Ornavik Historical Park Reopening to the public

At this experimental archaeology site, enthusiasts are rediscovering forgotten skills. They are building, forging, weaving, and cultivating, reconnecting with the techniques of the past. The project: to draw inspiration from Norman and Scandinavian archaeological discoveries: to build a Carolingian village composed of farms, gardens, workshops, and a church; to rediscover, within the Viking area, the activities of a trading post dominated by a future 40-meter-long house; and to dream before the motte-and-bailey castle in the time of William the Conqueror’s knights. Since 2025: a new discovery area: the motte-and-bailey castle The Ornavik Historical Park has been enriched with a new area with the construction of the motte-and-bailey castle, whose watchtower rises to over 24 meters. Castle mounds served as both protection and symbolic residences for the lords of the year 1000. Located near villages or in newly cleared meadows, these mounds aptly represent the development of the Duchy of Normandy under the Viking Rollo, where the dukes reserved the right to fortify. One such structure is remarkable for its size and weight: a 12-meter-high, 40-ton keep built of oak. The joinery was carried out using traditional methods in the park at the foot of the mound after being crafted in a workshop by the company “Métiers du Bois” (Woodworking). Encampment, furniture, mint, embroidery, attack and defense of fortified castles—ducal Normandy is revealed in the company of our guides and the historical reenactment association “Les Vikings an 911” (The Vikings of 911). This new space complements the Ornavik Historical Park visitor experience by offering a glimpse into civilian and military life during the ducal period, following the earlier sections within the park that explored Carolingian and Scandinavian life. The historical park opens on April 4th…