If you’ve ever wanted to visit a Viking burial site, the beautiful and unique Lindholm Høje in Denmark needs to be at the top of your list! Lindholm Høje is one of Scandinavia’s best-preserved Viking sites and it is located in Aalborg, Denmark.
It is home to hundreds of graves dating back to as early as 500 AD. That’s 1500 years ago! You may be wondering, “Wait a minute… how are these grave markings not covered up by dirt or buildings if they’ve been around for over 1000 years?”
Great question. It’s because by around 1000 AD a huge sand-drift completely covered the area, perfectly preserving this beautiful Viking burial site!
I have been fortunate enough to visit Lindholm Høje two times. The first time was in summer and the second time was in the fall. However, it was equally amazing both times. Also, both times we visited we were on a road trip through Denmark up north to Skagen (which I definitely recommend).
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Check out this post: Aarhus, Denmark: 8 amazing things to do, see, and eat!
Viking Burial Site at Lindholm Høje
The Viking burial site at Lindholm Høje is located through a small wooden gate and up an enchanting path through a beautiful forest. And, you may even see sheep or goats grazing in the forest or on the hillside making it even more magical.
The view from the top of the hill looking down over the burial ground is beautiful. The unique shapes of each gravesite are immediately noticeable. Because, each grave/cremation site consists of large stone markings in either the shape of a ship (yes, like a boat), a circle, or a triangle.
You may have heard before of Vikings getting buried in their ships. This practice of literally burying the deceased in a REAL, life-sized ship was extremely rare (but how cool is that?!).
However, it WAS much more common for burial/cremation grounds to be topped with large rocks in the SHAPE of a ship (rather than burying the ship itself). And you will find PLENTY of this at Lindholm Høje.
You can explore the entire hill walking where you please (no designated path). This means your little toddler or kiddos can run through the grass and explore the rocks wherever they please! And dogs are allowed so bring your pup along!
I recommend exploring all the way down to the bottom of the hill. This way, you can look back up the hill to get my favorite view of the burial grounds.
PRO-TIP: There are benches at the top of the hill overlooking the burial site. Bring along a picnic lunch to give you a reason to sit and take in the view! We have done this each time we have visited 🙂!
Lindholm Høje Museum
The Lindholm Høje Viking Museum is located at the end of a magical tree-lined path right near the burial site. The burial site and the museum are very close together (no long walking required).
The museum is home to two exhibitions. The first exhibition showcases the Vikings from the area. And the second exhibition showcases the antiquities (historical objects) from the area.
I have actually only explored the gift shop of the museum. However, the gift shop is very cute! And, it’s a great place to pick out a small Viking-related souvenir.
You can find the museum’s current opening hours and admission prices here.
PRO-TIP: The museum/gift shop has a dog-leash hook outside. This is a perfect spot to let your dog hang out while you peek inside.
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How to Get There
Car
Car is the easiest way to get to the Viking burial site. And, there is plenty of parking which is close to the museum and the hill. This makes it easy if you are on a road trip through Denmark.
Train
However, you can also arrive by train! The Lindholm Station is only a 25-minute walk from the train station! Which makes the train a great option for a day-trip from Aarhus or a weekend trip from Copenhagen!
The train ride from Aarhus is only about 1.5 hours and the train ride from Copenhagen is about 4.5 hours.
I know I am often confused when I am figuring out what stations to buy tickets to and from! So, here are the Danish names of the train stations on the website where you buy tickets.
If you are leaving from Copenhagen, you will want to catch the train at København H (Copenhagen Central). And, if you are leaving from Aarhus, the station is Aarhus H (Aarhus Central).
The station you will arrive at for the Lindholm Høje Viking burial site is Lindholm St. (Lindholm Station) in Aalborg.
PRO-TIP: I highly recommend purchasing your train tickets a couple of months in advance. Because tickets get more expensive the closer you get to the day of travel. Purchase your train tickets on Denmark’s site here!
And that is everything you need to know to visit the Viking burial grounds at Lindholm Høje! I really hope you go and experience this sacred and beautiful site in Aalborg, Denmark.
Check out this post: Aarhus, Denmark: 8 amazing things to do, see, and eat!
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Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about the Lindholm Høje Viking burial grounds and I’ll be sure to answer! I’m a real person who loves to talk travel 🙂
Victoria
Love this!!
jenessa
VictoriaThanks! Lindholm Høje really is so cool!