Birka

During the Viking Age, Birka, on the island of Björkö in Sweden, was an important trading center which handled goods from Scandinavia as well as Central and Eastern Europe and the Orient. Björkö is located in the Lake Mälaren, 30 kilometers West of Stockholm, in the municipality of Ekerö. The archaeological sites of Birka and Hovgården, on the neighbouring island of Adelsö, make up an archaeological complex which illustrates the elaborate trading networks of Viking Europe and their influence on the subsequent history of Scandinavia. "Generally regarded as Sweden's oldest town", Birka (along with Hovgården) has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.