Tom`s travels: Hedeby & Schleswig (28/10/2018)

From Hamburg we did another day trip, this time heading north to the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Our destination was the small town which gave its name to the first part of the state. After reaching the train station we headed on foot in the direction of the archaeological site of Hedeby, a little further to the southeast. We walked along a bike path running beside the Schlei Forde, a small inner bay connected to the sea with a view of the town of Schleswig across the sound. We then reached the site where the Haithabu Museum is located right next to the location of the archaeological area. The names Hedeby, in Danish, and Haithabu, in German, are both used for the site. The archaeological area used to be the location of an important Danish Viking age trading settlement which flourished between the 8th and 11th centuries. Its location was very important, as the inlet in which it is set is quite far inland from the Baltic Sea and a small 15km stretch of land separates the settlement from the Treene River which then, in turn, flows towards the other side of the peninsula into the North Sea. So through a short corduroy road made of logs, goods and even ships could be moved from one sea to the other without having to circumnavigate the whole Jutland peninsula. This is why then an earthen wall topped by a palisade called the Danevirke was constructed connecting the walls of Hedeby all the way to the Treene River to form a protection for the trade. After a prosperous period, the town fell into decadence and was finally ransacked and destroyed first by the King of Norway Harald Hadrada and later by West Slavs. It was then abandoned and the population spread throughout the land eventually crossing the bay to the other side where they founded the town of Schleswig. So after buying the ticket, we entered the nice museum which exhibited all the objects that were excavated from the site. Golden brooches, stone runes, and longships were displayed alongside objects of everyday use. It was a nice way to gather info regarding how people in that age lived in such a northern mercantile settlement. After visiting the museum we then walked further and reached the actual archaeological site which was located in a semicircle at the end of the bay and surrounded by an earthen ring which probably coincided with the town's walls. A group of sheep was grazing as we entered the area and continuing on also met a group of grazing Highland cows which looked so fluffy. We then reached the site where a series of Viking houses and huts had been reconstructed right by the waterside. The interiors were made to show how the houses were made and to illustrate their use. After taking a few pictures we then decided to head back and walk all around the bay to visit the town of Schleswig. The weather was kind to us as a windy yet sunny day was giving us a pleasant visiting experience. After quite some walking along the bay, we finally reached the town and walked past the small harbor and through the old town. Then we walked through the eastern end where the fishing village of Holm was located. Once a settlement on its own nowadays it forms part of the city and a continuation of the old town. The houses there were very pretty and well kept and we decided to have a hot lunch at the only cafè, the Holm Cafè. We both took soups and enjoyed them very much. After filling up we then walked around admiring the view of the bay from the piers of the fishing houses and passed by the monastery of St John at the end of the village. Then, walking back from where we came, we stopped to have a look at the large Cathedral. Built during the 12th century in the Romanesque style it was slightly modified in the following centuries thus largely maintaining its original appearance. The Petri Portal, dating to 1180, which we used to enter the church was evidence of that period. Once inside we marveled at the beauty of the nave which I had not expected so far north and in such a small town. A beautiful choir, which was unusually divided by a crucifix, common in the pre-reformation churches, held a nice 16th-century oak wood altar. Next to it a renaissance tomb from 1552 was meant as a cenotaph for Frederick I, King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Holstein. Also, the cloister, set in the northern side, presented a nice mix of Romanesque and Gothic, having been built during the 14th century. It was interesting to walk through it as the hallway and arches were all crooked due to the sandy ground and long centuries it has been standing on. Once outside we then walked again through the town and reached the Gottorf Castle. Built and rebuilt several times through its history, its present form dates to the Baroque refurbishment of the early 18th century. We did not visit the interior as it was just before closing time and instead walked through its large park and reached the northern part where a nice terraced garden had been built up the hill and featuring a pond and observation house. It was then time to head back, so after walking through the old town we finally reached the train station from where we took our ride back to Hamburg.