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Stories from the past must be told
Denmark is rich in archaeological traces from the Viking Age, but Ribe holds a truly exceptional place. Not just nationally, but on an international scale. As the oldest town in the Nordic region, Ribe’s Viking marketplace, with its tens of thousands of artefacts, offers a detailed account of skilled craftsmanship and wide-reaching trade networks across north-western Europe and Scandinavia.
Archaeological discoveries tell the story of the town’s founding around the year 700 and its development throughout the Viking Age. The earliest marketplace was later accompanied by defensive structures and one of the oldest churches in the Nordic countries, built in the mid-9th century. Surrounding Ribe are numerous villages and burial grounds, but it is especially the farmstead at Gl. Hviding located some 9 km south-west of Ribe near the Wadden Sea that enriches the picture of everyday life in the town and the predominantly agrarian society of the time.
Ribe VikingeCenter was founded in 1992, inspired by the town’s remarkable history and strong archaeological record. Its mission - then as now - is to reconstruct and bring to life the world of Viking-Age Ripa.
Reconstruction and Experimental Archaeology
Across a 12 ha site, Ribe VikingeCenter today showcases a range of Viking-Age environments that together present an almost complete picture of life in Denmark from AD 700 to 1000. It is a scenario quite unlike anything else in Denmark.
The reconstructed environments include:
The Marketplace (AD 700–900) – with tightly packed workshop plots and production buildings. This is the earliest Ribe, where traders from near and far gathered and craftspeople set up workshops and settled permanently.
Ripa Harbour (AD 750–850) – a vital hub for international trade and the driving force behind Ribe’s growth into a bustling port town. Along the quayside lie three boats, sized to transport goods along the river between the harbour and larger ships anchored in the Wadden Sea.
The Town of Ripa (AD 750–850) – with houses, gardens and plank roads, this area offers insight into urban life during the Viking Age. Among the buildings is a longhouse whose walls are adorned with a 20-metre-long mural.
Ansgar’s Church and Burial Ground (AD 850–950) – a vision of what the church built in Ribe by Bishop Ansgar in the mid-9th century might have looked like. The interior features 50 wall paintings in the Carolingian style.
The Ring Fortress (10th century) – currently under construction, this fortification includes a gateway, palisade and garrison buildings to demonstrate the architecture and craftsmanship of the ring fortresses.
Hviding Farmstead (c. AD 980) – complete with buildings, gardens and livestock, this site is the focal point for exploring Viking-Age farming and rural life.
Ribe VikingeCenter works closely with a wide range of professionals and institutions, both practical and academic. We consult archaeologists and master craftspeople for expert knowledge as we develop, construct and interpret our shared cultural heritage. Archaeological theories are tested through experimental archaeology in our reconstructed environments, and when the results are combined with academic research, we gain a fuller and more nuanced understanding of the past.
Living Interpretation
Ribe VikingeCenter is neither an excavation site nor a museum. It is an open-air heritage centre offering reconstructions, live interpretation and hands-on activities, where visitors are encouraged to explore and engage with the past.
The archaeological traces - postholes, hearths and ancient crafts - lie buried deep within the cultural layers beneath our feet, scattered throughout Ribe and the surrounding landscape. Yet only a few can imagine the smells and sounds of family life in a wealthy farmer’s hall, the beads of sweat on the glass beadmaker’s brow as he works in the dark beside his 1100-degree oven, or the silent struggles of the overlooked thrall, forced to labour hardest, eat least and live without hope of freedom.
All these fates and everyday stories are brought to life in Viking Age Ripa at Ribe VikingeCenter, where interpreters and dedicated volunteers ‘inhabit’ the reconstructed environments. Each has their own role and voice within the broader historical narrative, interacting with one another and with the setting around them. By giving a face and a personal story to, say, the carpenter of Ripa, his thoughts, dreams and fears, we also offer visitors a way to connect, reflect, and understand a distant past in relation to their own time. The combination of knowledge, reconstruction and live interpretation enables us to reach a wide and diverse audience.
Staff and volunteers
Since its foundation, Ribe VikingeCenter has embraced a strong sense of social responsibility, welcoming a diverse group of flex workers, interns, individuals on work placements, and young people from the school of production, Lustrupholm - now FGU Vest - with whom we continue to collaborate. Our team of interpreters is a vibrant mix of people with academic, educational and craft backgrounds, all united by a passion for storytelling.
And then there are the volunteers, numbering around 1,000 each year. Many of them first discovered the Viking world as visitors and later returned to take part in it. They have a love for history, enjoy the networking among fellow participants, and take real ownership of the Centre.
The dedication of our volunteers is invaluable to Ribe VikingeCenter. They assist with construction, equipment production, maintenance, event delivery and interpretation. Altogether, they make an enormous contribution to the day-to-day running of the Centre and the upkeep of our 12 ha site, which includes 25 historical buildings and 3 Viking ships. Volunteers help maintain 3,000 metres of wattle fencing and nearly 200 hand-sewn costumes with accessories. They take part in delivering 12 major events each season, as well as a full daily activity programme. Construction and maintenance take place throughout the summer and form an active part of our visitor experience.
We also work proactively to inspire the next generation of Viking volunteers, offering after-school activities for local children and teenagers. At Ribe VikingeCenter, they don’t just attend clubs - they go Viking.
New Initiatives
Ribe VikingeCenter is an independent, non-profit foundation, where any surplus is reinvested in the development of the Centre. Growth and progress are central to our mission. We are committed to remaining a dynamic and inspiring place to visit and work.
That’s why we continue to build, enhance the Viking environments, introduce new activities and events, and develop educational programmes, leisure offerings and much more. We want our guests and partners to see and feel that we are constantly evolving.
Ongoing development is also vital to engaging and retaining our staff and volunteers. It fuels our sense of community and keeps us on our toes.