Eiríksstaðir
Eiríksstaðir is the excavated site and reconstructed longhouse of Erik the Red, the Norse explorer who settled Greenland, in the Haukadalur valley of the Dalir region in West Iceland. Archaeological investigations in the 1990s uncovered the foundations of a 10th-century longhouse on this site, and a full-scale reconstruction built in 2000 using period-accurate materials and techniques stands beside the original ruins. Leif Eiríksson, Erik's son, is believed to have been born here around 970 AD and later sailed from Greenland to reach North America around the year 1000, roughly five centuries before Columbus. The site functions as a living history museum from June to August, with guides in period dress delivering the saga of Erik and Leif inside the longhouse, around a central fire, in a format that works particularly well for families.
The Farm Where Erik the Red Lived Before His Banishment to Greenland, and Where Leif Eiríksson Was Born
Eiríksstaðir sits in Haukadalur valley, a broad green valley in the Dalir region of West Iceland. According to the Landnámabók and the Saga of Erik the Red, Eiríkur Þorvaldsson settled this farm after moving from the Westfjords following a series of killings. He farmed here with his wife Þjóðhildur, and their son Leif was likely born on this site around 970 AD. Erik was later forced to leave Iceland again after killing two more men, was declared an outlaw, and used his three-year banishment to explore and name Greenland before returning to Iceland to recruit settlers. He left Eiríksstaðir permanently around 982 AD. The farm and the broader Dalir region are also the setting of the Laxdæla Saga, one of Iceland's most celebrated medieval texts, which tells the story of the remarkable Guðrún Ósvífrsdóttir and the powerful families of the valley.
Archaeological work at the site began in 1894 and resumed more thoroughly between 1997 and 1999, when researchers uncovered the foundations of two 9th to 10th-century structures believed to be the original longhouse and a smaller outbuilding. The reconstruction completed in 2000 was built directly from these archaeological findings using driftwood, turf, and stone, the same materials available to Icelandic settlers a thousand years ago. Period tools were used throughout construction. The result is a turf-roofed longhouse that is as close to the original as current knowledge allows. Inside, a central fire pit provides heat and light, and the furnishings include a working loom, carved wooden beds, and the everyday implements of Viking Age domestic life. The reconstruction opened on 9 October 2000, the date chosen to coincide with Leif Eiríksson Day, a public holiday in the United States and Canada.
The museum operates as a living history experience from 1 June to 31 August, with costumed guides delivering the saga of Erik and Leif in English and Icelandic around the longhouse fire. Visitors can handle replica artefacts and, for younger visitors, try on Viking costumes and practice with replica weapons. The site is on Route 586 in Haukadalur, about 150 kilometres north of Reykjavík and 60 kilometres southeast of Stykkishólmur on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. A bronze statue of Leif Eiríksson stands beside the longhouse looking out over the valley. Outside the June to August season, visits can be arranged by appointment. Admission is charged.
