Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Sweden Gnisvärd Gnisvärd Stone Ships

Gnisvärd Stone Ships

Ancient stone graves shaped like ships provided a Viking-like burial to carry the dead to the afterlife.

Gnisvärd, Sweden

Added By
CoolCrab
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
A replica Stone Ship in Gnisvärd not far from the originals.   Helen Simonsson/cc by-sa 2.0
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The big ship.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
The small ship   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
  CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Megalithic grave.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Stone circle.   CoolCrab / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Gotland is a Swedish island brimming with ancient structures, from Visby's medieval city wall to a roughly 5,000-year-old megalithic tomb. Some of the most fascinating sights are the stone burial "ships," or skeppssättningar, found throughout the island. These ancient gravesites date from the late Bronze Age, between 1100 and 400 BC. 

The boat-shaped stone monuments were generally used as burial spots for an important member of this coastal community. The person would be cremated and their bones beaten to dust. These remains would then be collected in a stone urn and buried inside the ship. It is believed that this was done to equip the dead with everything they had in life and to facilitate the journey to the afterlife.

The stone ships in the village of Gnisvärd are among the best preserved examples of the ritual in Gotland, and one of them is also the largest on the island. Made of around 100 tall stones, it stretches 148 feet (45 meters) long. The site contains three ships in total that are erected one after another as if going in a ghostly precession. The lead ship is pointed toward an ancient megalithic tomb, the only one in Gotland. Archaeologists believe this was done to "moor" the newer graves to an old revered place.

Related Tags

Burial Places Ships Ancient Megalithic Death Archaeology

Know Before You Go

Easily accessible by car or by bus. Take the 10 to Knallen and walk the rest. The bus comes about once every hour.

At the Gnisvärd site there are two obvious stone ships and two large stone circles that date back further. Across the road is an even older Stone Age grave. There are a few more circles and a small ship hidden in the shrubs. About 10 minutes further down the road is an even larger stone ship, but this is a replica that was erected within the last century. There are about 350 stone ships scattered around the island, and about 15 of them are visitable by tourists.

Community Contributors

Added By

CoolCrab

Edited By

Meg

  • Meg

Published

August 10, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gnisvärd#Stone_ships
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_ship
Gnisvärd Stone Ships
156 Gnisvärdsvägen
Gnisvärd
Sweden
57.508436, 18.140701
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Villa Villekulla

Kneippen, Sweden

miles away

Spillings Hoard

Visby, Sweden

miles away

The Maiden's Tower

Visby, Sweden

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sweden

Sweden

Europe

Places 381
Stories 42

Nearby Places

Villa Villekulla

Kneippen, Sweden

miles away

Spillings Hoard

Visby, Sweden

miles away

The Maiden's Tower

Visby, Sweden

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Sweden

Sweden

Europe

Places 381
Stories 42

Related Places

  • The Columns Group.

    San Pablo Villa de Mitla, Mexico

    Column of Death

    A mysterious pillar in an ancient burial chamber is said to predict how long you have to live.

  • Tombs of Darius I the Great, Xerxes I, Artaxerxes, and, Darius II.

    Fars Province, Iran

    Naqsh-e Rustam

    The ancient necropolis houses the immense rock-cut tombs of four Persian kings.

  • Sarcophagus of Chrodoara

    Amay, Belgium

    Sarcophagus of Chrodoara

    Since its accidental discovery in 1977, this sarcophagus has been described as "the greatest masterpiece of Merovingian sculpture north of the Alps."

  • Ciutadella de Menorca, Spain

    Poblat talaiòtic de Torrellafuda

    A remarkable prehistoric site featuring well-preserved Talayotic structures offers a glimpse into the ancient civilizations that once thrived on Menorca.

  • Plimmer’s Ark has been preserved for the public.

    Wellington, New Zealand

    Plimmer's Ark Remains

    The remnants of a 1849 sunken ship lie underneath a building.

  • Creevykeel Court Tomb

    Cliffony, Ireland

    Creevykeel Court Tomb

    One of Ireland's best-preserved chambered cairns can be found next to a wishing tree.

  • One of the Bronze Age burial mounts on Krejansberget

    Siuntio, Finland

    Krejansberget Bronze Age Burial Site

    These large stone piles are ancient burial sites.

  • Strichen stone circle

    Strichen, Scotland

    Strichen Stone Circle

    This ancient monument has been dissembled and put back together at least twice.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.