Jorvik Viking Centre
It may be far more advanced than York’s Roman equivalent, but the Jorvik museum can’t hide how rudimentary the Vikings’ technology was by comparison, despite arriving centuries later. However, York – or Jorvik – was an important trading hub in the Viking world, which in part contributed to it becoming England’s second city. Constructed by the York Archaeological Trust on the site of the famous Viking dig, the museum displays numerous artefacts including tools, jewellery and fine-crafted combs. There are also impressive interactive multimedia installations, and a glass floor at the entrance that allows visitors to look down at the Viking town lying beneath. The centrepiece is the sophisticated ride in rollercoaster-style capsules, which flies you through a recreation of Jorvik, complete with authentic huts and inhabitants brought to life by animatronics.
