An absolute MUST to visit if you are in Finland!
Rosala Viking Center is an amazing place, situated in the Finnish Archipelago.
You will need to hop onto a ferry from Kasnäs to get there, but it is worth the travel!
The Viking Centre has been established on the island of Rosala since 1992.
The Rosala Viking Centre is owned and run by Paul Wilson, a second-generation family entrepreneur. All development of the Viking village is funded using the income from the museum and tourism activities. All entrance fees go towards maintaining and developing the exhibitions of the museum.
Up till now, it has been visited by more than 1.5 million tourists from all over the world.
Its main mission is to provide an experience of our Viking heritage in an authentic and lively way.
The Rosala Viking Centre consists of more than 30 points of interest, including a Chieftain's Hall and a replica Viking longship. Row the Langskip!
It's the only permanent Viking village in Finland.
Rosala Viking Center's one main goal is to promote the Vikings and the Viking Age as one of the most important eras of history.
They want to spread knowledge about the Viking Age and its relation to the local area, as well as to Finland as a whole. Their main goal is to put Viking Age Finland on the map, as Finland is actually one of the home countries of the Vikings.
One way in which this has come about is through Destination Viking Association, a European collaboration, which they are one of the founding partners of. In this group, they work on the “Follow the Vikings” project, to jointly market Viking destinations in Europe. They are an equal partner in a group which includes among others the Jorvik Viking Centre in York and the British Museum.
Rosala Viking Center is an exciting place to visit, when you do, I strongly recommend booking a seat at the Chieftain's dinner feast!
Their buffet of Viking era food is mouth wateringly tasty!They also have beer specifically crafted for them, a refreshing wheat beer created in collaboration with the local brewery Rousal Brygghus . ( Rousal Brygghus also make a beer called Fish Piss, which, is made from ocean water, you have to appreciate Finnish humor!)
They are open mostly from May to September.
Additionally they have some wonderful events around the year:
Something extremely memorable to experience, is The Night of Ancient Fires. The Night of the Ancient Fires is an annual happening at Rosala. Bonfires are lit every year on the last Saturday of August to remember the old tradition of lighting fires along the coastline, guiding seafarers safely ashore.
I have visited Rosala Viking Center a couple times a year, and will remain to do so.
Obviously my drinking game Icebreakers for Vikings can be found at their museum shop, I mean, it is the perfect fit!
I hosted an event in October 2020 for members of the Häme Medieval Association, we had a Viking competion, and ended the evening playing Icebreakers for Vikings, in the Chieftain Hall!
We also spent the night in the Chieftain Hall, which was such an amazing experience and our "one night adventure's" cherry on the cake!
I absolutely love the atmosphere and enjoy each visit.
I have the utmost respect for Paul Wilson, for all of his work to keep Rosala Viking Center as a genuine place in Finland, to learn and experience the Viking Era!
- Kartini
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