Roskilde - Viking Ship Museum

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fjord and to protect the trading town of Roskilde from hostile attack - probably from Norwegian Vikings, who were then harassing the Danish coasts.

In 1962 the blockage was drained and the ships brought to the surface. Although they had broken into thousands of pieces they were found consist of an ocean-going freighter for trading with England, Iceland and Greenland, about 16.5m/54ft long; a trading vessel 13.3m/44ft long, used in the Baltic, the North Sea and on rivers - this was crewed by a maximum of six men and carried cargo stowed amidships; a warship some 18m/59ft long, for sails or 24 oarsmen; a ferry-boat, about 12m/38ft long, which was also used for fishing; and finally a longship so long - some 28m/92ft - that at first it was believed to be two vessels. The last was the dreaded Viking man-of-war, seaworthy and yet easily beached, fast and maneuverable in battle. Then began the task of piecing together and restoring the ships. Although the Viking ships of Roskilde are of little significance to specialist archaeologists they are of great interest from a purely historical and artistic point of view.

There is a cinema in the museum where films are shown daily about the recovery of the ships (commentary also in English). A permanent exhibition provides the visitor with information about the Vikings, the construction of the ships and sub-aqua archaeology.