Gorkaj

Overview:
Gorkaj (pronounced GOR-KYE) is a famous Viking UNESCO world heritage town located in the Gorkland region on the island of Adianz. It's famous for its walls and numerous defense towers and viking remains as well as its beautiful medieval town centre which attracts over 200,000 tourists every year.

Viking history:
Gorkaj wouldn't be Gorkaj without its Viking past. After being exiled to Greenland from Iceland, Erik the Red stopped by in the Archipelago and built the first settlement there, a viking village built on the sea just before he was exiled to Greenland a couple of months later. The settlement was continued by one of Erik's followers Hinrik the Mighty. He made sure Gorkaj grew into one of the most important trade hubs in the Viking World. Well, he succeeded and Gorkaj became the 3rd largest viking trading centre. Lace and Silk was exchanged for precious minerals and crafts whilst slaves from Ireland were sold for money to the wealthy. Being on the Coast and on the edge of Europe, the Vikings used Gorkaj as a main port and stopped off at Gorkaj before long journeys were made across the Atlantic and to Eastern Europe. It is though that the Gorkaj Viking Port housed at one point, over 200 Viking longboats. Most of the Viking remains have been extremely well preserved and are now open to the public as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is also a new interactive Viking Museum showing many of the precious artifacts and objects found in the town as well as old Viking longboats, one of which, you can go inside and battle against the waves in a wave simulator at the museum.

Medieval Gorkaj:
Far into the 1300s, the Scots came to pay a visit to Gorkaj, building a new town around the old Viking city, which they left intact. The English, suspicious of what the Scots were doing, also came over to Gorkaj and the town grew into a new big town with buildings built out of beautiful stone and wood. During Tudor times, the English built many Tudor houses, making the town very attractive. They also built gates and walls as well as theatres and large medieval cathedrals and minsters. Though the English built the town up a lot, the residents of Gorkaj didn't care about the English and Scots being in their town and respected them. The Scots and English both left in the late 15th century, drawing the end of Gorkaj's medieval period.