From the 8th to the 11th centuries, Norway’s coastline was the domain of Vikings, but the cape at Lindesnes, where the waters of the Skagerrak and the North Sea collided, proved a challenge even to these formidable seamen. Their solution? In a spirit of creative engineering that Norway’s road builders would later emulate when faced with daunting geographic forms, the Vikings carved a canal across the Lindesnes Peninsula at Spangareid (once a home port of Viking chieftains) to avoid the dangerous seas of the cape. In summer 2007, a replica canal was opened to recreate the Viking detour. Close to the site, the excellent historical centre Vikingland offers Viking exhibitions, a Viking cruise and tranquil Viking sports such as axe-throwing.