Anundshög Archaeological Site

Address: Anundshög, near Västerås, Västmanland County, Sweden

Anundshög is an Iron Age and Viking Age burial and ritual complex near Västerås in Västmanland County, Sweden. It contains Sweden’s largest burial mound and associated stone settings and runic monuments.

The site features a very large tumulus, a distinct stone ship setting and multiple runestones arranged across an open grassy plain, giving a clear overview of prehistoric funerary architecture. Paths and signage allow visitors to walk around the mound and the adjacent stone formations.

Constructed during the late Iron Age and used into the Viking Age, the site functioned as an elite burial and ceremonial center; the large mound and stone settings reflect high-status funerary practices. Runic inscriptions and later medieval references show continued local significance across centuries.

Anundshög lies close to the town of Västerås in central Sweden, on low-lying agricultural land where it forms a prominent local landmark visible from nearby roads.

• Visitor information: Interpretive signs on site explain the mound and surrounding stone settings; the area is accessible on foot and is an open-air archaeological landscape.

What to See#

• Great tumulus: A large burial mound dating to the Iron Age and standing as the site’s most prominent feature; it is the largest tumulus in Sweden and was used for elite burial and ceremonial purposes.
• Stone ship: A stone ship setting adjacent to the mound formed from standing stones laid out in an outline resembling a ship; these are typical of funerary and ritual sites in the region.
• Runestones: Several runestones and smaller grave markers distributed around the mound and ship setting, inscribed and erected during the late Iron Age and Viking Age.

Anundshög is a short drive or a cycle ride from Västerås city centre; local signage from major roads guides visitors to the site.

• Anundshög sits a short walk from the centre of Västerås - combine the mound visit with the nearby Västerås Museum to get context on the Iron Age monuments.
• Bring binoculars for the runic stones and the nearby stone ship outline; they're easier to study from a little distance.