In our interviews with Norwegian museums, both the Museum of the Viking Age and Gudvangen representatives mentioned Lofotr (Lofoten in English) as one of their top three places to visit for Viking enthusiasts. Lofotr sits on the island of Vestvågøy in Norway. It offers an immersive Viking experience, including the world’s longest reconstructed longhouse.
The Lofotr Viking Museum stands at Borg, near Bøstad. Its official website lists opening hours, tickets, and the dates of each year’s festival.
History of Lofotr
Fish are the foundation of Lofotr’s history and prehistory. The spawning North Atlantic cod gave people a reason to settle the island and a resource, on which they could build their lives. Humans have lived in the area for at least 6,000 years.
The Viking village of Borg provides the basis for the Viking museum and its fabulous longhouse. The museum itself features short films that explain the history of Borg. The Viking village was discovered as the result of potsherds found while a farmer plowed his fields. Excavations from 1983 to 1989 revealed that Borg was a chieftain’s village, and archaeologists were surprised at how far north the chief had settled. (A similar discovery in Denmark is told in Hune Longhouse: A Great Viking Find.)
Around 1100 A.D., stockfish provided the basis for an economic boom. It led to the founding of Vágar, “the first city formation in Northern Norway during the Middle Ages,” as Museum Nord’s History of Lofoten puts it.
Activities at the Lofotr Viking Museum
During the summer, guests to Lofotr can enjoy rowing or sailing a Viking longship if the weather allows. Children can ride some of the old Norse horses. Archery and axe throwing are also popular. Other activities are scheduled year-round, including candle making and a Christmas workshop.
Food at Lofotr
Locally available resources inspire much of the food available at Lofotr. At the harbor, Skjelterskjåen Café offers soups, pancakes, and ice cream. The museum café has waffles and locally produced cheese, sausages, and smoked salmon. The Chieftain’s house provides guests with lamb soup, local bread, and sour cream. Mead is available for those who wish to try the fermented honey beverage. At dinnertime, the Lady of the House and the Chieftain offer a feast that includes lamb thigh. Afterwards, there are stories, singing, and other entertainment.
The Lofotr Viking Festival
Lofotr receives about 100,000 guests a year and employs 70 people during the summer season. Their biggest draw may be the Viking Festival that occurs each August. Visitors experience life as a Viking through combat demonstrations, concerts, and the many stalls of various artisans.
Opportunities to participate in the festival aren’t limited to tourists. Practicing Vikings from around the world are welcome to apply for a spot to show their skills and teach people what they know about the Viking way of life.
Why Not in Alaska?
Standing in that longhouse, it’s hard not to ask: why not here? Alaska shares Lofoten’s long winters, cold seas, and wild coastline. Imagine a Viking longhouse and a longship under Alaskan mountains, with smoke rising from the hearth and a story being told. That vision is what Asgard Alaska is working toward, and museums like Lofotr show what such a place can do for a community.
If Lofotr inspires you, follow along on the blog as Asgard Alaska works toward an open-air Viking museum of its own.
Sources
- lofotr.no, Lofotr Vikingmuseum
- museumnord.no, History of Lofoten
