Trelleborg (Slagelse)

Trelleborg

Aerial view of Trelleborg, Slagelse
Location of the site in Denmark
Location	Region Zealand, Denmark
Coordinates	55°23′39″N 11°15′55″E / 55.39417°N 11.26528°E / 55.39417; 11.26528
Site notes
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Viking-Age Ring Fortresses
Criteria	(iii)(iv)
Reference	1660
Inscription	2023 (45th Session)

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The Trelleborg (or Trælleborg), west of Slagelse on the Danish island of Zealand, is one of seven known Viking ring castles. When built, the fortress was situated on a peninsula that jutted into the swampy area between two rivers. The swamp was connected to the Great Belt by a lake and could be navigated by Viking ships. Trelleborg is believed to have been ordered by King Harald Bluetooth in the year 980 AD and it might have commanded the Great Belt and its sea traffic, between the islands of Zealand and Funen.

Trelleborg is the best preserved of the Viking ring fortresses. Since 1995, the Trelleborg Museum has presented the story of this particular fortress and the nearby area. Some of the artifacts found in connection with the archaeological excavations are on display at the museum, while others are on display at the Nationalmuseet in Copenhagen.

Along with four other Viking ring fortresses in denmark, Trelleborg was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023 because of its unique architecture and testimony to the strategic and military power of the House of Knýtlinga (Jelling Dynasty).^[1]