54.4952, 9.5662
Schleswig, Germany
The archaeological site of Hedeby consists of the remains of an emporium – or trading town – containing traces of roads, buildings, cemeteries and a harbour dating back to the 1st and early 2nd millennia CE. It is enclosed by part of the Danevirke, a line of fortification crossing the Schleswig isthmus, which separates the Jutland Peninsula from the rest of the European mainland. Because of its unique situation between the Frankish Empire in the South and the Danish Kingdom in the North, Hedeby became a trading hub between continental Europe and Scandinavia and between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. Because of its extensive and well preserved archaeological material, it has become a key site for the interpretation of economic, social and historical developments in Europe during the Viking age.
The Viking Museum combines an exhibition building and reconstructed Viking houses on the historical grounds.The open-air site at Haithabu was closed for winter and reopened on 30 March 2026.The Danevirke Museum visitor centre closed on 31 October 2025 and is not expected to reopen until spring 2027, though guided programmes continue in the archaeological park.
Free