Is Vikings’ and Vikings: Valhalla’s Location Kattegat A Real Place?

Divesh Solanki
October 9, 2022

Is Kattegat a genuine place or just a setting for the television programmes Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla? Vikings, a Michael Hirst production that made its History Channel debut in 2013, was initially intended to be a brief miniseries. Given how well received season 1 of Vikings was, there was a change of plans, and it was renewed for season 2, letting viewers to continue learning about the lives of Ragnar, Lagertha, Rollo, Floki, and other characters. The first episode of season one of Vikings: Valhalla, “The Greenlanders,” took viewers back to the setting of the title. The significant changes that occurred in Kattegat during the 100-year interval between Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla must to have been apparent to viewers.

The first season of Vikings centred on the renowned Norse warrior Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his journeys and raids with his Viking brothers, including his real brother Rollo (Clive Standen) and his closest friend Floki (Gustaf Skarsgrd). As Ragnar’s days dwindled, the tale eventually turned to his sons, Bjorn, Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar, and their own voyages. After Ragnar’s demise in season four of Vikings, his sons, particularly Bjorn and Ivar, have taken the helm of the show. The characters from Valhalla return to Kattegat at King Canute’s request in the spinoff series Vikings: Valhalla, which debuted on Netflix after Vikings season 6 marked the conclusion of the historical epic (Bradley Freegard). After the St. Brice’s Day massacre, the King wants retribution against the English, and Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett) is compelled to join his army stationed in Kattegat.

Many fans are reflecting on Vikings and looking for answers to some of their most pressing questions about it now that Vikings season 6 is over and Vikings: Valhalla has returned to the once-small city. One of them is whether the city of Kattegat, which has served as the primary backdrop for Vikings from the show’s inception, is real or not. Ragnar previously held the throne in Kattegat, and the Viking era came to an end with Queen Ingrid. In the television series Vikings, Jarl Haakon (Caroline Henderson) is in charge of Kattegat, which has developed into a sizable trading port—a far cry from Kattegat’s modest beginnings. Kattegat will remain a significant site until Vikings: Valhalla concludes, but is it a real location or was it made up for both series?

Is Vikings’ and Vikings: Valhalla’s Location Kattegat Real?

Kattegat does, in fact, exist outside of Vikings and Vikings: Valhalla, however its actual location differs from that in Vikings. Kattegat is a city in Norway that appears in the Vikings. Kattegat is technically not a city, although being in the Scandinavian region. In reality, Kattegat is a marine region that lies between Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. The Danish Straits Islands in the south, the Jutlandic Peninsula (part of Germany and Denmark), and the Swedish provinces of Västergötland, Scania, Halland, and Bohusländ in the east define the region’s boundaries. The relatively shallow waters of Kattegat, which are full of reefs and rip currents, making travelling across its waters highly difficult. This issue was depicted in Vikings: Valhalla during Leif Eriksson and Freydis Eriksdotter’s (Frida Gustavsson) expedition to Kattegat. In Vikings: Valhalla, the location of Kattegat is more accurately depicted because the little town has grown into a sizable commercial port under Jarl Haakon’s control.

Kattegat, which is a region of around 12,000 square miles, is surrounded by important ports, including Gothenburg, Aarhus, Aalborg, Halmstad, and Frederikshavn. The watery setting of Lough Tay in County Wicklow, Ireland, where the Vikings’ Kattegat was filmed, provides the production with the desired effect. Although Vikings borrows much from Norse mythology and history, it makes several changes to better suit its intended narrative. However, it also draws inspiration from actual locations, such as Kattegat, which served as a focal point for both the Vikings and the actual Scandinavian region as a whole. Despite the remarkable improvements that have occurred to the harbour, Vikings: Valhalla uses the same shooting site as Vikings for Kattegat.

The city holds a particular place in the hearts of Vikings fans even after the series has concluded because of its significance in both Ragnar and Lagertha’s story and in the world of the Vikings as a whole. Kattegat is still a significant part of the shared universe and its history in Vikings: Valhalla, which takes place 100 years after the events of the original Vikings. While Vikings depicted Kattegat’s modest origins, Vikings: Valhalla reveals the vast commerce hub that Kattegat will eventually develop into.