Viking World

Welcome to Viking World (Vikingaheimar), the home of the Viking Ship Íslendingur (the Icelander). Built in 1996, Icelander is an exact replica of the famous Gokstad ship, a remarkable archaeological find of an almost completely intact Viking ship, excavated in Norway in 1882.

Captain Gunnar Marel Eggertsson was inspired to build a replica of this beautiful ship based on his own background as shipbuilder and sailor. He copied the original nail for nail.

In the year 2000, with a grant from the Leifur Eiríksson Commission of Iceland, he sailed from Iceland to New York, a journey of 4,200 nautical miles. His voyage brought world-wide attention to Leif Eiriksson's and Bjarni Herjólfsson's discovery of America, dated, according to the Icelandic sagas, to exactly 1000.

Building Icelander was an extraordinary achievement; at 23m long, 5.25m wide and with a holding capacity of 80 tons (by modern standards), it took two years of effort.

Exhibitions

Viking World is divided into four main exhibitions:

1. The Icelander – Viking World's main attraction is the magnificent replica Viking ship which was sailed to New York to commemorate Leifur Eiriksson’s journey to the New World a thousand years earlier.
2. Vikings of the North Atlanic Ocean is an exhibition about the voyages and settlements of Nordic people and their role in the discovery of North America. The story of the Vikings' expansion across the North Atlantic. The exhibition was produced in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution in USA.
3. The Settlement of Iceland exhibition deals with archaeological findings from the Sudurnes/Reykjanes region. Remains from the oldest occupation on Reykjanes peninsula are from the 9th century.
4. Fate of the Gods is about Old Norse mythology and myths. The world of the gods vividly appears through visual arts, storytelling and music.

The frame around the Icelander, the exhibition hall itself, was designed by the award-winning architect Guðmundur Jónsson. Its modern architecture highlights the beauty of the Viking ship.

Visitors can look at the ship from all sides and can even go on board and let their minds explore lands across the sea while they stand on deck.