In the late 1950s, a pair of determined archaeologists named Helge Ingstad and Anne Stine Ingstad pored over 13th-century Norse sagas searching for clues about where the Vikings might have landed on the shores of North America. With just a few bits of description to go on, the Ingstads began cruising the coastlines of Newfoundland and Labrador, asking locals about unusual hummocks and mounds.

In 1960, at L'Anse aux Meadows, they finally struck gold. In a remote cove noted for its low, grassy hills, they found the remains of an ancient Norse encampment that included three large halls, along with a forge where nails were made from locally mined pig iron. As many as 100 Vikings lived here for a time, including some women; the Vikings abandoned the settlement after a few years to return to Greenland and Denmark, thus ending the first experiment in the colonization of North America by Europeans. It's telling that no graves have ever been discovered here.

Start your visit by viewing the recovered artifacts in the visitor center and watching the half-hour video about the site's discovery. Then sign up for one of the free guided tours of the site. The guides here offer considerably more information than the simple markers around the grounds do.

Near the original encampment are several re-created sod-and-timber buildings depicting how life was lived 1,000 years ago. These are tended by costumed interpreters who stay in character and answer questions without making you feel silly. If you time it right, you might be rewarded with a bit of flatbread cooked old-style over an open fire. This is one of eastern Canada's major attractions; stick around for at least a couple hours or a half-day and soak it all up with the family.