Dutch municipality boasts ties with Viking invaders

WIERINGEN – The former northwestern Dutch island of Wieringen has reached very far back into its history to create something very unique, but also reasonably inexpensive for itself: a walking route ‘In ’t spoor van de Vikingen’ which freely translated reads ‘Following the trail of the Vikings.’ Certain areas of the Netherlands have unearthed evidence of the presence of the Vikings, usually not something positive because it points to warfare, conquest and plunder. That Wieringen acknowledges its Viking ties has much to do with stories of Vikings settling in the vicinity as farmers. Viking archeological discoveries give the municipality a new dimension to this heritage as well. An elderly man, who loves to explore the area with his metal detector, found three separate hoards of artifacts and Arabian and Roman coins. Several local initiatives explore the Viking connection, including a local museum.