This little adventure actually began back in the year 980 when Harald Bluetooth was the Viking king. He chose to build Fyrkat Fortress, which is one of the five fortresses (with a ring wall around the settlement) that exist in Denmark.
It was late summer when we (Sebastian, Lise, and myself) decided to embark on a Viking adventure and drove out into the Danish countryside to visit Fyrkat near Hobro. The weather wasn’t the best, but wow, what an incredibly beautiful area awaited us. Lovely nature and a sense that history has unfolded here for many, many years.
Viking Center Fyrkat
The first thing we encountered was the Viking Center Fyrkat. Here, you gain insight into what everyday life was like on the Viking farms. You can easily spend a lot of time here as it is fascinating to see how, for example, the blacksmith’s workshop, the herb garden, and other parts of Viking-era farms functioned.
Fyrkat
Sebastian is standing at the large square that used to be Fyrkat. On the square, you see white markings indicating where the buildings once stood. It is fascinating to gaze out over the square and imagine what it must have looked like back when there were buildings and life on the square.
Reconstruction
Just outside the ramparts, there is a reconstruction of one of the old buildings. It offers a fascinating glimpse into what the buildings looked like and adds an extra layer to my imagination of what Fyrkat was like back in the year 980. The reconstruction is of one of the 16 longhouses that were situated in Fyrkat.
All in all, it was fascinating to gain insight into our Viking history amidst the beautiful nature. The best part has undoubtedly been how easily Sebastian becomes enthralled by everything from ancient times. It awakened a playful spirit and turned into an adventure for all three of us.
Links
- fyrkat.dk – privately owned website, but quite good
- The Historical Museum of Northern Jutland about Fyrkat
