The Gokstad Mound — Attraction in Sandefjord

In 1880 a Viking Langskipet (Longship) was discovered in the Gokstadhaugen burial mound. Gokstadhaugen is one of the most important remnants from the Viking Age in Vestfold. The Gokstadhaugen is the largest Viking burial mound excavated. A king was buried here a few years after 900, probably Olav Geirstadalv who was the uncle of Harald I, the first king of Norway. The mound held the largest Longship ever found, as well as the remains of 12 horses, 6 dogs, a peacock, a ruchsac, a gaming board and 3 smaller boats. The Longship was able to hold 70 men, a double crew-one to row and the other to rest. The Longship, boats and other items from the grave are exhibited at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. The copy of the Longship is found at Museumsbrygga in Sandefjord Harbor. The copy ship is called "Gaia". Read more: Wikipedia's English pages about the Gokstad shipAbout the copy ship GaiaAbout the Gokstad excavation and findingsViking ships and norse wooden boatsToday the mound is situated quite a distance away from the fjord where the ship would have sailed. The land level has risen nearly 3 meters since the construction of the mound but even so the mouth of the fjord would have been 400 meters away. It is believed the Vikings pulled the ship up along a stream called Hasle that runs close...

A very charming site to visit while in the area! It’s an old Viking site where boats were once laid to rest.. such an interesting bit of history surrounded by peaceful nature. A lovely stop for a short walk and some...

For 900 years this inconspicuous mound hid the secret of the Vikings. This place provokes reflection. It's worth coming here. It's a pity the information...