Tel. 
A Gateway between the present and the Viking Age
With increasing visitor numbers, the need for improved arrival facilities at Ribe VikingeCenter has become evident. Now, we are taking the next significant step in the development of the Centre, both as an attraction and as a guardian of our shared cultural heritage.
Our next major initiative, The Gateway to Ripa, will be far more than just an entrance. The ambitions are high, and the goal is to create a sensory-rich meeting place where the experience begins the very moment visitors set foot on site. The atmosphere will set the tone for a mental journey to Viking Age Ribe – the bustling trading town known to the Vikings as Ripa.
Guests will be met by the story of Ripa and given the tools to understand the Viking Age and its relevance to our modern world. Ribe VikingeCenter is a place of immersive experiences, and one of the key purposes of this new arrival area is to encourage deeper curiosity and participation. Academic knowledge, historical storytelling, and hands-on activities in the reconstructed Viking environments will come together to form a new, integrated experience for our visitors.
A growing attraction
During the opening season, Ribe VikingeCenter now welcomes over 70,000 visitors annually, the majority of whom come from abroad. In recent years, we have also seen a broader distribution of visitors across the season, reinforcing the need for a larger, more functional, and future-proof arrival facility.
The Gateway to Ripa will not be a traditional exhibition space filled with display boards and artefacts. Instead, it will be an engaging, immersive experience – a prologue to the living history conveyed through our Viking environments. It will spark curiosity about Ripa's place in history and open minds to the characters and stories brought to life by our Viking interpreters and volunteers. The new entrance will also allow for multiple routes into the reconstructed environment, improving visitor flow throughout the Centre.
A boost to the local community and tourism
In Viking terms, Ribe is in a class of its own. As the oldest town in the Nordic region and a key trading hub in the Viking Age, we have a unique foundation on which to build. This legacy obliges us to preserve and share the story with even greater impact.
The Gateway to Ripa arises from both a practical need and a strong interpretive vision. We are not just building to accommodate more guests – we are building to deepen our storytelling of Viking-Age Ripa. The new arrival area will add value for everyone who visits Ribe VikingeCenter, whether as a guest, staff member, or volunteer. We are committed to making history tangible and alive, with professionalism and quality at its core. These are the values that The Gateway to Ripa will embody.
