The last Viking ship?

Experience "The last Viking ship?" – an exhibition about the Gislinge boat which opens on 8 February 2025

If you have dreamed of feeling the rush of history and a life lived 900 years ago, then the exhibition at Holbæk Museum about the fascinating history of Gislingebåden is a good bet. The Gislingebåden is one of the world's best-preserved clinker-built boats from the transition between the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. It has never been exhibited before.

What makes the Gislingebåden special?
In 1993, the Gislinge boat was discovered in a field in the Lammefjord. The closer archaeological investigations showed that the boat was built around 1130 in the period when the Middle Ages took over after the Viking Age. With its well-preserved hull and characteristic Viking Age features, the boat provides a fascinating insight into life at Holbæk Fjord in the period.

The Gislingebåden is not a high-status Viking ship that sailed on a voyage, instead it is an everyday boat that transported people, fish and goods on the fjord and shallow creeks. The Gislinge boat is not only a unique archaeological find in itself, it is also a living tale of a society where fishing and transport by water were the lifeblood of the coastal areas in everyday life.

A journey through time and technology
The conservation work on the boat has taken many years. The exhibition reveals the complex techniques behind the impregnation, where the cellulose structure of the wood has been replaced with wax to preserve the boat's original shape. This advanced process has allowed the boat to be displayed in its full glory with planks carefully restored and fitted.

Photo: test of the showcase model for the Gislingebåden

Brick building
Clink building is a shipbuilding method where the wooden planks overlap each other and are joined together with nails to form a strong and flexible hull. The Viking ships are the best-known examples of clinker-built boats. The method has been used in many historical periods and shipbuilders still use it today. In 2021, brick building was included on UNESCO's list of the world's inalienable cultural heritage.

Bring the whole family and be inspired by the story of a small boat that has sailed through the mists of time and which gives us a unique insight into the construction techniques of the time and Denmark's maritime heritage.

Facts about the Gislingebåden
Origin: Years 1130 to 1180
Found: 1993 at Gislinge
Use: Transport and fishing
Length: 7,7 m
Width: 1,5 m
Draft: 0,25 m
Load capacity: 1 ton

The National Museum owns the boat and is on long-term loan to Museum Vestsjælland.

Donations
The exhibition is supported by Holbæk Municipality, Holbæk Museum Association, the Foundation for the Benefit of Holbæk Museum, Sparekassen Sjælland-Fyn and Sparekassen Sjælland Fonden, A/S Dampskibsselskabet Orient's Fond, AP Møller and Hustru Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller's Foundation for General Purposes and Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen Foundation.