The Jorvik Viking Centre is one of the most popular visitor attractions in York. This video may whet your appetite.

When the modern Coppergate shopping centre was being built, there were archaeological excavations, as is always usual before building projects in York. Archaeologists found extensive remains of a Viking settlement in the area below. It provided a rich source of information about everyday life of the Scandinavians in York.

Jorvik Viking Centre was created underground by the Archaeological Trust on the site of this exciting discovery. The 1000-year old items found there show the origins of the Vikings and how they lived in what they called Jorvik. The dig continued for five years, and during that time the innovative visitor centre was designed. A background video describes the development of the centre.