Ribe Viking Museum, Ribe, Denmark

Ribe Viking Museum exhibits the history of Ribe from the Viking Age through the Middle Ages down to the year 1700. The museum presents thousands of findings and reconstructed environments from 1300 years old Ribe town in the Viking Age and the Middle Ages.

Museums in Denmark

User Reviews

Monique Hut (5 months ago)
We loved this. The kids had a great time finding the culprit who stole Frida's salt. All the things they could do, it was amazing and so much fun. The grown-ups had just as much fun looking around and joining the kids in the salt mystery. And I think our daughter will try out archery at home now.

Sara R. (6 months ago)
Very interesting historic park. We were surprised by the knowledge of "actors" they will answer all your questions. The park is big with different activities over the day. Also, there's a restaurant for a quick break during the visit. Must visit if you are near Ribe.

maheswari tribhuana (7 months ago)
We had a great visit for the 4th times not so many activities on week days unfortunately but always love the friendliness of their Viking volunteer with eye opening information to which what we see on Viking series indeed 99% fantasy

Markus Flaig (8 months ago)
It was quite good but we expected a wider range of activities which were available with the activity pass. The ones available targeted mainly younger children with an age range of 6 to 12 years. Other than that the Viking Center was beautifully arranged.

Kaspar Brygger (8 months ago)
Great place to stop and be taken back in time. Very friendly staff and great entertainment for kids to try fighting like Vikings and shoot bow and arrow, wood carvings and coin making.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Château de Foix

The Château de Foix dominates the town of Foix. An important tourist site, it is known as a centre of the Cathars. Built on an older 7th-century fortification, the castle is known from 987. In 1002, it was mentioned in the will of Roger I, Count of Carcassonne, who bequeathed the fortress to his youngest child, Bernard. In effect, the family ruling over the region were installed here which allowed them to control access to the upper Ariège valley and to keep surveillance from this strategic point over the lower land, protected behind impregnable walls.

In 1034, the castle became capital of the County of Foix and played a decisive role in medieval military history. During the two following centuries, the castle was home to Counts with shining personalities who became the soul of the Occitan resistance during the crusade against the Albigensians. The county became a privileged refuge for persecuted Cathars.

The castle, often besieged (notably by Simon de Montfort in 1211 and 1212), resisted assault and was only taken once, in 1486, thanks to treachery during the war between two branches of the Foix family.

From the 14th century, the Counts of Foix spent less and less time in the uncomfortable castle, preferring the Governors' Palace. From 1479, the Counts of Foix became Kings of Navarre and the last of them, made Henri IV of France, annexed his Pyrrenean lands to France.

As seat of the Governor of the Foix region from the 15th century, the castle continued to ensure the defence of the area, notably during the Wars of Religion. Alone of all the castles in the region, it was exempted from the destruction orders of Richelieu (1632-1638).

Until the Revolution, the fortress remained a garrison. Its life was brightened with grand receptions for its governors, including the Count of Tréville, captain of musketeers under Louis XIII and Marshal Philippe Henri de Ségur, one of Louis XVI's ministers. The Round Tower, built in the 15th century, is the most recent, the two square towers having been built before the 11th century. They served as a political and civil prison for four centuries until 1862.

Since 1930, the castle has housed the collections of the Ariège départemental museum. Sections on prehistory, Gallo-Roman and mediaeval archaeology tell the history of Ariège from ancient times. Currently, the museum is rearranging exhibits to concentrate on the history of the castle site so as to recreate the life of Foix at the time of the Counts.

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