Eiríksstaðir

Over het museum

Eiríksstaðir in Haukadalur in Dalir is said to have been the farm of Erik the Red. Both Eiríks saga rauða and the Saga of the Greenlanders begin in this area and tell how Erik and his family set off westwards and became the first Europeans to reach Greenland and North America.

The ruins of the farm have been investigated and show, among other things, a longhouse where the family lived and an earth house known as the kvennadyngja (women's den). The results of the excavation were used to reconstruct the hall that visitors see today. It was built in 1999 using methods, tools and materials available about a thousand years ago, and is said to resemble the childhood home of Leif Erikson the Lucky.

Today the site is run as a living museum, where guides in period costume welcome visitors at the long fire. They tell the story in their own words rather than from a fixed script, explain the building of turf houses and let visitors try on chainmail and handle replica weapons. Work is under way to reconstruct the earth house, and in 2024 an experimental archaeology festival was held, in which a turf house was built and set on fire to test how long one could survive a fire in such a house.

Hoogtepunten

• A reconstructed 10th-century longhouse, built with the methods and materials of the time
• Guides in period costume tell stories at the long fire
• Visitors can try on a chainmail shirt and handle replica weapons
• Ruins of the original farm and a walking trail with information boards
• Outdoor games and an archaeological dig pit for children

Vaste collectie

• Eiríksstaðir – lifandi safn – A reconstructed longhouse, with guided tours and storytelling at the long fire.
• Fornleifasvæðið og söguslóð – Ruins of the original farm and a walking route with information boards.

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Tickets can be bought online. Tickets bought in advance must be collected from the shop before walking to the longhouse.

Toegankelijkheid

• Deels rolstoeltoegankelijk
• Lift: geen informatie
• Aangepast toilet
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom: geen informatie
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The car park is smooth asphalt, and there are no kerbs by the outdoor area; cars can reach the door, and a path leads to the building. Inside there are thresholds, two short but uneven steps and an uneven floor, but seats are available throughout the tour. The toilet is wheelchair accessible and has a handrail but no emergency cord. The nature trail is unpaved, with steep slopes and uneven steps; a gravel path leads to the information boards at the archaeological site. The ticket office and shop are not specially adapted. Information is available in English, Icelandic and German, and guides can use a microphone linked to hearing aids. Structures and replicas may be touched, as there is no glass case in front of them. A fire burns in the middle of the floor, and visitors can keep their distance from it; a smaller group can be requested.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Doe- en voelstations
• Speeltuin / speelhoek

The site is marked as child-friendly. Outdoors there are ropes to pull, swing ropes, stone barrels to lift and an archaeological dig pit for children; more play equipment is planned. Children can also try on chainmail and hold replica weapons.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

The museum is in Haukadalur, 371 Búðardalur.

Service & horeca

• Museumwinkel

There is a shop on site, and hot drinks are sold during opening hours. Toilets and a picnic area are on the site.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

Het museum heeft hierover geen informatie gepubliceerd.

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