Vikings along the Silk Road

The UNWTO Silk Road Programme, together with the Vikings Cultural Route, discovers Viking heritage and their contributions to Silk Road.

During the Western Silk Road tourism development initiative, a joint UNWTO-European Commission project, the Vikings Cultural Route contributed with a SWOT-analysis to the Western Silk Road research effort and highlighted the untapped history of the Vikings along the Silk Road river ways. 

Despite extensive research on the Vikings, little was known about their connection to the Silk Road. With her study Silk for the Vikings, Marianne Vedeler shed some light on this issue.

By collecting and studying available manuscripts and documents, she discovered that the Vikings entertained extensive trade relations with neighbouring countries and foreign empires. Hence their knowledge and appreciation of silk primarily resulted from peaceful exchange, as opposed to previously held, more violent, views.

Further cooperation between the UNWTO Silk Road Programme and the Vikings Cultural Route will be discussed during the International Tourism Fair ITB Berlin 2018. 

    Learn more about the Vikings on the Silk Road in the brochure. 

    More information can be found here.