Draken Harald Hårfagre – World’s Largest Viking Ship On Its Way To U.S And Canada

AncientPages.com - The Vikings were accomplished navigators, artisans, traders and story tellers, but their greatest triumph was the ship they built.

Draken Harald, the largest Viking ship built in modern times, is a re-creation of the "big ships" described in the sagas. These ships were ocean liners with excellent sailing characteristics combined with war ship using oars.

Draken Harald Hårfagre is 115 feet long and 27 feet wide, and construction began in 2010. Credits: karmoy.kommune.no

The world's largest Viking ship is on its way from Norway to America. The Draken Harald Hårfagre set sail Saturday and will dock in Duluth as part of the Tall Ships Duluth 2016 festival in August, reports StarTribune.

Along the way, the re-creation of what the Vikings would call a "Great Ship" will sail to Iceland, Greenland, Canada and through the Great Lakes, simulating the Vikings' challenge of crossing the North Atlantic Ocean to explore the world 1,000 years ago.

The ship is named after Harald Fairhair, the king who unified Norway into one kingdom. It is 115 feet long and 27 feet wide, and construction began in 2010.

Built with techniques from archaeological findings, using old boatbuilding traditions and the legends of Viking ships from the Norse saga, the Draken Harald Hårfagre is believed to be the largest Viking ship built in modern times, according to the ship's website.

The Draken Harald Hårfagre features an oak hull and a 3,200-square-foot sail. It carries a crew of 32 men and women under the command of Captain Björn Ahlander. Credits: http://www.drakenexpeditionamerica.com/

The Draken Harald Hårfagre features an oak hull and a 3,200-square-foot sail. It carries a crew of 32 men and women under the command of Captain Björn Ahlander.

See also:

Viking Longships: Fearless Dragonships Daring The Oceans And Seas

Explore The Mysterious Ancient World Of The Vikings

Viking Ingvar The Far-Travelled And His Great Expedition To The East

In Duluth, the Draken Harald Hårfagre will be one of several tall ships from around the world on display, along with the World's Largest Rubber Duck. The festival dubbed "The Greatest Spectacle on Lake Superior" runs Aug. 18-21.

Besides Tall Ships Duluth, the Draken Harald Hårfagre will make ports of call in Quebec City and Toronto, Bay City, Mich., Chicago, Green Bay, New York City and ports in Ohio and Connecticut.

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