Björkö och Adelsö

Södra Adelsö has an open earthwork landscape and this is how it has looked throughout history. Adelsökyrka is located here, right next to Hovgården, from which the Swabian kings ruled until the end of the 10th century, when the Viking town on Björkö was abandoned. The royal estate on Adelsö continued to play a political role at various times right into the late Middle Ages. Today, the ruins of the medieval Alsnö House, established in 1280, lie on the site of the Viking royal seat. Birka on Björkö is one of Sweden's most famous ancient monuments and, together with Hovgården, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. For two centuries Birka was a vibrant town with a bustling population, an important center of power and a hub for trade. Today, traces of the Viking Age can be seen in the thousands of graves, the castle, the city wall and the Black Earth. On Björkö there is a museum with program activities, restaurant / café and guest harbor