Places with a story

Gokstadhaugen

Gokstadhaugen is the burial mound in Sandefjord where the famous Gokstad ship was excavated. The mound and surrounding landscape bring one of Norway's most important Viking-age discoveries back to its original setting.

Get to know the municipalitySandefjord

About the place¹ ²

The site is also known as Kongshaugen. A wealthy and powerful man was buried here with a seagoing ship, smaller boats, equipment and animals. The original vessel is no longer inside the mound; visiting Gokstadhaugen means encountering the burial landscape rather than seeing the excavated ship on display.

History and local connections¹ ²

Nicolay Nicolaysen led the professional excavation in 1880 after local digging revealed worked timber. Tree-ring research places the burial around the beginning of the tenth century. The dead man's precise identity remains unknown, so the old identification with a named legendary ruler should not be treated as established fact. Later investigations have continued to study both the burial and its surroundings.

What to look for¹ ²

The mound lies farther from the sea today because the land has risen since the Viking Age. Imagining the earlier shoreline helps explain the relationship between a ship burial, a large farm and the nearby trading place. The excavation's animal remains, including peacocks, also show how elite status could involve connections far beyond the local district.

Plan your visit¹ ³

Gokstadhaugen is listed as a cultural stop on Tunsbergleden, and the county's heritage page supplies background for a visit. Read the interpretation on site and stay on established access routes around the monument. Plan any separate visit to the original ship through its museum's current information; historical pages about the mound may retain outdated exhibition details.