The Historic City of York York is one of Britain’s most historic cities. Once it was even the capital of a Viking kingdom!
The Vikings were known as brave warriors and excellent sailors. They travelled in their long ships to Iceland, Greenland and even to North America!
In 851, Viking invaders sailed up the Thames, attacked London and burnt it to the ground. In 866, they attacked the city of York but didn’t bum it. They settled in it instead!
They built streets and houses and set up their businesses in York. Soon Jorvik (as the city was now called) became a big trading area and one of the most important Viking cities in Europe.
The Vikings sold goods right from their houses, using the front of their buildings as shop windows. People could buy lots of things in these ‘shops’ — clothes, spices, perfumes and jewellery. Archaeological excavations show that in the 10th century Jorvik had trading connections with many far-away countries, including Russia and the Byzantine Empire.
Skilled craftsmen in Jorvik made things that the Vikings needed — pots, shoes, plates and cups. Viking smiths made swords, arrows, iron nails, locks, keys and shoe buckles. Many people thought that smiths were wizards who made magic out of smoke and flames.
Excavations in the city centre show that Jorvik was a busy city. About 15,000 people lived there. It was a dirty city, too. Rubbish (including bad food and human waste) was thrown out right into the backyards. As you can imagine, the smell wasn’t very pleasant. Living conditions weren’t healthy either. However, thanks to all the rubbish, the ground level in Jorvik rose by around 1 cm a year. And this helped to preserve Viking houses — for the joy of historians hundreds of years later.
The face of York has certainly changed over the centuries. Today, it’s one of the most beautiful cities in Britain. The city knows well how to show its history to visitors. One of the most popular places with tourists is the Jorvik Viking Centre where you can see, hear and even smell the Viking city. Every February, the Centre organizes a special Viking festival. Many visitors come to the city from all over the Viking North of Europe to take part in this colourful event.
There are many other interesting places to visit in York. The magnificent York Minster, for example, is the largest gothic cathedral in northern Europe. In the Castle Museum, you can take a walk down Victorian streets. The National Railway Museum’s collection is world-famous (Victorian York was an important railway centre).
York is also known as the most haunted city in Europe and you can follow many of its scary stories on one of the popular ‘Ghost Walks’. |