events, people actually live in the buildings as they did 1000 years ago, using the ancient kinds of gear their ancestors used so long ago. The way it works is quite clever. During a Market Event the reenactors fill the area and are not allowed to show anything that is not viking period. They sell wares from the shop fronts and from their period tents. Then when the museum officially closes to the public, the whole place gets turned over to the reenactors. Being Sweden in the summer, there are still many hours of daylight left for having fun. It works great for everybody! NOTE: In the images below I waited until most of the people were out of the view before taking the pictures so that we could see the buildings better. |
Mainstreet: Thje Foteviken Viking Village Musem during the Market Event
Inside the viking town of Foteviken, Sweden
A view inside Foteviken showing some of the low roofs along the coast
Bjorn, the owner of the Foteviken Museum
Randy Asplund outside the Great Hall
Inside the Great Hall at Foteviken
Inside a house in Viking Foteviken. You can come on in and sit right down.
A merchant house in Viking Foteviken
Inside the merchant house of the previous picture
Living Viking style inside a house at Foteviken
Outside, a Grandfather tells stories to a young Viking
Viking smiths working the forge at Foteviken
Viking coin minting in Foteviken
The viking longship at Foteviken
Cooking viking style in Foteviken. That's the oven in the corner.
Sunset on the Foteviken viking village, 21st century
| Foteviken
is a wild trip into life a thousand years ago. The closest thing to it
I've seen in the USA are places like Plymouth Plantation and Colonial
Williamsburg. And yet it is unique and special in a way that is
different from what we have over here. The American living history
museums are relatively modern in comparison. When you go to Foteviken
you really feel like you have stepped into the past. But if you decide
to go there, I strongly recommend that you plan ahead to be there
during a viking event because seeing the place in use is a magical
experience that far surpasses the museum itself. It is a ghost town
without the people, but like Brigadoon, it comes out of time and lives
when the vikings are in town. Thanks for
joining us on our safari to see vikings in their natural habitat!
Randy & Ann in Foteviken |
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