Birka

Birka, on the island of Bjorko in Lake Malaren, was one of the earliest towns in Scandinavia, a Viking Age trading centre of the 8th to 10th centuries, and with nearby Hovgarden a UNESCO site. Little stands above ground, but the ramparts, hundreds of grave mounds and a museum bring the vanished town and its far-reaching trade to life.

Background

Medieval sources spell the name Birca, and the island's name, Björkö, means "Birch Island". It lies 30 kilometers west of Stockholm, in the municipality of Ekerö. The town was founded around AD 750 and thrived for more than 200 years, with an estimated population of between 500 and 1000 people. Saint Ansgar arrived in 829, and in 831 he founded the first known Christian congregation in Sweden here, a mission recorded by Rimbert in the Vita Ansgari, written c. 865. Archbishop Unni died at Birka in 936. Coin finds suggest the town faded out around 960, and it was abandoned c. AD 975. Its graves have yielded jewelry and many textile fragments.

Source: Wikipedia, "Birka"

Highlights

• The grave mounds - hundreds of Viking burial mounds across the island.
• The town rampart - the earthwork defence of the trading settlement.
• The museum - finds and reconstructions of Viking Birka.
• The boat journey - the trip across Lake Malaren from Stockholm.

When to go

Summer, when the boats run and the site is open with guides; it closes outside the warm season. A dry day suits the walk over the mounds.

Good to know

There is little standing to see, so the reward is the setting, the mounds and the museum's context rather than dramatic ruins - imagination helps. Access is by a summer boat only, a half-day round trip. It suits those interested in the Viking Age more than casual sightseers.

Nearby

Drottningholm Palace lies between it and the city; central Stockholm is the boat's departure point.

Key facts