The Viking Age in Skåbu

Did you know that the mountains around Skåbu hold traces of Vikings and ancient chieftains?

During the Viking Age, the area was part of the mighty Gudbrandsdalen valley.

Beyond the typical image of fierce warriors with axes and beards, the Vikings in Skåbu were also skilled farmers, hunters and traders who lived in symbiosis with nature and the mountains surrounding the village. With its altitude and unobstructed views, Skåbu has been important for hunting, fishing and trade between the valleys since the Viking Age and perhaps even earlier.

Archaeologists have found ancient trapping systems for wild reindeer in the mountains around Skåbu that are over 1,000 years old – some of them actually date back to the Viking Age!

It is said that the Vikings were able to navigate by the stars, weather and signs in nature – quite impressive when you consider that many of us today get stressed out when our GPS loses its signal!

Did you know that the Vikings were quite concerned with personal hygiene? They used combs and tweezers and washed themselves more often than many in Europe did at the time. So, the image of the dirty Viking is not quite accurate!

So, while the Viking Age was indeed about battles and ships, it was also about cooperation and family life in the villages, including here in Skåbu.

At Skåbu Mountain Hotel, you can book a guided tour with our very own Viking, Henrik, and have a slightly different and more modern (but no less hygienic) "Viking expedition"!