Step into the Viking Trelleborg! The Viking Museum showcases an exhibition about the fortress that gave the city its name. "Borgen vid havet" is an immersive experience where the museum, along with experienced designers, artists, craftsmen, reenactors and archaeologists, has created a captivating exhibition for both young and old.
Since archaeologists discovered the traces of a Viking ring fortress in Trelleborg, its purpose has remained a mystery. The exhibition raises thoughts about what might have happened at the site more than a thousand years ago, at a time when the boundaries between myth and reality were not entirely clear.
In the exhibition, you follow the mythical völvan, freely interpreted by the dancer and choreographer Virpi Pahkinen, in a story about Trelleborg and its history. Here, archaeological finds are displayed alongside recreated objects related to the Viking-era Söderslätt.
In an evocative shadow play, some of the many explanations presented regarding Trelleborg’s function are explored. Was it a Viking-age fortress meant to guard the coasts against pirates? Was it a trading hub for merchants of the Baltic Sea? Or was it perhaps a pen for the human livestock of the Viking age, the thralls?
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