L'Anse aux Meadows

Newfoundland, Canada

At the tip of the Great Northern Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, the remains of an 11th-century Viking settlement are evidence of the first European presence in North America. The excavated remains of wood-framed peat-turf buildings are similar to those found in Norse Greenland and Iceland.

Dating to around the year 1000 (carbon dating estimate 990-1050 CE), L'Anse aux Meadows is the only site widely accepted as evidence of pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact. It is notable for its possible connection with the attempted colony of Vinland established by Leif Erikson around the same period or, more broadly, with Norse exploration of the Americas.

Today the area mostly consists of open, grassy lands; but 1000 years ago, there were forests which were beneficial in boat-building, house-building and for iron extraction. The remains of eight buildings were located. They are believed to have been constructed of sod placed over a wooden frame. Based on associated artifacts, the buildings were variously identified as dwellings or workshops.

L'Anse aux Meadows was named a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 1978.

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Newfoundland, Canada
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Details

Founded: 950-1050 AD
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Canada

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Allana Bykes (she/her) (2 years ago)
Definitely worth the drive up. Take a tour with a guide. They have so much more info than you can get just walking the grounds. I had no idea that this area was the place where humans closed the circle. Just wild. Such a cool and significant piece of human history.
Wayne Hazelden (2 years ago)
Great piece of history. Although the buildings are recreations of the past buildings you get a good sense of the living conditions of the people who lived here before. The tour guide was well informed with a long history of living in the area. You can spend a long or short time there exploring depending on your fitness level. Handicap access is limited but doable. This is a must see.
Rebecca “Becki” H (2 years ago)
Amazing and beautiful natural landscape. Plenty to learn about and educate yourself about this awesome place. Friendly and helpful staff. So peaceful you could hear a pin drop. Just very serene and quiet. DH must've taken a zillon photos with his Nikon, phone cameras may not do it justice. Cannot comment on whether or not tickets are required or if its advisable to purchase in advance, as our visit was part of an excursion we had booked through our cruise ship. Would love to fortunate enough to return. Locals are very lucky to have this in their own backyard.
Daren Magness (2 years ago)
The Canadian Government (Parc du Canada) has done an utterly fantastic job in not only maintaining the original settlement grounds, but have created a fantastic living replica of the settlement. There is also a very engaging visitor center.
kris (2 years ago)
very cool place. it was much more and better than I expected. plaques are very informative. the reconstructed buildings are super cool. didn't expect to be able to go in. they're decorated well on the inside and there are guides in costume as well. trail was pretty easy as it was mostly boardwalk. the documentary they showed inside the visitor center was a little cheesy lol
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