Nonnebakken, Viking ring fortress in Odense Municipality, Denmark.
Nonnebakken is a circular fortress featuring a moat and timber ramparts that enclosed an area roughly 180 meters across. The site retains its basic ring shape within the modern urban landscape, making its original military design still readable today.
King Harald Bluetooth built this fortress around 980 CE as one of five military installations strategically placed across Denmark. The site later transformed from a military stronghold into a trading and settlement center that helped establish Odense as a regional hub.
The name Nonnebakken refers to nuns who later inhabited the site and shaped how people understood the place. Visitors can observe how the location served different purposes across time through its physical layout and surviving features.
The site sits within the city and is easy to reach, with information boards on the ground showing the original extent of the fortress. Guided tours are available and help visitors understand the excavation findings and construction methods.
Excavations reveal well-preserved structures beneath the modern city that show how people lived and worked here during medieval times. These underground findings provide a rare glimpse into the daily life and craftsmanship of that period.
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