NORDFJORDEID 16.04.2025
His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon and Prince Sverre Magnus will pay an official visit to Nordfjordeid in Stad municipality on Saturday, April 25th. The royal guests will take part in the launching of the Myklebust ship, an event highlighting Norwegian maritime cultural heritage, traditional craftsmanship, and the path toward UNESCO World Heritage status.
The visit begins at the Sagastad knowledge center, where the entourage will receive an introduction to the center’s work in conveying the history of the Viking Age in general and the discoveries at Myklebust in particular. This is done in close collaboration with the University of Bergen. The journey then proceeds to Myklebusthaugen, the burial mound where the original ship—which is the largest Viking ship of which traces have been found in Norway—was discovered in 1874. Here, the royal guests will receive a briefing on the site’s historical role as a chieftain’s seat, and how the Norwegian ship burial mounds are now being evaluated for UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
Myklebusthaugen distinguishes itself in this context as the only known ship cremation grave in Scandinavia.
“It is a great joy for us to receive the Crown Prince and the Prince here in Nordfjordeid. That we have the opportunity to showcase the Myklebust ship and tell the story of Myklebusthaugen to the royal guests means a lot to us. For the entire community around the Viking center, this is a great inspiration in the further work of preserving and conveying our shared cultural heritage,” says Synnøve Aabrekk, General Manager at Sagastad.
Following a midday meal emphasizing local food traditions, the program shifts focus to the living coastal culture. At the pier, the Crown Prince and the Prince will meet the local boat builders from Bjørkedalen who built the 30-meter-long reconstruction of the Myklebust ship. The ship was designed by Saxe Bjørkedal, who in 2002 was awarded the King’s Medal of Merit in gold for his efforts for Norwegian coastal culture. The boat builders will provide an introduction to traditional clinker building, a craft inscribed on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
The launching itself constitutes the central event of the day. The annual commemoration has established itself as a tradition with significant international reach, making Sagastad the most followed attraction in Scandinavia on social media with several hundred million views. During this year’s launching, Crown Prince Haakon and Prince Sverre Magnus will sign on as crew and row side by side with “Rolaget Myklebust” (The Myklebust Rowing Team). The rowing team consists of over 200 volunteers who together share an interest in preserving the coastal culture and who throughout the year contribute an invaluable volunteer effort. This year, the Myklebust rowing team has also oiled the entire Myklebust ship for the first time since the ship’s christening in 2019.
“The launching rests on a massive volunteer effort from the many volunteers in the rowing team. That the Crown Prince and the Prince this year choose to sign on to row together with us is a fantastic encouragement for the entire crew and a wonderful celebration of our living coastal culture,” says Jacob Bredesen, Marketing Director for Sagastad.
Press wishing to cover the visit must be accredited. Send registration to the County Governor of Vestland c/o Edvard Høgestøl. E: edvard.hogestol@statsforvalteren.no | Tel: 91383573
Links & Resources
Launching Program 2026: https://sagastad.no/program-sjosetjinga-2026/
Recommends the Viking Heritage as World Heritage (The Directorate for Cultural Heritage): https://riksantikvaren.no/riksantikvaren-anbefaler-vikingarven-som-verdensarv/
Contact Information (Sagastad)
Synnøve Aabrekk General Manager at Sagastad Tel: 41622807 | E: synnove@sagastad.no
Jacob Bredesen Marketing Director Tel: 46637819 | E: jacob@sagastad.no
