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One of the lesser-known tourist attractions near Warsaw is a Viking settlement under construction in the Promenada Center in Rynia. The initiator of the project was historian Stanisław Wdowczyk.
Between the 8th and 10th centuries, Viking boats sailed around almost the whole of Europe, reaching Byzantium through Ruthenia. In 991 they landed on the coast of the Labrador peninsula in today's Canada.
The Vikings of the 21st century come not only from Scandinavia, as lovers of medieval traditions include Poles, Czechs and the Dutch. "The settlement in Rynia is built of hewn wood according to surviving records," says Lech Skwarżyński, director of the Promenada Center. "The construction work involves volunteers from Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark; the entire project is supervised by the State Archeological Museum in Warsaw." Construction of Fortress Jomsborg commenced in April. The structure is unique in Europe. The originators of the project say that two warriors will be on guard throughout the year.
Although the reconstruction of the settlement is still in progress, last summer 8,000 tourists visited Zegrzyński Lake to take part in the First Mazovian Historical Festival: The Vikings and Wends. Guests of the two-day festival could take a trip in a Viking boat, which took 18 passengers aside from the crew; another attraction was a ritual from the Arkona promontory, which warriors used to conduct after a victorious battle. One of the largest attractions was a staged Viking invasion of a Slavic village. The Jomsburg ship arrived at the shore bearing a white shield and a covered dragon head-signs of peaceful intentions.
There was a battle display too. Sword clashes demonstrated how tradition has blended with modern technology: these days, swords are balanced using computers. Many 21st-century Vikings produce their weapons and armor on their own. It is necessary to assemble a period costume and to prove your fighting skills in order to become a warrior. People from Jomsborg have appeared in Stara ba¶ń by Jerzy Hoffman, a movie that will soon hit screens in Poland.
Alongside their battle skills, the Vikings also presented ancient culinary arts. The women prepared meals of meat and vegetables known in Europe before Columbus' time, cooked on a hand-forged, riveted grill. It was a faithful replica of a kitchen from 9th-century Oseberg in Norway.
"Naturally, the Viking stronghold will perform educational functions and I hope to host school trips here," Skwarżyński says. The stronghold will be a place of learning and entertainment: coming attractions include the opportunity to greet New Year in the company of medieval warriors by Zegrzyński Lake.
Anna Kosowska-Czubaj
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