Wikinger-Museum Haithabu
Archaeological museum at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Haithabu (Hedeby) near Schleswig, with original Viking Age finds and seven reconstructed Viking houses.
About the museum
The Wikinger Museum Haithabu opened in 1985 in Busdorf on the Haddebyer Noor, just a few hundred meters from the site of the former Viking settlement. From the 9th to the 11th century, Haithabu was one of the most important trading centers in Northern Europe: located at the inner end of the Schlei inlet, it linked the North Sea and the Baltic via a short overland route and was controlled by the Danish kings. After its destruction in the 11th century, Schleswig on the opposite shore took over this role.
The exhibition building is shaped like upturned ship hulls. It displays finds from more than a century of archaeological research – from the crafts of smiths and comb makers to imported goods from all over Europe and the Orient, as well as rune stones and the richly furnished boat chamber grave. The centerpiece is the wreck of a royal warship recovered from the harbor of Haithabu. Following a redesign around 2010 and a closure for renovation from late 2016 to May 2018, the exhibition now features modern media and a cinema.
Between 2005 and 2008, seven houses and a jetty were built inside the historic semicircular rampart, reconstructed precisely according to excavation findings. They also serve as a long-term archaeological experiment on the durability of Viking Age buildings and are brought to life by living history groups during the season. In 2018 UNESCO added Haithabu, together with the Danevirke (Danewerk), to the World Heritage List. The museum is run by the Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf; Dr. Matthias Toplak has been its director since 2021.
Highlights
- Wreck of the royal warship Haithabu 1
- Boat chamber grave of Haithabu
- Rune stones from Haithabu
- Gold jewelry from a woman's grave discovered in 2017
- Seven reconstructed Viking houses and a jetty on the historic site
- UNESCO World Heritage Site Haithabu and Danewerk
Permanent exhibitions
- Dauerausstellung im Ausstellungshaus – Original finds, a town model, and media stations tell of daily life, crafts, and long-distance trade in Haithabu. On display are the wreck of a royal warship and the boat chamber grave, among other things.
- Wikinger Häuser Haithabu – Seven houses and a jetty on the historic site, reconstructed according to excavation findings and brought to life by living history performers during the season.
- Founded
- 1985
- Operated by
- Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf
- Director
- Dr. Matthias Toplak
- Visitors per year
- approx. 139,269
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €14 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €12School pupils, trainees, students, people with severe disabilities, recipients of unemployment benefit II (ALG II), and volunteer service participants (each with valid ID) |
| Children & teens | €5free up to age 6 · Children and teens aged 7–17 €5; free up to and including age 6. Children under 12 only when accompanied by a supervising adult. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount mentioned on the website. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €12Reduced admission for people with severe disabilities; the website does not mention a rule for companions. |
| Students & apprentices | €12Reduced for school pupils, trainees, and students. |
| Groups (20+ people) | €12 per personFrom 20 people €12 per person, from 30 people €11 per person; school classes €2 per person. Tours of commercial groups led by external guides (max. 25 people) only by booking, for a fee of €75. |
| Families | €29Two adults with children aged 7 to 17. |
Museum gift vouchers for the Landesmuseen Schleswig-Holstein are available in the online shop. Some public guided tours cost extra (e.g. €6 plus admission).
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials
- Audio description: no information
Three accessible parking spaces a few meters from the entrance of the exhibition building; further parking for holders of a disabled parking permit about 450 m from the outdoor site (coordinates 54.4937960, 9.5626719). The path to the outdoor site and the outdoor site itself are only partially accessible; House 1 was reconstructed without door thresholds. Guide and assistance dogs are allowed. Website information available in Leichte Sprache (Easy Read German). Visitor services can answer specific questions (04621 813 122).
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €29 · Two adults with children aged 7 to 17. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
"Mäusejagd" (mouse hunt) with an accompanying booklet for children from age 4, family booklet (€1) with puzzles and craft ideas, children's media guide from age 8 (approx. 60 min., free as a download or loan device), and explorer sheets from about age 8 to download. From April to October, a museum backpack (€3 fee plus deposit) and a discovery station on Viking toys on the outdoor site. On special event days, craft demonstrations and hands-on activities for children. Strollers are allowed in the exhibition.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Haithabu (Busdorf) Wikinger Museum
Bus stop "Haithabu (Busdorf) Wikinger Museum"; connections via nah.sh.
By car
Parking available · 10-min walk to the entrance
Main parking lot on Haddebyer Chaussee (B 76), about a 10-minute walk to the exhibition building and about 20 minutes to the reconstructed Viking houses. Three accessible parking spaces right at the entrance of the exhibition building, another accessible parking space about 450 m from the outdoor site.
- Accessible parking
Amenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
- Coat check
- Wi-Fi
Haithabu Café right in the museum (daily 11:00–17:00, also accessible without a museum ticket, terrace on the Noor). Museum shop. Free Wi-Fi. Dogs are not allowed in the museum or on the outdoor site, but there are dog rest areas at both entrances.
Events & venue rental
No information on venue rental on the website; inquiries to visitor services.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Allowed for private purposes, without flash or tripod; different rules may apply in special exhibitions |
| Good to know | Public guided tours through the Viking houses, e.g. "Streifzug durch Haithabu" (60 min., €4 plus admission, registration recommended). |
