Helge Ask was built at the Viking Ship Museum's Boatyard in 1990-91 from oak, pine and ash. Copyright: The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde.
The Autumn Activities 2027
In the autumn, the Vikings returned home from their summer voyages. Ships were hauled ashore, provisions were prepared for the winter ahead, and daily life moved closer to the hearth. The days grew shorter, and the dark season was approaching.
In the medieval manuscript Konungs skuggsjá (The King's Mirror), written around AD 1230, autumn is described as a time when sailing on the open sea became increasingly hazardous. In poetic language, it tells how the autumn winds gathered strength, making it necessary to keep ships ashore until spring returned.
Once the outdoor work was done, people gathered around the fire. Here, stories of gods, heroes and distant journeys were passed down from one generation to the next, and the long autumn evenings provided time for storytelling, fellowship and new knowledge.
Visit the Viking Ship Museum during the autumn holidays and experience the special atmosphere that the season brings to the Beach Meadow on the shores of Roskilde Fjord.
The programme for the autumn holidays 2027 will be published on this page in late summer 2027.
Birka Biscuits and Campfire Food
In the large tent on the Beach Meadow, we light the campfires so that warriors and families can keep warm.
Hear about Viking Age food cooked over an open fire, and bake your own birka biscuits over the flames. The recipe is based on archaeological finds of nearly 1,000-year-old remains from bread baking at the Swedish trading centre of Birka. That is why we call them birka biscuits.
Museum Island - Experience the art of boatbuilding
On the Museum Island you can learn more about how the magnificent boats are created. See how maritime archaeologists investigate and document the ship finds Svælget 1 and 2 from Copenhagen Harbour in the Maritime Archaeologists' Doculab. At the boatyard the boatbuilders is workning on Skuldelev 5 ship. You are very welcome to ask about their work, tools and choice of materials, or any other questions you may have.
The Build Boat workshop at the shipyard is where children and creative souls can build a model boat and then see how seaworthy their boat is in the water tank next to the workshop.
Viking Ship Hall - play and learn
After playing outside in the cool autumn breeze, warm up in the Viking Ship Hall and explore ancient discoveries. Both kids and adults will enjoy the history and stunning ships sunk 1,000 years ago. Learn from signs, join daily guided tours, or use the Useeum app with audio tracks for kids, adults, or experts. Kids can also solve the Museum Mystery to stop Master Thief Heidenreich's plans.
The museum's new Children's Hamlet offers crafts, role-playing, and storytelling. Pack a chest, tuck dolls into goatskin duvets, or cook by the fire for returning conquerors.