Viking Women at Lofotr Viking Festival - Viking Dragon Blogs

Lofotr Viking Festival, Norway

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Polish Vikings at the Lofotr Viking Festival - Viking Dragon Blogs

Every year in early August, Vikings from Norway and across Europe gather at the Lofotr Viking Festival in the far north of Scandinavia.

Sol and Marita at Lofotr Viking Festival - Viking Dragon Blogs

The festival takes place at the Lofotr Viking Museum in the magical Lofoten Islands which are located in the far northwest of Norway, 200km above the Arctic Circle. The museum is centered on an epic reconstruction of an enormous Viking longhouse which was discovered nearby. At 73 metres long it is the largest Viking longhouse ever discovered!

Performers at Lofotr Viking Festival - Viking Dragon Blogs

The festival is busy with Viking traders, battle re-enactments, live music and performers, as well as lots of handmade crafts and craftwork demonstrations.

 
Shopping at Lofotr Viking Festival - Viking Dragon BlogsViking warriors lining up at Lofotr Viking Festival - Viking Dragon BlogsStoryteller on a runestone at Lofotr Viking Festival - Viking Dragon BlogsBlacksmith at Lofotr Viking Festival

Tablet weaving lessons at Lofotr Viking Festival

In the evenings Viking men and women gather around cosy camp fires, are entertained by fire shows and of course have feasts in the magnificent Viking longhouse!

 
Evening cooking fire at Lofotr Viking FestivalFire performers at Lofotr Viking FestivalFeasting in the longhouse at Lofotr Viking Festival

All of this is set within the beautiful and magnificent landscape of the Lofoten Islands with its breathtaking scenery!

The beautiful Lofoten Islands
The beautiful Lofoten Islands

The Lofoten archipelago consists of five large islands and many smaller islands, pointing out like a finger into the Norwegian Sea. The wild and rugged landscape of mist-covered mountain peaks and hidden fjords is very sparsely populated, and maintains a very traditional Nordic atmosphere with wooden Norwegian houses painted in their traditional red and white colours.  

The beautiful Lofoten IslandsCod hanging up to dry in the Lofoten IslandsInterior of old boathouse in the Lofoten Islands

It has a surprisingly mild climate for its extreme northern latitude, due to the warm Gulf Stream ocean-current, so even in the Dark Ages Vikings would have been able to sail their longships through its fjords and settle here quite comfortably, feasting in their magnificent longhouse just as our modern day Vikings are able to do today!

Longship in the fjord at Lofotr Viking FestivalAn evening in the longhouse at Lofotr Viking Festival

My visit to the Lofoten Islands was a unique experience I shall never forget!

Me with some of my glamorous Viking friends!

All photos and text by Rob Wildwood

For more information, visit the Lofotr Viking Museum website below at www.lofotr.no

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