The Viking Ship Museum is also to be found in Roskilde. This working museum is on the shores of the fjord.  Over 60 vessels can be seen at the museum.

Some of them are very old including the wrecks of five Viking ships dating from the 11th Century.  These were found in the fjord near Skuldelev.  They were lovingly raised from the mud and are now preserved under cover at the museum.

The beautiful lines of a Viking ship    (P1000156 © DY of jtdytravels)

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One of the five 11th Century Viking ships in the museum
(P1000154 © DY of jtdytravels)

The museum’s boatyard is the working part of the museum.

Modern-day craftsmen build wonderful wooden boats from old designs.

Replicas of Viking ships    (P1000165 © DY of jtdytravels)

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Quietly tied up at the wharf   (P1000169 © DY of jtdytravels)

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ship under construction    (P1000168 © DY of jtdytravels)

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Oared and ready to go! (P1000175 © DY of jtdytravels)

In 2000, the museum started a major project to build an exact copy of a 30 metre long trading vessel, one of the five ships found in the mud not so far away.  This ship was originally built in Dublin in 1042, a fact that was established from the timbers used in its construction.  The wonders of modern science!

The new ship was christened the Sea Stallion of Glendalough, (Havhingsten fra Glendalough).  In June 2007, with a 65-man crew aboard, it successfully sailed back to Dublin.

We made one last stop before heading back to Copenhagen.  We stopped at a Viking orientated Outdoor Museum.  Here, families lived as the Vikings would have making clothes, cooking, dyeing and other activities for a ‘different’ weekend.

A Viking dwelling    (P1000177 © DY of jtdytravels)

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New-age Vikings   (P1000180 © DY of jtdytravels)

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Pots of old   (P1000181 © DY of jtdytravels)

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This one is definitely not a sea-going boat   (P1000184 © DY of jtdytravels)

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The simple interior of a Viking house   (P1000191 © DY of jtdytravels)

Just as we left the village, a heavy thunderstorm broke and followed us most of the way back to Copenhagen.  On arrival, however, the skies had cleared and we spent a lovely night at Tivoli having a meal overlooking an area through which many people strolled and kids played.

Next stop on our Viking Islands Adventure was to be The Shetlands… next musings    D