Vitlycke Museum

Last week, the girls and I visited the Vitlycke Museum, famous for its Bronze Age rock art. The Bronze Age in Scandinavia is from about 2,000-500 BCE. The rock art here is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; these are places chosen by the UN as being of notable significance to human history.

Of course the museum is stylish and adorable. It's in Sweden!

We started our visit in the small indoor museum. It held some Bronze Age artifacts, such as a massive bronze sword that someone found buried to the hilt in the sand beneath the sea. As with most places in Sweden, the museum is extremely kid-friendly. The exhibits are designed as a narrative of several family members. The museum also offered a scavenger hunt, a wall puzzle of some of the more famous rock art images, and clay for kids to make their own versions.

Daim ice cream cones in the museum cafe.

The girls' favorite part of the museum was the large outdoor space designed to look like a Bronze Age farm. Within a fenced area stood a few structures (a longhouse, a house/barn, and a workshop). There was a small garden and a large area with goats grazing.

Long girls outside the longhouse.

Interior of longhouse, aka best playhouse ever.

The girls begged me to let them play house in the long house. I hung out with the goats for a bit, then took a walk along a trail that was also part of the property. I walked to the "sacrificial bog" where a statue of a goddess stood on an island in the middle. It felt like I'd walked onto the set of the Princess Bride, everything covered in ferns and moss.

Baby goats!

Heading out on the nature trail.

The goddess.

Finally, we made it to one of the rock art sites. By this point, we were all a bit tired and cranky. And looking at carvings in rock, especially when you are not allowed to touch them or climb on the rocks, is a tough sell for any kiddos.

Just one of several sites.

She wants to touch them SO. SO. MUCH.

A boat. Most sites were near the sea; sea level was higher then.

Top: One of the most famous images, The Lovers

Overall, it was a lovely day trip back in time. Four thousand years ago is beyond my ability to truly wrap my brain around. I'm awed at the depth of human history at our fingertips here in Sweden.