- Address: Hubk Aveny 35, 0287 Oslo, Norge
- Phone: +47 22 13 52 80
- Website: www.khm.uio.no/besok-oss/vikingskipshuset
- E-mail: postmottak@khm.uio.no
- Working hours: without days off, from October 1 to April 30 10: 00-16: 00, the rest of the time - 9: 00-18: 00
- Opening date: 1926
Those who love exciting stories about sea voyages will be interested in the Museum of Viking ships, which is located on the peninsula of Bugdyo near Oslo . There you can see the real ships of the Vikings and objects that they used when they buried the leaders and their relatives. The Museum of Viking ships is part of the Museum of Culture of the University of Oslo.
And before the entrance there is a monument to the Norwegian traveler Helge Marcus Ingstad and his wife Anne-Steene who proved the fact that the Vikings became the discoverers of the new continent, and it happened 400 years earlier than Christopher Columbus landed here with his people.
History of the Museum
The first Museum of Viking ships appeared in Norway in 1913, after Professor Gustafson made a proposal to build a separate building for the storage of vessels found in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The construction was financed by the Parliament of Norway , and in 1926 the first hall was completed, which became a haven for the Osebergsky ship. It was 1926 is the year of the museum's opening.
The halls for the other two ships, the Tün and Gokstad, were completed in 1932. The construction of another hall was planned, but because of the Second World War the construction was frozen. Another room was built only in 1957, today it houses other finds.
Exposition of the museum
The main exhibits of the museum are 3 Drakkars, built in the 9th-10th centuries. The Oseberg ship is in the oldest building of the museum. It was found in 1904 in a mound near the town of Tonsberg. The ship is made of oak. Its length is 22 m, its width is 6, it belongs to the class of light rooks.
Researchers believe that it was built around 820 and until 834 went to the coastal waters, after which he set out on his last journey as a funerary boat. Whose grab became the ship, it is not known exactly, as the mound was partially looted; in it were found the remains of two women of high origin, as well as some household items, including a wagon, which today can also be seen in the museum.
The Gokstad ship was found in 1880, also in a mound, but this time near the town of Sandefjord. It is also made of oak, but it is almost 2 m longer than Oseberg and much more massive; Its side is decorated with rich carvings. It was built around 800.
According to scientists, it could also be used for long trips, as evidenced by the fact that the exact copy of the Gokstad ship, built by 12 Norwegian enthusiasts, safely crossed the Atlantic Ocean and reached the coast of Chicago. By the way, during this trip it was found that the Drakkar could develop a speed of 10-11 knots - despite the fact that he walked just under one sail.
The Tyumen ship, built around 900, is in the worst condition - it has never been restored. He was found in the so-called "boat barrow" near the village of Rolvesi in Tyun in 1867. The length of the ship is 22 m, it was equipped with 12 rows of oars.
On ships you can look from the height - the halls of the museum are equipped with special balconies, allowing to see in detail how the deck is arranged. In another hall are displayed various items found in funeral mounds: wagons, beds, kitchen utensils, cloths, canes with tips in the form of animal heads, shoes and much more.
Gift shop
In the building of the museum there is a shop where you can buy souvenirs related to the museum theme: models of ships, booklets, magnets depicting Drakkars and others.
How to visit the museum?
The museum is open daily, opens at 9:00 in the summer and runs until 18:00, in the winter time it is open from 10:00 to 16:00. You can get to the museum from the Town Hall Square of Oslo by boat or by bus. Visiting the museum will cost 80 kronor (this is slightly less than $ 10).