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Hovgården
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Hovgården

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Hovgården is an archaeological site on the Lake Mälaren island of Adelsö in Ekerö Municipality in central-eastern Sweden. During the Viking Age, the centre of the prospering Mälaren Valley was the settlement Birka, founded in the mid-8th century and abandoned in the late 10th century and located on the island Björkö just south of Adelsö. Hovgården is believed to have been the site from which kings and chieftains ruled the area. Hovgården, together with Birka became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Key facts

Ancient site.name
Hovgården
Ancient site.image
Hovgården Royal Tumuli & Adelsö Church 2009.jpg
Ancient site.map_type
Sweden
Ancient site.location
Ekerö Municipality, Sweden
Ancient site.built
8th century
Ancient site.abandoned
10th century
Ancient site.epochs
Viking Age
Ancient site.designation1
WHS
Ancient site.designation1_offname
Birka and Hovgården
Ancient site.designation1_date
1993 (17th session)
Ancient site.designation1_number
555
Ancient site.designation1_criteria
iii, iv
Ancient site.designation1_type
Cultural
Ancient site.designation1_free1name
Region
Ancient site.designation1_free1value
Europe and North America

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Area
23.071
Image
Hovgården Royal Tumuli & Adelsö Church 2009.jpg
Show 2 more facts
Commons category
Hovgården
native label
Hovgården
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~4 min read

Article

5 sections
Contents
  • History
  • Gallery
  • Notes
  • References
  • External links

Hovgården is an archaeological site on the Lake Mälaren island of Adelsö in Ekerö Municipality in central-eastern Sweden. During the Viking Age, the centre of the prospering Mälaren Valley was the settlement Birka, founded in the mid-8th century and abandoned in the late 10th century and located on the island Björkö just south of Adelsö. Hovgården is believed to have been the site from which kings and chieftains ruled the area. Hovgården, together with Birka became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Hovgården is located on the flat country north-west of the Romanesque Adelsö Church, characterised by a narrow rift valley stretching north to forest-laden moraines. These historical meadows lands were cultivated in the 19th century and have hardly been altered since, as several well-preserved 18th century farmyards bear witness to.

Gallery (2)

On the map

2 mapped locations

Connections

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