Viking Valley and Njardarheimr: Living Museum in Norway

At the head of Norway’s UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, in the village of Gudvangen, a community of modern Vikings lives the old way and invites the world to visit. Their Viking village, Njardarheimr (‘home of Njord,’ the Norse god of the sea and prosperity), is known to visitors as Viking Valley. It stands on the site of an annual Viking market and is run as a living museum devoted to education and authenticity. In fact, the museum named it one of three places every Viking enthusiast should see, as we learned in our interview with the Museum of the Viking Age.

Vikings in the Njardarheimr Viking Village

More than 20 buildings were created with local materials, notably peat and sod. However, it’s the people in the village that help Viking Valley stand out among Viking sites.

“In Gudvangen, we have dedicated Vikings living there. It’s their passion and lifestyle, no dressed up summer-job students with a manuscript,” Husfrua Torill Hylland told us by email in 2023. “You can address any of them and ask questions. They all love to tell you about their main interest: the Vikings and their everyday life.” (Husfrua means ‘mistress of the house,’ the woman in charge of the village. At the time, Hylland was also its CEO.)

Experience Viking Life

While the Vikings are an important part of this living museum, another vital aspect to the experience is that visitors to Njardarheimr get to do things the Viking way.

“In a typical museum, you can’t touch the things, you don’t necessarily understand the use and purpose of it,” wrote Hylland. “Trying it out for yourself, seeing it in action is a different experience. It comes to life.” Seeing a demonstration and being able to ask about what is going on leads to better understanding and remembering. Likewise, we took the same lesson from the living Viking museums at Lofotr in northern Norway and Foteviken in Sweden.

Eat Like a Viking in the Njardarheimr Viking Village

Blacksmithing, archery, and axe throwing are some of the activities available at Njardarheimr. However, every culture is better experienced through a meal, and in Viking Valley, visitors can have an authentic Viking meal.

“The best part of a traditional Viking meal is that it is real food: healthy, no artificial stuff added. And it’s local and sustainable,” wrote Hylland. She then added that the “use of local herbs also makes it taste good.”

Can’t make it to Norway? Then visit Njardarheimr online at vikingvalley.no, where you can see the village and find opening seasons, tickets, and directions.

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