Gudvangen is one of the most spectacular location in the Norwegian fjord landscape. Surrounded by mountains, cascading waterfalls, and lush birch forest, it is the ideal place to step back in time. People who love the culture of the Viking era travel here from all over Europe each summer to spend a week together to trade, talk, sing, play, and sit around the fire with old friends and kindred spirits.

I had been researching Norwegian history with a focus on the Viking period for about a year, when I came across a great blog called valkyrja.com. The blog is full of beautiful photos and lots of interesting information about the history and craft of the Viking era. I also found a comprehensive overview of Viking and medieval markets in Scandinavia. Gudvangen Viking Market took place just when I was planning to visit my family in Norway that year.

I cannot leave this blog post from Gudvangen without including some of the beautiful architecture that I saw during my trip to the Norwegian west coast. These structures may not strictly be viking architecture, but some of them are nearly a thousand years old, and they are built in a style that reflect the spirit of the viking era.