Krampmacken – a reconstructed Viking ship
Iron Age
500 BC – AD 1100
Viking Age
AD 800 – AD 1100
Middle Ages
AD 1050 – AD 1520
Krampmacken was built in 1980 as a reconstruction of a Viking-era boat. Measuring 8 by 2 metres, it has six oars and space for around eleven people. The size and shape of the hull are based on archaeological finds of Viking boats discovered at Bulverket in Lake Tingstäde on the island of Gotland. The word krampmack means “sand shrimp” in the Gotlandic dialect.
The boat was built at the initiative of archaeologist Professor Erik Nylén and has been used to explore how seafaring might have worked during the Viking Age, a method known as experimental archaeology.
From Gotland to Istanbul
Its maiden voyage took it from Gotland, along the rivers Vistula and Danube, across the Black Sea, all the way to the city known to the Norse as Miklagard, today’s Istanbul. In some stretches, the boat had to be hauled over land. These challenging but successful journeys demonstrated that long-distance travel by river was possible with boats the size of Krampmacken.
On a world tour
In the early 2000s, Krampmacken was exhibited around the world as part of the international exhibition We Call Them Vikings. From 2019 to 2025, the boat was displayed at the Swedish History Museum. It is now back on Gotland. Though now retired from sailing, Krampmacken continues her journey – as a museum exhibit.
