The ancient Viking town of Birka lies on the beautiful island of Björkö (literally Beech Isle), which itself lies in the Stockholm Archipelago some 30km west of Stockholm.

We travelled to Björkö by boat from Stockholm, the boats leaving from near to the City Hall. The trip takes approx. 1hr 45 min, and comes complete with a commentary on board from an archaeologist. Admittance to Björkö, the Birka Viking museum, and a guided tour around Björkö by one of the archaeological team are included in the price of the boat trip.

It was, as you can see, a beautifully warm summer's afternoon, as close to perfection as only a Nordic summer day can be! Although there was approximately 200 people on the island, the atmosphere was quiet and respectful, almost one of reverence, as one might experience in a great cathedral.

As you can see from the photos, the views from the top of the fort are spectacular. You can really visualise cargo boats and war-ships going to and fro in the bay below. To help you to get your bearings on the island, click here to see a map of Birka.

It was really moving to wander around the graves, the vast majority of which have not been excavated. It's fantastic to think of those long dead Vikings, still sleeping near to where their homes were, undisturbed for almost a thousand years.

When you stand on the Black Earth itself, you can't help but have this strange feeling that Birka's time was not centuries ago, but a mere handful of years since, yesterday even, and it's quite easy on a magical summer's afternoon to believe that you've heard on the breeze snatches of conversation in Old Norse, and that out of the corner of your eye, just for an instant, you could have sworn you saw a tall bearded figure, wearing a helmet and carrying a shield, walking towards the fort.....

To find out more about Birka, click on the Birka link on our links page.