A relaxing boat ride from Stockholm takes you to the best preserved Viking town in Scandinavia, located on the little island of Björkö in Lake Mälaren. Part of what makes Birka so fascinating are the ruins and vast cemetery, not to mention the countless activities for children, from archery to sailing in a Viking boat.
“Birka is one of the most complete and best preserved examples of an early medieval Viking trading centre”, states the UNESCO organisation of the UN about why Birka is listed as a World Heritage Site. The remains of the oldest city in Sweden can be seen on the small island of Björkö (a 2-hour boat ride from Stockholm). Established in 790, it was a flourishing trading centre for 2 centuries and abandoned around the year 980. It was then excavated from 1931 onwards, and is currently a justifiably popular tourist attraction.
“Viking King Björn ruled over his 1,000 subjects from the Hovgården settlement”