The Danish Viking fortresses are attracting global interest after being included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. International visitors from places like Malaysia and the USA have shown significant interest in the Danish ring fortresses from the Viking Age, after they were officially added to the UNESCO World Heritage List last year. This recognition has placed Harald Bluetooth’s Viking fortresses in an exclusive group with world-famous landmarks like the pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China.
At Trelleborg near Slagelse, there has been a notable increase in the number of visitors. In the first five months of this year, the museum has experienced a 65% rise in visitors compared to the same period last year. Museum director Anne-Christine Larsen notes that interest from foreign tourists has significantly increased, which is also reflected in an uptick in activity on the museum’s social media platforms.
Last September, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee added the five Danish ring fortresses to the World Heritage List. These fortresses include Aggersborg near Limfjorden, Fyrkat near Hobro, Nonnebakken in Odense, Trelleborg near Slagelse, and Borgring in Køge. Since their inclusion, the Viking museum Fyrkat has reported a 30% increase in ticket sales. Aggersborg, the largest of the five ring fortresses and under the management of Vesthimmerlands Museum, has also seen a significant rise in visitor interest, although they do not have specific comparison figures.
Museum inspector Maria Hagstrup explains that they are now receiving inquiries from around the world, including from Malaysia and the USA, something unheard of before their World Heritage listing. The five ring fortresses all date back to around the year 980 and are associated with King Harald Bluetooth’s unification of the Danish realm. Denmark now has a total of 11 sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, including the Jelling Monuments, Roskilde Cathedral, Kronborg Castle, and Stevns Klint.