Krampmacken – a world traveller
Krampmacken is a unique restraint of a Viking-age. The boat has sailed on the Black Sea and visited several museums around the world.
A replica of the viking boat
Krampmacken was built as a replica of a boat from the 12th century that was found in a swamp on the island of Gotland. The boat is 8 meters long and 2 meters wide and built for a crew of 11.
Photo: Ola Myrin/SHM.
Toured around the world
Krampmacken was built in 1980 led by archaeology professor Erik Nylén and has been used for experimental archaeology to study how sailing was done during the Viking Age. The boat sailed from Gotland via the rivers Wisla and Donau, over the Black Sea all the way to Miklagard – the Viking name for Istanbul.
Photo: Ola Myrin/SHM.
The boat has also toured with the Swedish History Museum’s Viking exhibition “We call them Vikings”, which has been shown at several museums around Europe, North America and Australia.
Krampmacken leaves the Swedish History Museum for new adventures on Gotland
In 2019, Krampmacken returned to the Swedish History Museum. Since then, she has been on display in the museum’s courtyard during the summer months, up until May 2025. Although Krampmacken is retired from sailing, her journey continues as she returns to Gotland to be cared for by the Gotland Museum.