Birka and Hovgården

Birka and Hovgården

The two sites of Birka and Hovgården are located in the northeast of Stockholm, situated on two neighboring islands in Lake Mälaren—Björkö and Adelsö. Most of Björkö is occupied by the Birka site. From the outside, the main components of the site consist of remnants of defensive walls and hilltop ramparts, stone docks and harbors, as well as around 3,000 burial mounds. Beneath the surface, there are multiple layers of dark earth that preserve remnants of ancient human habitation.

Hovgården, located on Adelsö, centers around Adelsö Church. Here, visitors can see ruins such as a 13th-century brick palace, an early medieval harbor with damaged inscriptions, and several large buried mounds. Birka was most likely established in the late 8th century and quickly developed into the largest commercial trading site in Scandinavia. In addition, Birka is the site of Sweden’s earliest known Christian church and remains one of the best-preserved and undisturbed examples of Viking-era longhouses from the 8th to 10th centuries.

Birka and Hovgården

Must-visit reason: Site of Sweden’s earliest Christian church

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/region where the attraction is located: Sweden[Sweden]

Province/state where the attraction is located: Stockholm County [Stockholm County]