Birka – The Old Viking Capital

When we were in Stockholm some weeks ago we also took the opportunity to visit the island of Björkö, where once the main Viking settlement Birka was situated in what was to become Sweden. We went on a sightseeing boat from the Town Hall with running commentary from an archaeologist as we made our way westward on Lake Mälaren. It was a very pleasant two hours in glorious sunshine.

When we got there we were also guided around by the same archaeologist, dressed in Viking style. He showed us some of the many funeral mounds, what remained of the walls and many other interesting features. This was all in English since his audience represented many nationalities.

On the island there is also a small museum which displays, among other things, a model of a Viking village. A restaurant provides those without picnic baskets a decent meal at quite a price, as usual. But on the whole it was a wonderful experience, and I would certainly recommend it to anyone with the slightest interest in the past, and of course a lovely day out!

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