Vikings

Getting back to our Canadian journey, we returned from Labrador via the same ferry and traveled to St Anthony, Newfoundland.  This rugged northern coast is often referred to as the Viking Coast. While there was a long standing believe that the Vikings could have landed here, it was not generally supported by the archaeological community.  In 1960, a local villager pointed out that the area referred to as an old Indian camp with raised mounds of grass looked like they were in the shape of buildings.  The husband and wife team of Helge and Anne Ingstad undertook a excavation that found the first real evidence of a Viking village on the Newfoundland coast.  It was dated to the 11th century and is the farthest extent of European exploration in the new world before Columbus.  Columbus would not arrive for another 500 years. This site known as L'Anse Aux Meadows is a national historic park and a UNESCO world heritage site.

Here you can walk in the reconstructed village and learn how they lived and worked from costumed guides.  It is a must see historical site.

Just a mile or so away from the national park is the Norstead Viking Village operated by the Canadian Tourism Commission.  This replica village is designed to give the visitor a more hands on feel to what it was like to live in a Viking village over a thousand years ago.  Here you can take part in the everyday activities of the Vikings.  There are interpreters in many locations to help you fully enjoy the experience.