The Viking Museum in Aarhus
The Viking Museum is a window to the Viking town of Aros. Some 1200 years ago the Vikings founded Aarhus – at the very same spot and level where The Viking Museum is situated in the basement underneath the Nordea Bank in the 'Skt. Clemens Torv' Square.
Here you can see the finds made at this very spot around 1,000 years ago – at Store Torv, where Nordea is located today.
The Vikings' Aros
The exhibition ‘Back to the Viking Age’ shows the Vikings' Aros, as Aarhus was called in the Viking Age. The Viking Museum is part of the Moesgaard Museum and is based on excavations at the very spot where the museum is located.
The trading town of Aros
The many finds testify that Aarhus was already a thriving trading town in the Viking Age, inhabited by many different craftsmen. The merchants had contacts to the north, south and east. At that time, Aarhus was surrounded by a huge defensive wall that protected it from outside attacks and ensured that there was control over who moved in and out through the city gates.
The city's oldest murder mystery
Deep down in one of the seven semi-underground pit houses, you can see the skeleton of the oldest Aarhusian found to date. The way he is lying indicates that we are dealing with a murder mystery from the Viking Age.
Learn more about the Vikings
The Vikings were feared in their time. They plundered with terrifying ferocity and violence. This is described in contemporary sources, often written by the monasteries that were victims of their ruthless attacks. At the Viking Museum, you can learn a lot more about the Vikings and how their activities were far more extensive than just piracy and plundering.
Practical information
- The museum is located in the basement beneath Nordea Bank in Aarhus and is therefore not suitable for wheelchair users or people with walking difficulties.
- Please note that you can only pay by credit card at the Viking Museum.
- The museum is closed on bank holidays.
Free entrance for children under the age of 18.