Infopanel 3

Viking raids

The first Viking raids at the end of the 8th century targeted monasteries in England and Ireland. Due to their lack of defense, they were easy prey. Monasteries and churches therefore remained the Vikings' preferred targets for over two centuries, giving them a notorious reputation as pagan barbarians who would stop at nothing, not even holy sites. German imperial abbeys such as Prüm Abbey in the Eifel region were also ravaged, and Charlemagne's famous Palatine Chapel in Aachen was misused as a stable. This only ended when the Vikings themselves converted to Christianity.

Later, cities on the great rivers of Western Europe also became targets of Viking greed. Paris was besieged several times in 845 and 885, the second time for a whole year, in order to force passage on the Seine, which was blocked by bridges. Only when the besiegers had torn down the bridges was the way to rich Burgundy open.