It goes without saying that the Vikings had a huge impact on English history. So, let’s take a look at just a few of the best places to visit in England if you’re looking to explore the rich and diverse Viking culture.
York, Yorkshire
York is perhaps the Viking capital of the UK even to this day. The city celebrates its Viking roots with numerous Viking-themed attractions, events, and entertainment. Indeed, the retained popularity of Viking themes can be seen throughout the UK, with numerous forms of popular entertainment adapting characters from Viking mythology. Say you click here to play online casino, you will find a range of Norse-themed games such as Viking’s Legacy Everyway, Vikings of Fortune, Viking Forge, and Vikings Unleashed Megaways.
These games use recognisable characteristics of the Vikings to create an immersive and authentic mythological and historical casino experience.
As such, York is a popular tourist destination for Viking lovers from around the world. Many of the streets of the city have kept their Old Norse names, such as Micklegate and Walmgate. Though the architecture of the time hasn’t survived, relics from the city and an interactive reproduction of the area can be seen at the Jorvik Viking Centre – Jorvik being the Old Norse name for the city.
This is also the name for the 9-day Viking festival that happens in York during February every year.
Lindisfarne, Northumberland
The tidal island of Lindisfarne, otherwise known as Holy Island, off the coast of Northumberland, is perhaps the first monumental moment for the Vikings in Britain. In fact, the Vikings raided Lindisfarne many times over the years, due to its prime location as an isolated gateway to the kingdom of Northumbria. The location for the raids was the famous Lindisfarne Priory – the remains of which stand on the island today. You can click here to find out more about Lindisfarne Priory.
This magnificent sandstone structure is unique in colour, due to the materials used to build it. It was founded by St Aidan in 634. The site was home to another local saint, St Cuthbert. During the Viking raids, St Cuthbert’s body was moved from the island, eventually ending up in nearby Durham Cathedral. Due to the nature of the body, St Cuthbert’s shrine was venerated as a site of miracles, and Cuthbert became Northumbria’s patron saint.
Canterbury, Kent
Canterbury is widely known for its medieval past – just look at the medieval cathedral. To find out more, click here to find the history of the cathedral. However, Canterbury also has a fascinating Viking past. The Vikings came into the area via the Isle of Thanet. In 597, Æthelberht landed on Thanet, who was the first English king to convert to Christianity.
Æthelberht granted the new church land in Canterbury – an old Roman building, now St Martin’s Church – for his Christian wife Bertha to worship in. The church remains a spot on the popular pilgrimage route through Canterbury. Later, Canterbury became the domain of King Cnut. This king would eventually become the ruler of all of England and the North Sea empire.
And there you have it – just a few of the best Viking places in England. Now, all that’s left to do is don your furs, grab your drinking horn, and start exploring.