Visiting Europe this summer with some backpacks and going all over, I want to visit some great arms & armour museums that have anything from Viking to High middle ages era gear, I've been given a few good leads but more couldn't hurt.
Ok where should I go? got any favorites?
Arms &armour museums
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Norman
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How far around Europe are you trekking?
In England -
Royal Armoury -
The original location - Tower of London
not too much armour left -- but boy - the history is thick.
The new location - Leeds (northern England) fabulous museum - they do live combat interpretations... are really quite happy to let you in the back and ask alot of questions.
In York (northern England) you got the Yorvik Viking center -- the smelliest ride on Earth (a Viking vilage reconstruction complete with sounds and smells)
The famous Coopergate helmet was found there (Coopergate is the street name) -- it is located at a museum down the street.
Take the Haunted York Ghost Tour.
In Turkey (on the European side) -
Topkapi Sarai and Army Museum in Istanbul.
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Norman J. Finkelshteyn
Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3505
The Silk Road Designs Armoury - http://www.enteract.com/~silkroad
Jewish Warriors - http://www.geocities.com/jewishwarriors
The Red Kaganate - http://www.geocities.com/kaganate
silkroad@spam.operamail.com (remove "spam" from e-mail to make it work)
In England -
Royal Armoury -
The original location - Tower of London
not too much armour left -- but boy - the history is thick.
The new location - Leeds (northern England) fabulous museum - they do live combat interpretations... are really quite happy to let you in the back and ask alot of questions.
In York (northern England) you got the Yorvik Viking center -- the smelliest ride on Earth (a Viking vilage reconstruction complete with sounds and smells)
The famous Coopergate helmet was found there (Coopergate is the street name) -- it is located at a museum down the street.
Take the Haunted York Ghost Tour.
In Turkey (on the European side) -
Topkapi Sarai and Army Museum in Istanbul.
------------------
Norman J. Finkelshteyn
Armour of the Silk Road - http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/3505
The Silk Road Designs Armoury - http://www.enteract.com/~silkroad
Jewish Warriors - http://www.geocities.com/jewishwarriors
The Red Kaganate - http://www.geocities.com/kaganate
silkroad@spam.operamail.com (remove "spam" from e-mail to make it work)
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Erik Schmidt
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- Location: Australia
Hi again, I realized I had a couple of sites listing the main A&A museums since my reply on Castle Quest.
Go to the following;
http://therionarms.com/links.html#museums
http://www.armor.com/2000/links.html
http://www.kunstsammlungen-coburg.de/kunstsam.htm#
Erik
Go to the following;
http://therionarms.com/links.html#museums
http://www.armor.com/2000/links.html
http://www.kunstsammlungen-coburg.de/kunstsam.htm#
Erik
I found on the Continent, many collections at castles or manors only allow you to spend time in their armouries while the tour group is there, then you have to move on. I have recently contacted Churburg about their collection and they have the same policy.
Call ahead to check, I went out of my way to one German castle only to have this happen to me.
Call ahead to check, I went out of my way to one German castle only to have this happen to me.
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Stefhan
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For arm&armour the places I went last fall;
London,
British National Museum- good for all types items. Not much armour but has the Sutton Hoo
(spelling?)finds and lots of roman,celt, mundane items, and fine art.allows flash but most behind glass.
Victoria and Albert Museum- Good arms&armour eastrn and western. Lots of textile.Great iron work colection including wrought iron from as erly as 12 hundreds. flash ok.
Wallace Collection- One of the best arms&armour Collection. As well as fine art. No photos alowed. Still a must see.
Tower of London- Not much armour but still a neat sight. Go to the Coldstream Gards museum.no flash.
Leeds,
Royal Armouries Museum- One of the best museums I saw in Europe. A must see! Flash ok.
Paris,
Musée de l'Armée- Very good. No flash. good desplays for WW1 and 2 as well.And they do mock you with the armery behind glass...
Brussles,
Musée Royaux de l'Armée- Very good! All behind glass cant rember if flash allowed. By that time I got the low light fast film thing down and just stoped using my flash.
Nuremburg,
German Nat. Museum-Again very good. No flash. Lots of tools and every day items as well.
Kaiserburg Castle- Small. Good. Lots of spirs and tack. no flash. See all the rest of the sights!
Ingolstat-
Bayerisches Army Mus.-Good collection. No flash. all eras.
Munich,
Bayerisches Nationlmuseum- small collection.Good for fluted gothic. no flash.
Cant find my tour guide..get one if i got the name wrong try to find it.
Vienna,
Kunsthistoriches Museum- Great!!! Top 3! No flash. All Eras but heavy in later armour. Must see!
Army Museum- Real late but very good. Some black and white harness. Real good 30 year war and later items.
Innsbruck,
Schloss Ambras- Good late items. Flash allowed. See the whole place items of wepons and armour in other wing as well. Also good mondane items.
See all the other sights as well!
Klon,
Roman Mus.-No armour very little weps but awsome collection of roman things!No flash.
City Mus. Small. Good items.no flash.
Take a good camera if you can. Fast film (800 to 1600)a steady hand, No tripod alowed in any place i went. Take lot of shots you can cart them around and you will be happy you did. I got over 1100 shots that came out good. E-mail me if you want tips on photo shots. Later i might post tips but off to bed. Some day i will get my photos on the web for folks too see.
Enjoy
London,
British National Museum- good for all types items. Not much armour but has the Sutton Hoo
(spelling?)finds and lots of roman,celt, mundane items, and fine art.allows flash but most behind glass.
Victoria and Albert Museum- Good arms&armour eastrn and western. Lots of textile.Great iron work colection including wrought iron from as erly as 12 hundreds. flash ok.
Wallace Collection- One of the best arms&armour Collection. As well as fine art. No photos alowed. Still a must see.
Tower of London- Not much armour but still a neat sight. Go to the Coldstream Gards museum.no flash.
Leeds,
Royal Armouries Museum- One of the best museums I saw in Europe. A must see! Flash ok.
Paris,
Musée de l'Armée- Very good. No flash. good desplays for WW1 and 2 as well.And they do mock you with the armery behind glass...
Brussles,
Musée Royaux de l'Armée- Very good! All behind glass cant rember if flash allowed. By that time I got the low light fast film thing down and just stoped using my flash.
Nuremburg,
German Nat. Museum-Again very good. No flash. Lots of tools and every day items as well.
Kaiserburg Castle- Small. Good. Lots of spirs and tack. no flash. See all the rest of the sights!
Ingolstat-
Bayerisches Army Mus.-Good collection. No flash. all eras.
Munich,
Bayerisches Nationlmuseum- small collection.Good for fluted gothic. no flash.
Cant find my tour guide..get one if i got the name wrong try to find it.
Vienna,
Kunsthistoriches Museum- Great!!! Top 3! No flash. All Eras but heavy in later armour. Must see!
Army Museum- Real late but very good. Some black and white harness. Real good 30 year war and later items.
Innsbruck,
Schloss Ambras- Good late items. Flash allowed. See the whole place items of wepons and armour in other wing as well. Also good mondane items.
See all the other sights as well!
Klon,
Roman Mus.-No armour very little weps but awsome collection of roman things!No flash.
City Mus. Small. Good items.no flash.
Take a good camera if you can. Fast film (800 to 1600)a steady hand, No tripod alowed in any place i went. Take lot of shots you can cart them around and you will be happy you did. I got over 1100 shots that came out good. E-mail me if you want tips on photo shots. Later i might post tips but off to bed. Some day i will get my photos on the web for folks too see.
Enjoy
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Brandr hinn Rusli
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Viking stuff.
France - Bayeux for the Bayeux tapestry. Good display and nice little town. (Also the D-Day beaches are there as well).
Denmark - Ribe (Oldest town in Denmark) Vikinger Museum. Not much armour but lots of other good stuff. Also the viking centre just outside town (2km), a excellent recreation of viking age stuff.
Aarhus - Moseguard Museum, some decent armour but nothing spectacular. 2000 yr old bog man though. Neat Rune stones.
Trelleborg - Viking Ring fort from 9-10century. Nice stuff some decent armour.
Roskilde - Viking Ship museum - No armour, but lots of viking longships and their later counterparts, you can also row one out with others and sail it around the bay. (Under supervision of course). (Highly recommend the Hostel there, its 100 ft. from the museum).
Copenhagen - National Museum (Musee Historake (sp?) ) Good stuff not a ton of armour though, more day to day stuff.
Sweden
Stockholm
Birka - (Didn't get there, but supposed to be good, beware that the ferries out are somewhat infrequent unless it is high season).
National Antiquities Museum. Some decent stuff nothing spectacular. Lots of Rune stones.
Gotland - Didnt' get there due to ferries but very nice in the summer.
Norway
Oslo
National Museum - Weapons central, tons and tons of viking age weapons and armour.
Scandinavia is littered with tons of smaller museums with lots of good stuff.
It is also a very clean and beautiful place, but it is also quite expensive, when compared to France and other 'mainland' european countries, but on par with England for cost.
France - Bayeux for the Bayeux tapestry. Good display and nice little town. (Also the D-Day beaches are there as well).
Denmark - Ribe (Oldest town in Denmark) Vikinger Museum. Not much armour but lots of other good stuff. Also the viking centre just outside town (2km), a excellent recreation of viking age stuff.
Aarhus - Moseguard Museum, some decent armour but nothing spectacular. 2000 yr old bog man though. Neat Rune stones.
Trelleborg - Viking Ring fort from 9-10century. Nice stuff some decent armour.
Roskilde - Viking Ship museum - No armour, but lots of viking longships and their later counterparts, you can also row one out with others and sail it around the bay. (Under supervision of course). (Highly recommend the Hostel there, its 100 ft. from the museum).
Copenhagen - National Museum (Musee Historake (sp?) ) Good stuff not a ton of armour though, more day to day stuff.
Sweden
Stockholm
Birka - (Didn't get there, but supposed to be good, beware that the ferries out are somewhat infrequent unless it is high season).
National Antiquities Museum. Some decent stuff nothing spectacular. Lots of Rune stones.
Gotland - Didnt' get there due to ferries but very nice in the summer.
Norway
Oslo
National Museum - Weapons central, tons and tons of viking age weapons and armour.
Scandinavia is littered with tons of smaller museums with lots of good stuff.
It is also a very clean and beautiful place, but it is also quite expensive, when compared to France and other 'mainland' european countries, but on par with England for cost.
Thanks for all the posts! I can hardly wait to go and see all of this, or until I run out of musuem entry money, but it will be worth it! So far the plan is: England, Wales, Scotland, then over the channel to France, head north and get the Scandinavian countries, down thru Germany, maybe some of Poland as well, Czech, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, back up thru Germany and down to Spain... then again, it all might change once we get there.
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Brandr hinn Rusli
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- Location: Ontario, Canada
One option you could look at is the ferry from Newcastle to Bergen, Norway. I took it and was quite enjoyable. 20 hrs, but for $80CDN (Student rate) I got a nice room that was shared with my 2 travel companions.
Order I did things in Was England, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, England.
I would do the same route again but pull out Switzerland, it was a bit of an expensive country and while nice it wasn't all that different from its neighbours.
Brandr hinn Rusli
Order I did things in Was England, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Scotland, England.
I would do the same route again but pull out Switzerland, it was a bit of an expensive country and while nice it wasn't all that different from its neighbours.
Brandr hinn Rusli