L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site
How many times can one place be discovered? We’ve been asking ourselves that question for over a thousand years.
Discovery is a fearless pursuit. Certainly, this was the case when the Vikings, the first Europeans to reach the new world, landed at L’Anse aux Meadows.
Norse Sagas have spoken about it for centuries. But whether it was merely myth or folklore, had long been debated. That is, of course, until the discovery of a small cloak pin in 1968 by archaeologists Helge and Anne Stine Ingstad. This proved that Leif Erickson and crews of Norse explorers settled here in Newfoundland and Labrador (or Vinland as they called it) over a thousand years ago.
In 1978, L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site became part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites as the first and only authenticated Norse site in North America.
Today, a visit to the site can transport you back to where Vikings once stood. Perched on the tip of the Viking Trail, it’s a place where mystery still mingles with the light and washes over the strange, captivating landscape.
Visit the interpretive centre, join a guide on a tour of the Viking ruins, and visit the longhouse to discover what life was like for the Viking encampment in 1000 AD. Let the Godi enthrall you with the Vinland Saga, help the smith forge nails for bog iron ore, and immerse yourself in the unique Norse history.
Just two kilometres down the road is Norstead, a recreated Viking port of trade. Here you can challenge yourself in a traditional Norse game. Learn to throw an axe, spin yarn, or take a pottery lesson. Take a close look at the Viking Knarr Snorri replica, a boat that was sailed here from Greenland and named for the first European child born in North America. Have your fortune told, Viking style, and learn the traditional knitting stitch.
After a day of Viking life, we think you’ll tend to agree: a thousand years later, this is a place where all sorts of discoveries still happen every day. Some, as small as a continent. Others, as big as your sense of adventure.
Getting Here:
You’ll find L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site at the end of The Viking Trail Route 430 on the most northerly tip of the island of Newfoundland, only 51 kilometres from the St. Anthony airport.
For more information visit the Parks Canada official website for L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site of Canada
Location data provided by the operator. Please confirm location
before departure. Also see offshore area disclaimer.
The offshore lines appearing in the map above which purport to delimit the offshore area of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador have no legal effect. Apart from the boundaries established pursuant to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act, which include the line established pursuant to the 2002 award of the arbitration tribunal concerning the delimitation of portions of the offshore areas between Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia, there are no agreed boundaries between the offshore areas of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Government of Canada, the Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island or Quebec or the Nunavut Territory, and no such boundaries have been established under statute, regulation or agreement. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has made these facts known to Google.
Directions
Driving distances and calculations derived using Google Maps. Actual driving times may vary. GPS coordinates have been provided by tourism operators. Please confirm location with operator before departure.
Sometimes it's okay to look like a streel, especially if you're camping over the May 24 long weekend!
