Hedeby

Hedeby (Haithabu in German), near Schleswig in northern Germany, was one of the great trading towns of the Viking Age and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the shore of the Haddeby Noor, a quiet inlet of the Schlei, merchants from across Europe met more than a thousand years ago. Today you can see a real longship wreck in the Viking Museum, walk among seven reconstructed Viking houses and climb the great rampart.

Where it is and how to get there

Hedeby lies in the municipality of Busdorf, just south of the town of Schleswig in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, close to the Danish border. It is about 120 km (75 miles) north of Hamburg, roughly 1.5 hours by car via the A7 (exit Schleswig/Jagel), and about 50 km (30 miles) from Kiel. Regional trains run from Hamburg and Kiel to Schleswig station, and the Deutschlandticket is valid on them; from town, a local bus stops at "Haithabu, Wikinger Museum" on the B 76 road. A day trip from Hamburg works well, especially combined with nearby Gottorf Castle. The main parking lot is next to the museum building.

Why Hedeby matters

Hedeby was founded around AD 770, probably by Frisian traders, at a brilliant location: the short overland route between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea crossed the Ox Road running south from Jutland. Goods from Scandinavia, the Frankish Empire and far beyond passed through its harbor. In the 10th century at least 1,500 people lived here.

A semicircular rampart up to 9 meters (30 feet) high enclosed about 26 hectares (64 acres), and around 968 a connecting wall tied the town into the Danevirke, the Danish border fortification across the Jutland peninsula. Hedeby was burned around 1050 and destroyed for good by Slavic raiders in 1066. In 2018, UNESCO inscribed Hedeby and the Danevirke together as the "Archaeological Border Complex of Hedeby and the Danevirke."

What to see

• Viking Museum Hedeby: opened in 1985, its roofs recall upturned boat hulls. The star exhibit is the longship wreck Hedeby 1, raised from the harbor in 1979, along with the Hedeby rune stones and finds from daily life, trade and crafts.
• Viking houses: seven houses and a landing pier, rebuilt between 2005 and 2008 on the original town site based on excavation evidence. Step inside to see how cramped and smoky life was. Craftspeople often demonstrate Viking-age skills, especially on weekends.
• The rampart and the Noor: walk along the earthwork for views across the water, or follow the public trail around the Haddeby Noor.

The museum building and the open-air houses are about a 20-minute walk apart, so allow three to four hours for both.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, the site is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 31, 2026. From November 2, 2026, only the museum is open, Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the Viking houses close for winter and reopen in spring 2027. Admission is €14 for adults, €12 reduced and €5 for children and teens; a family ticket is €29, and kids up to six enter free.

Dogs are not allowed in the museum or the open-air area, though leashed dogs are welcome on the trail around the Noor. The open-air area is only partly accessible for wheelchairs.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes. Hedeby is the best place in Germany to understand the Viking Age, and summer, when the houses are open and staffed, is the ideal time. Nearby you can visit Gottorf Castle with its giant globe, walk sections of the Danevirke, and explore Schleswig's cathedral and the old fishing quarter of Holm.