Lofotr Viking Museum

In 1981 a farmer ploughing at Borg turned up traces of a building that excavation through the 1980s showed to be the largest Viking-age building found in Norway, 83 metres long, the seat of a chieftain who controlled this part of Lofoten from around 500 to 950 AD. Finds included gold foil figures and imported glass and pottery from the Rhineland and England, indicating long-distance connections. A full-size reconstruction was built beside the original site and opened in 1995, furnished as a chieftain's hall with a living room, byre and storage, staffed in summer by people demonstrating weaving, forging and cooking, with feasts served in the hall. A reconstructed Viking ship, the Lofotr, sails from the shore below in season.

History

Archaeologists uncovered the chieftain's house at Borg in 1983; it was probably established around 500 AD and rebuilt and enlarged in the 8th century, and a joint Scandinavian research project worked here from 1986 to 1989. The seat was abandoned around AD 950, and the museum, with its reconstruction of the 83-metre house slightly north of the excavation, opened in 1995 (Wikipedia, Lofotr Viking Museum).

The main sights

• The reconstructed longhouse - a full-size 83-metre chieftain's hall.
• The excavation site - the original building's footprint alongside.
• The craft demonstrations - weaving, forging and cooking in summer.
• The ship - a reconstructed Viking vessel sailing from the shore.

When to go

May to September for full staffing, craft demonstrations, ship sailings and feasts; the museum opens on reduced hours in winter with much of the outdoor programme closed. Summer feasts need booking.

Practical notes

The longhouse is a reconstruction, and the archaeological remains themselves are a marked outline in a field. Outside summer the site is much quieter with fewer activities. The feast is an extra charge and books out.

Nearby

Haukland and Uttakleiv beaches are on the same island; Henningsvaer and Svolvaer lie east.

Key facts