While we (@hanedane /Allan and I) were in Denmark, I posted very little. Wifi was spotty and there was so much to do and see! Opening my laptop just wasn't a priority. Now that we're safely back home and almost recovered from the jet lag, I have a ton of photos and memorable experiences that I want to share; it'll probably take me a few months to cover everything!
One amazing place we visited at the beginning of our trip was the Viking Ship Museum (Vikingeskibsmuseet) in Roskilde, just west of Copenhagen. The town sits at the southern end of the Roskilde Fjord which historically brought ships into the town's port.
The museum is located right on the inlet and houses a permanent exhibition of five Viking ships that were excavated from Roskilde Fjord near the town of Skuldelev. The Vikings deliberately sunk these ships to create a barrier that would prevent attacks by enemies sailing south down the fjord toward Roskilde.
Skuldelev 1: Norwegian cargo ship dating from 1030 that carried 6-8 men
The hull of Skuldelev 2 (1042), the great warrior longship that carried 65-70 men
Skuldelev 3 is a small trading ship and the best preserved of all five. It was built around 1040 of Danish oak. Its design allowed it to carry 4 tons of cargo and between 5 and 8 men.
Note the detail in the photos below:
Skuldelev 5 (1030): a small longship that carried about 30 warriors
Skuldelev 6: Norwegian fishing boat dating from 1030 for 5-15 men
We also toured the adjoining boat yard where craftsmen are building similar ships today, using ancient tools and techniques. The smell of tar used to seal the boats was strong in the air!
Two Vikings (Allan and his brother, Nicolai) looking over recent shipbuilding work
The Vikingeskibsmuseet is a really beautiful and majestic museum on the shore of Roskilde Fjord. Below is the view out the window of the exhibition hall housing the five Skuldelev ships, as well as a few modern vessels docked under Denmark flags in Roskilde Havneselskab.
