Norse explorers

Norse explorers, primarily from Scandinavia, were remarkable sailors and adventurers during the Viking Age (late 8th to early 11th centuries). They traveled across the North Atlantic, reaching places like Iceland, Greenland, and North America (notably Vinland). Their ships, called longships, were advanced for their time, enabling swift, durable voyages across rough seas. These explorers established trade routes, settlements, and cultural contacts far from Europe. Their explorations laid the groundwork for European awareness of the wider North Atlantic world and demonstrated extraordinary maritime skill and daring during a formative period in history.