5 Viking-themed locations for your next winter holiday

As memories of summer recede, as the colder weather sets in and the days get shorter, what better way to fight the gloom than to plan a little winter getaway?

But while many will head for warmer climes, what about those of us on the hunt for an authentic Viking experience? Here are five recommendations from The Viking Herald that could be your cup of mead, even in winter! 

Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant in Ölfus, Iceland, has been a family-run business for 35 years and focuses on Norse cultural heritage. Source: Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant

Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant, Ölfus, Iceland

The Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant is located in the village of Ölfus in southern Iceland, just over half an hour's drive from the capital, Reykjavík. A 35-year-old family business, Ingólfsskáli provides authentic Viking Age-style cuisine within a genuine turf-roofed Norse house.

Inside, the atmosphere is incredible and the food is sumptuous, while you can also sup the finest Viking mead and beer from a stylish drinking horn. Outside, the views are stunning, with the restaurant framed by the majestic Ingólfsfjall mountain. And yes, the restaurant is open throughout the winter season.

The Viking Museum in Stockholm features immersive, family-friendly exhibits that uncover the true history of the Vikings. Source: Jules Verne Times Two (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Viking Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

It's true, Sweden can get pretty chilly in the winter. So what better place to warm up than a fully heated museum?

The Viking Museum in Stockholm presents a comprehensive overview of the Viking Age in Sweden. Visitors can look forward to plenty of interactive elements, including a ride, Ragnfrid's Saga, that takes you right back to the Viking Age on a raid through 10th-century Europe.

There are also plenty of fascinating artifacts to inspect, including jewelry, weapons, coins, and items from burial tombs. And if your thirst for Viking knowledge is still not sated, you can always head down the road for the Viking World exhibition at the Swedish History Museum. 

The recreated street at the Centre immerses visitors in the raw reality of Viking life. Photo: Courtesy of JORVIK Viking Centre

York city center, England

It would be an exaggeration to say that Northern England is tropical in wintertime. Nevertheless, the weather is probably slightly less bracing than Scandinavia, at least if the wind isn't up.

York, formerly the Viking city of Jorvik, is oozing with history. The Jorvik Viking Centre will take you on an interactive exploration of Viking Age York, complete with the sounds, sights, and even the smells of the ancient city.

The exhibition spaces also present many of the finds of the famous Coppergate excavation, which produced a series of truly amazing artifacts preserved by the peaty soil. Also in York, we can recommend the Yorkshire Museum, which has a special new exhibition, Viking North. 

This Viking attraction features advanced technologies and immersive 360° video projections. Photo: Benoit Camus / Cités Immersives

Viking Cités Immersives, Rouen, France

A little further to the south in Rouen, France, you can try an all-new kind of experience, Viking, from Cités Immersives, which presents the Vikings in Normandy through a spectacular exhibition featuring 15 video portraits, artifacts, and a 360-degree display room.

The museum/entertainment venue tells the story of a hundred years of Viking invasions in northern France, the rise to power in Normandy of the Viking chieftain Rollo, and how the Normans subsequently built up the most powerful region in Europe. 

Located on the shore of Roskilde Fjord, the Roskilde museum focuses on Viking ship finds, reconstruction, and research. Photo: Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde

Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde, Denmark

Finally, there is the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark.

Here, you can see the Skuldelev ships, which were rescued from an offshoot of the Roskilde Fjord in 1962. The 11th-century Viking vessels, which are incredibly well-preserved, can be viewed up close and personal at the museum's scenic location adjacent to the fjord.

Although the outdoor shipbuilding yard is closed in the winter, you will still have the chance to see some master boatbuilders at work in the indoor workshop. Other highlights include daily guided tours in Danish and English, a range of Viking Age artifacts, and Café Knarr, which overlooks the wooden boats and serves Viking-inspired dishes.

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