Easter Activities

Easter Holiday activities 2026

The Viking Ship Museum offers exciting activities every day from 28 March to 6 April.

The Mystery in the Deep

For 600 years, an enormous medieval ship lay hidden on the seabed. Maritime archaeologists from the Viking Ship Museum have now excavated and raised the enigmatic wreck. Their investigations show that the find is nothing short of sensational: a medieval cargo ship – a so‑called cog – and the largest of its kind ever discovered.

Today, the ship is known as Svælget 2. The excavation and research were recently featured in a Danish documentary series titled The Mystery in the Deep, which followed the archaeologists’ work step by step – from the first dive to the recovery of the ship’s remains. The series introduced the Danish public to the discovery, but at the museum you can explore the story firsthand, regardless of whether you have seen the programme.

Discovery Trail: The Mysterious Shipwreck

The Discovery Trail The Mysterious Shipwreck invites families to follow the traces of the ship and search for answers to some of the same questions that fascinate researchers.
Like the maritime archaeologists, you’ll uncover clues and gain insights into the wreck: How old is the ship? Who sailed on it? And what might have caused such a large vessel to sink?

Along the way, clues, objects, and stories bring you close to kings, pirates, and merchants, each of whom plays a part in the tale of the ship and the people who used the sea for trade and power in the Middle Ages.
Because long voyages and life at sea carried great risks and – if all went well – the promise of significant wealth.

At the end, you’ll meet the archaeologist who needs your help to find the tiniest traces of the world’s largest cog hidden in the sand and water.

When you have solved the mystery, you can enter a competition to win a family sailing trip at the Viking Ship Museum this summer.

Visit the Maritime Archaeologists’ Workshop

In the maritime archaeologists’ workshop, you can explore the pop‑up exhibition The Mystery in the Deep.
Here, you’ll learn about the discovery and excavation of two remarkable shipwrecks and gain insight into the work involved in documenting, analysing, and understanding ships from the past.

Visit the boatyard and build your own boat in the workshop

At the Viking Ship Museum’s boat yard, visitors can experience how traditional Nordic wooden boats are built using craftsmanship that traces its roots back to the Viking Age. The museum’s boatbuilders work with axes, adzes, and other historical tools, allowing you to follow the process up close – from raw timber to a finished boat.

In the build-a-boat workshop, children and adults can try their hand at boatbuilding on a smaller scale. Here, you can design your own wooden model boat and gain a hands‑on understanding of the techniques that have shaped seafaring for more than a thousand years.

Both the boat yard and the Boatbuilder’s Workshop are among the museum’s most popular activities for international visitors, offering a vivid encounter with craftsmanship still practiced much as it was 1,000 years ago.

A full‑day experience

There are plenty of other experiences to explore at the Viking Ship Museum during the Easter holidays. Get closer to life at sea 1,000 years ago and discover how ships shaped everyday life, travel, and trade.

Families can try on Viking clothing and step aboard two reconstructed Viking ships, equipped as they might have been for long voyages. Afterwards, visit the Children’s Settlement, where younger visitors can explore how people lived, worked, and travelled in the past.

Highlights include:

• Hands‑On Experiences: Step aboard full‑scale reconstructed Viking ships or explore the imaginative play spaces designed for younger visitors
• Historic Discoveries: See five original Viking ships from Skuldelev and the museum’s exhibitions on shipbuilding, seafaring, and daily life in the Viking Age
• Guided Experiences: Join expert‑led tours in English (perfect for adults) or use the museum’s immersive audio guide to explore the exhibitions at your own pace