Visit Fyrkat Ringborg
The ring fortress consists of the historical ring fortress Fyrkat from 980 and the Viking farmstead, which includes nine reconstructed houses forming a large estate from the Viking Age. Both the residential houses and workshops are built of oak timber with clay-plastered walls and thatched roofs.
Fyrkat Ringborg was excavated in the 1950s, and next to the fortress, a burial ground with 30 graves of men, women, and children was found, with one woman's grave standing out. The woman was buried with unusual jewelry and artifacts, indicating that she was a völva – a sorceress from the pagan faith. The story of Fyrkat fortress and the buried sorceress is also the story of Denmark during a transitional period when the country's king, Harald Bluetooth, turned his back on the old Norse faith and was baptized.
The history of the fortress and the burial ground is presented in the landscape around the fortress, where you will also find a reconstructed longhouse in full size. In addition to Fyrkat fortress, the attraction Viking Museum Fyrkat includes a reconstructed great farmstead as it was known in the time of Harald Bluetooth. The farm with a visitor center and playground is located one kilometer from the fortress.
The History of Fyrkat Ringborg
The location of Fyrkat fortress in Onsild Ådal was not accidental. In the Viking Age, it was possible to sail from Kattegat through Mariager Fjord all the way to Fyrkat. Fyrkat is also situated at a crossing point that travelers on the north-south route through Jutland, the Hærvej, had to pass, making it possible to control the traffic through Jutland.
Fyrkat fortress, like the other Danish ring fortresses, was constructed according to a very strict geometric pattern. The inner diameter of the fortress is 120 meters. Around the fortress, a 12-meter wide and over three-meter high rampart was built, featuring a plank-built front. In front of the rampart, there was a moat approximately seven meters wide and two meters deep.
At the four gates, there was a wooden opening leading to the plank road that divided the fortress area into four equal quarters. In the four quarters, four identical houses were located around a square courtyard.
Guided Tour
Get up close to Harald Bluetooth and the Viking Age with a guided tour of the Fyrkat ring fortress. Discover what a ring fortress actually is and gain insight into the lives of the people who once lived here. Hear exciting stories about how the ring fortress was built and what has been learned about its significance so far.
The tour is conducted in Danish and takes place every open day at 11 AM and 2 PM. The tour lasts 30 minutes. Read more here.
Part of UNESCO
The five ring fortresses in Denmark have been UNESCO certified and are thus part of the World Heritage List.
In Himmerland, we have two ring fortresses. Aggersborg in northwestern Himmerland, which is actually the first and largest ring fortress in Denmark. The second is Fyrkat, located in Hobro, where there are several activities throughout the summer, as well as a fully reconstructed village where you can experience "living" Vikings working in the workshops and living as they did in the old days.
In September 2023, the ring fortresses became part of the UNESCO World Heritage List, having outstanding significance and being considered as part of the world's cultural heritage. Come to Himmerland and visit the ring fortresses to experience the culture of the Viking Age up close.
