[Chase S-R]

Hello one and all
i am travelling to eastern europe, scandinavia, greece, and italy for three months i of coarse have a long list of museums but if any one knows of any museums,forges, or other places please tell me my faveorite era is the viking era and i love the middle ages.

[Petri Peltola]

Hello,

If you're visiting Finland: http://www.nba.fi/en/museums
the National museum in Helsinki is the most important exhibition in the country. It has some nice weapons from the late iron age for you. The medieval castles are the next best thing - if you happen to wander further from the capital. they have archaeological exhibitions as well.

If you're in to viking age, the historiska museet: http://www.historiska.se/misc/menyer-och-funk...inenglish/ in Stockholm is probably first on your list... and it should be. It's has a stunning exhibition.

A museum guide for the arms and armor-minded would be a nice feature *wink wink*. I have a bad habit of finding out about interesting museums a week after my holiday trip.

[Vaclav Homan]

It is pity that you are in this time on road. In central europe (Czech, Slovakia, Bayern, Austria, Poland, Hungaria), in generaly in europe, we have winter break in Castels, livin historical parks..
There is wery impotent collections in Castels and Chateau. In generally are collections of national gathering dispersed on a nationwide scale. Every smoll museum have archaeological and historical department and there you can see 2-6 (probably) swords, dagger, harness, .... But sometimes is there one unique sword.

If you travelin througt Czech: http://www.nm.cz/, http://www.mzm.cz/. There are medieval wearpons, viking swords (Rhine works laminas).
For example, my county (Budweis) http://www.husmuzeum.cz/, http://www.muzeumcb.cz/, http://www.prachenskemuzeum.cz. Thera are nice archaeological medieval prehistorical swords finds.

In hungary is wery nice: http://www.hnm.hu/

In Austria (Viena), Romania (Shigisoara, Deva, Cluj Napoca, Oradea....)

With Forge it is difficulter. Medieval Forge are in archaeological parck or in objects (houses, castels).
In Czech Dobriv http://www.vitejte.cz/objekt.php?oid=2400&j=en
In Bayern is Finsterau with blacksmith house.

In Roma is angel castel (opposite on vatikan), there the best medieval forge with accessories.

[Audun Refsahl]

In oslo there are two good ones, that might interest you, "kulturhistorisk museum" has a good collection of viking swords, some of them are of types you wont be able to see anywhere else. this is the place to go to see single edged viking swords..
the annoying thing about this museum is that they have a couple of thousands of swords not on display:(

also "vikingshipmuseet" the museum that has the oseberg ship and the gokstad ship, hardly any weapons there, but everything else.

Bergen has a nice display of medieval stuff, worth having a look if you are around.
"Domkirkeodden", in Hamar, nice museum made from a early medieval monastary/castle, lots of nice stuff there...

[Kjell Magnusson]

In Stockholm, the main museums of interest would probably be the Historical museum, the Army museum, and the Royal Armoury.

http://www.historiska.se/misc/menyer-och-funk...inenglish/
http://lsh.it-norr.com/default.asp?id=3032&refid=0
http://www.sfhm.se/templates/pages/ArmeStandardPage____1069.aspx

The historical museum mostly covers the period from the stone age to the viking age, with a bit of high medieval church art on display as well. The Royal Armoury has mostly items from the 16th and 17th centuries, with some newer items (related to arms and armour) as well, very little from earlier periods, focus is generally on the equipment of the high and mighty. The Army museum has some rather brief coverage up to the 16th century or so, and then covers the period from the 17th century to today quite well. They also have a huge, separate exhibit of arms, with the vast majority of all officially adopted swords, pistols and long guns of the Swedish armed forces from the 17th century to today on display, as well as a few extra. If you're specifically interested in Stockholm in the high middle ages (mostly the 15th century), then there is a Medieval museum as well, but it is currently being renovated meaning that they only have a little bit of activity in temporary housing. http://www.medeltidsmuseet.stockholm.se/index.php?sprak=english The museum itself had some weaponry on display, but I don't know about their temporary location.

[Chase S-R]

thank-you everyone
there were several mentioned I hadnt heard of so thank-you very much