The 5 original Viking ships
Five legendary Viking ships were found at the bottom of Roskilde Fjord. A remarkable historical discovery. The ancient ships are on display at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, where visitors can watch as archaeologists construct replicas using Viking shipbuilding techniques. Sailing excursions on replicas of Viking ships are available in summer and kids can enjoy building their own wooden ship models.
The five Viking ships are the only ones in Denmark and represent a unique, nearly impossible, find. The ships were deliberately sunk to the bottom of Roskilde Fjord to provide a barricade to prevent the enemy from entering the fjord. They didn’t disintegrate because they were submerged and the water preserved them.
The Vikings were always a seafaring people, but these ships date from around the eleventh century, the end of the Viking Age.
Viking ships were an essential aspect of the Viking Age and one of the most important factors in defining who the Vikings were. Ships made it possible for them to explore the world and are the reason why the Viking Age is also well known outside of Scandinavia.