Aug 4
Birka on Björkö ("Birch Island") in Lake Mälaren really was a beautiful place. Unfortunately we only had three hours to explore the site before the boat headed back. We had to waste half an hour on eating lunch, then we checked out the museum, and then we joined a guided tour around the grave field that was very interesting but an whole hour long. After that it was only half an hour left. I took a few quick photos of the reconstructed Viking village before we had to go.
For those of you who don't know, Birka was an important Viking Age trading center. It was founded around 750 CE and abandoned around 975 CE. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is often regarded as Sweden's first town.
