Manchester for Viking fans: Activities & Experiences

 

Manchester is one of the most popular cities for tourists, including those who travel within the United Kingdom and those who come from abroad to experience British culture. In 2017, 1.319 million tourists visited the city, which represents a 10% increase on the 1.191 million who visited Manchester in 2016.

 

Our city has a lot to love and there are plenty of draws. After all, our it’s got something for football fans, with clubs Manchester United and Manchester City, and it’s got its significant share of music history, including world-famous musicians and groups such as Oasis, Take That, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, and The Chemical Brothers. But another appeal of Manchester comes from the city’s rich history, specifically the connection that it has to the Vikings.

 

Legend has it that threat of a Norse invasion is the reason why Nico Ditch, the six-mile trench, was created as a defence mechanism. In 2007, Viking remains were found buried in land in Warburton, Cheshire. Vikings are believed to have sailed up the Mersey and settled on land located between Altrincham and Lymm, and so the 2007 discovery of a Viking belt buckle seemed to confirm that they had indeed settled in the area.

 

 

Why are Vikings so popular?

 

But why are Vikings, of all the ancient peoples, still so popular? While Viking history in itself is fascinating stuff, we have pop culture and media to thank for its resurgence in popularity.

 

The most prominent example of this is History’s hit drama TV show, Vikings. The series, which is set to air the second part of its fifth season later in 2018, is inspired by legendary Viking Ragnar Lothbrok. It follows the adventures of Ragnar, his fellow warriors and his family as they battle and go on quests around England and on the continent of Europe. The show is so popular that History has already renewed it for season six before the fifth season has even finished airing. On the big screen, meanwhile, Marvel’s Thor superhero movies have made some major money at the box office. Collectively, Thor, Thor: The Dark World, and Thor: Ragnarok have made almost $2 billion. That’s a lot of people who have bought tickets to watch Thor throw his famous hammer and go on adventures based on Norse mythology.

 

But it’s not just movies that have embraced Viking themes; they’re also big in other sectors of entertainment, including the world of video games. Tactical RPG indie game The Banner Saga has three successful entries and the first follows a Norse caravan that is battling against a human-hating race called the Dredge. It immerses players in Norse culture by getting them to make choices for the caravan, greatly influencing the story as they go.

 

In the iGaming world, the Thunderstruck 2 online slot at Betway Casino also borrows from Norse mythology. It transports players to the ancient city of Asgard (the home of Norse gods) and the ancient figures of Odin, Loki, Thor, and Valkyrie all make an appearance, as does Mjolnir (Thor’s hammer) and Odin’s ravens. Themed slots are a trend in the world of online casino games (there are also Jurassic World and Game of Thrones slot games on the same website, for instance). If a setting or a piece of media has a slot based on it, it shows just how popular it is. Most recently, PS4 exclusive game God of War takes Greek god Kratos to a Norse setting, with critics agreeing that the game “nails” its take on Norse mythology. It features Draugr enemies, Dwarven brothers Brok and Sindri, and even the world serpent. This all helps to increase awareness of Norse mythology and culture in the mainstream.

 

What is there for Viking fans to do in Manchester?

 

Tourism operators in Manchester are well aware of how pop culture has increased the interest in Vikings both within the city and around the world. As such, there are quite a few ways for Viking fans to learn more about Norse culture and take part in some Viking fun for themselves.

 

Manchester is already known for its travel experiences and so the Medieval York, the Cathedral and Vikings day trip is an excellent excursion. Starting at Manchester Picadilly, you’ll visit the Jorvik Viking Centre, the York Minster cathedral church, and more on your journey. For a more immersive experience, there’s also the Ydalir Viking re-enactment group which will show you all sorts of aspects of life in Viking Europe, including combat displays and crafting demonstrations that show you how Vikings would put their famous artefacts together. Moreover, The Last Vikings Escape Hunt game will see players team up to take on an invasion of Ice Giants. Participants have just one hour to summon the Norse gods and request their support in taking out the giants; it’s an exhilarating and nail-biting experience.

 

If all of these activities have left you feeling tuckered out, then it’s time to find a place to eat and drink like a Viking. Viking feasts include banquets of spitted and roasted horsemeat, which has been compared to kebab meat. Manchester has plenty of kebab houses including Namaaste Kitchen which offers more upmarket kebab meals, including award-winning dishes. Then, you can wash it all down with a delicious pint of beer at No. 1 Watson Street which has 12 different choices of beer on tap as well as a variety of cocktails. Vikings would drink beer (ale), meed and, on occasion, they’d drink wine. So, Vikings would be well-catered to by Manchester’s bars and pubs.

 

Vikings hail from Scandinavian countries including Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. However, if you don’t feel like going that far, you can still enjoy Viking culture right here in Manchester.