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Family Fun at Norstead!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a
Viking? How did they live? What did they eat? How did they
sail their vessels?
These are some of the questions that can be answered at
Norstead, a replica Viking port of trade located at L’Anse
aux Meadows, on the northern tip of the island of
Newfoundland, on Canada’s east coast.
Norstead is located near L’Anse aux Meadows National
Historic Site, the only authenticated Viking site in North
America. It features about 30 costumed re-enactors. Some
are boat builders, others are weavers and still others
work with iron.
The Norstead site is located in a rugged yet scenic
cove. The site has a large boat shed with its own replica
Viking knarr, the Snorri, which was sailed from
Greenland to L’Anse aux Meadows in 1998 by an American
crew. There is a large chieftain’s hall which has
sections for weaving and trading, and a central area used
for cooking and socializing. In addition, Norstead has a
small church, a workshop and an axe throwing barrier.
Norstead is owned and operated by the award-winning
Viking Trail Tourism Association. Families visiting
Norstead are always welcome and an afternoon can easily be
passed there. The costumed re-enactors are friendly and
knowledgeable and will attempt to answer any questions you
may have about Viking life. You can see sailing
demonstrations, take a boat tour on an actual replica
Viking ship, watch an iron worker, help cook a meal, learn
how Vikings wove a variety of materials and talk to the
chieftain about making a trade or two!
Norstead also offers several educational programs aimed
at both children and adults. One of the programs, Visiting
Vikings, is a
 summer camp program designed for children
from nine to 13 years of age. While
at Norstead, children will dress in period-style costume,
be given Viking names and be assigned to stations on the
site. The intent of the program is to have the children
immerse themselves in Viking culture in an interactive
environment. All children will be taught specific skills
that pertain to the 11th century. At the end of
each day, the children will gather in a common room to
discuss the day’s activities and review learning
objectives.
Norstead also offers educational opportunities for
adults, through the learning vacations program. The aim is
to recreate the lifestyle that existed 1,000 years ago in
a Viking Age port of trade by giving the visitor an
opportunity celebrate through an interactive environment
the experiences of the Viking culture. From its
interactive nature, the participant will be given the
opportunity to dress as a Viking and given a Viking name,
while learning specific trades and handicrafts.
For families travelling to Newfoundland, Norstead is a
must-see destination that combines fun and learning.
Article Courtesy of the Viking Trail Tourism
Association. |
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