Name: International Metalworking Meet Haithabu 2026
Start: 2026-05-22T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-05-25T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Wikingerhäuser Haithabu

Metalworkers Haithabu

About Metalworkers Haithabu

For Pentecost 2026, the Haithabu Viking Museum is hosting its first International Metalworking Meet. For four days, specialists from several European countries will demonstrate the full spectrum of Viking Age metalworking on the open-air grounds of the reconstructed Viking houses: ore smelting in a bloomery furnace, forging, bronze casting, damascening, coin minting, chasing, and braiding. Haithabu — one of the most important trading centers of Viking Age Northern Europe — offers a unique archaeological backdrop for this.

Dates 22 May — 25 May 2026

Venue Busdorf (01059)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Metalworkers Haithabu — edition 2026

The first International Metalworking Meet Haithabu will take place from May 22 to 25, 2026 (Pentecost weekend) on the open-air grounds of the Viking houses. Open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Demonstrations of ore smelting, forging, bronze casting, damascening, and coin minting. Knife-making workshop available.

Over the extended Pentecost weekend, the open-air grounds of the Haithabu Viking houses will transform into a fully functional Viking Age metal workshop. Forges will burn, bronze will be cast, coins will be minted — all using historical tools and methods. Additionally, the museum will offer guided tours «A Stroll Through Haithabu».

Highlights Metalworkers Haithabu 2026

First International Metalworking Meet at Haithabu. Forging, bronze casting, and coin minting in a Viking setting. Special guided tours on Sunday and Monday of Pentecost at 2 p.m.

Programme Metalworkers Haithabu 2026

Friday of Pentecost to Monday of Pentecost, May 22–25, 2026

10:00 AM–4:00 PM — Demonstration Workshops by invited masters
Ongoing — Ore Smelting in a Bloomery Furnace (iron from bog iron ore)
Ongoing — Forging Demonstrations (tools, weapons, fittings)
Ongoing — Bronze Casting (brooches, jewelry)
Ongoing — Coin Minting of Viking Age pennies
Ongoing — Damascening (precious metal inlays in iron)
Bookable — Knife Making Workshop (material contribution on-site)

Sunday of Pentecost, May 24 & Monday of Pentecost, May 25

2:00 PM — Guided Tour «A Stroll Through Haithabu»

Prices Metalworkers Haithabu 2026

Included in the regular museum admission. Knife-making workshop with an additional material contribution.

Practical information

Practical information — Metalworkers Haithabu

Getting Here

By car via the A7 (exit Schleswig/Jagel) and then on the B76 to Haddebyer Chaussee. Parking is available at the museum entrance. From there, it's about a 20-minute walk to the Viking houses in the open-air area.

Admission

Included in the regular museum admission. Current prices can be found at haithabu.de.

Knife Making Workshop

Material contribution to be agreed upon with the instructor. Register on-site.

Food & Drink

Museum café and snacks at the entrance area.

Haithabu — Viking Trading Metropolis on the Haddebyer Noor

Haithabu, on the Haddebyer Noor south of Schleswig, was one of Northern Europe's largest trading centers in the 9th and 10th centuries — a hub between Scandinavia, the Saxon realm, and the Slavic territories on the Baltic Sea. Archaeological finds attest to an exceptionally high level of metallurgical skills: the finest bronze brooches, sword hilts artfully damascened, large-scale coin minting. This metallurgical tradition is the focus of the new International Metalworking Meet.

What the Specialists Will Show

Master craftspeople from several European countries, invited for their expertise, will demonstrate the central techniques of Viking Age metalworking:

Ore Smelting in a Bloomery Furnace — producing iron from bog iron ore using historical methods
Forging — tools, weapons, fittings
Bronze Casting — brooches, jewelry, fittings
Coin Minting — Viking Age pennies and sceattas
Damascening — inlaying precious metal wire into iron
Chasing and Braiding — finer goldsmithing and wirework

Knife Making Workshop

In addition to the demonstration program, a specialist will offer a knife-making workshop. Materials will be provided; registration is on-site directly with the instructor. The participation fee covers material costs.

Haithabu Viking Museum

The Haithabu Viking Museum is part of the Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf and combines a permanent exhibition with the open-air archaeological area of the Viking houses. The entire ensemble of ramparts, museum, and reconstructed settlement has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018, along with the Danewerk. Pentecost is traditionally a busy time for visitors, and the 2026 Metalworking Meet enhances the program with a focused, large-scale event.