Viking life - experiences at the Viking Museum in Stockholm.

If you want to take a historical journey back to the Viking Age, you should visit Vikingaliv, a relatively new Viking museum in Stockholm. We visited this museum last weekend, when we had a "tourist weekend" in Stockholm. Really fun and nice!

Travelling in Stockholm

Last week, we really travelled in our own city, Stockholm. At the weekend we visited Museum of the Middle Ages and went amphibian bus, and during the week Peter also attended a press tour at the National Museum before the reopening today. It has been great fun to be a tourist in Stockholm and you can probably say that we've got a little blood in our veins.

We have also received many tips for more interesting museums, so there may be a bit more tourism in Stockholm in the future. But first we have to finish our report from last weekend. We had time for one more museum that we haven't told you about yet: Vikingaliv - a Viking museum in Stockholm.

Viking life on Djurgården

The Viking Life Museum, which opened about 1.5 years ago, is located on Djurgården, right next to the city centre. Liquor Museum and not far from Gröna Lund. We choose to call it the Viking Museum even though it is not really a museum, at least not in the true sense of the word. For something to be called a museum, it is usually required to have collections, and Viking Life does not.

If you read the website or talk to the guides, they use words like 'interactive exhibition' or 'experiential museum', which might be a better description. We met Tora Andersson, an archaeologist and supervisor at the museum, and had a look around, of course.

Why a Viking Museum in Stockholm?

Vikingaliv is a private initiative and came about because the organisers felt that there was a lack of an exhibition that only is about Vikings. The Historical Museum in Stockholm also has an exhibition on the Vikings, but since there is great interest in the Viking Age, especially among foreign tourists, it was felt that there was room for a separate Viking exhibition.

Vikingaliv doesn't have nearly as many artefacts as the Historical Museum, but instead offers interactive experiences, realistic figures from the Viking Age and ... a train journey!

Welcome to the Viking Age!

At Vikingaliv, an effort has been made to present the Viking Age visually. On the wall there is a clear timeline showing the different eras of the Viking Age, and in the centre of the large hall you can see a life-size Viking, constructed from a real Viking skeleton.

You will also learn more about how ordinary Vikings lived. For example, you quickly realise that not all Vikings were raiders - the vast majority were ordinary farmers. In addition, you can see what the Vikings ate, find out how Viking children played and maybe, if you want, try a Viking game.

The Saga of Ragnfrid

The Viking Life experience ends with Ragnfrid's Saga, an 11-minute train journey through the life of the Viking woman Ragnfrid. The journey begins at the home of Ragnfrid and her husband Haralds on their farm in 963, and then takes you on a raid and a slave trade. The story is available in seven languages (Swedish, English, Russian, Finnish, Chinese, Spanish, Italian, French and German) and is recommended for ages 7 and up.

Ongoing at Vikingaliv

You can book guided tours for groups at the museum if you wish. The tours have different themes, and Tora, for example, guides about women in the Viking Age. Tora also told us that in December the museum will focus on the Norse festival of Jól, which is exciting! I (Helena) have lived in Iceland for a year and have experienced the interesting Icelandic traditions, where a lot has been preserved from the old days.

More about Vikings at the Historical Museum

Haven't you had enough of Vikings? You can walk from Vikingaliv to the Historical Museum, which also has a Viking exhibition. It's more 'traditional' by comparison, but there's a lot to learn about the Viking Age here!

Have you also been to Vikingaliv, Viking Museum in Stockholm? What did you think?

Find Viking Life in Stockholm

• Location: Vikingaliv, the Viking museum in Stockholm, is located at Djurgårdsvägen 48 in Stockholm.
• Tram/bus: You can easily get here by tram 7 or bus 67. Get off at Liljevalchs/Gröna Lund and walk towards Wasahamnen.
• Underground railway: The nearest metro station is Karlaplan. From here you can walk (about 15 minutes) or take bus 67.
• Ferry: If you want to go by ferry, take the Djurgården Ferry or M/S Emelie (Ressel shipping company) and get off at Allmänna Gränd. Then walk towards Wasahamnen/Galärvarvsparken.
• Go for a walk: If you choose to walk to Vikingaliv, walk along Strandvägen, and then cross Djurgårdsbron. Continue past the Nordic Museum.

Guide: Opening hours and prices

• Opening hours: The museum is open 10-17 every day (2019). For current opening hours and possible deviations, see the museum's website.
• Prices: The price for adults is SEK 159 (2019). Children 7-15 years old pay 119 SEK and students and seniors pay 139 SEK. Children under seven years old enter for free. For any changes in prices see the museum's website.
• Payment: It is not possible to pay with cash. At the entrance, shop and restaurant you can pay by card or Swish. It is also possible to pre-purchase tickets online.
• Service: There is a restaurant inside the museum called Glow. There is also a small museum shop.
• Accessibility: It is not possible to take a wheelchair on Ragnfrid's Saga (the train journey), you have to move from the wheelchair to the seat. For the hearing impaired, the script is available in Swedish and English.
• Read more: Museum website