worthwhile germanic archeological sites to visit from the migration period?

[Viking]

If that is the kind of stuff you are looking for early viking (late völkerwanderung) sites include Kaupang and Birka with good museums.

[The Brain]

Well to be fair there's about a shitton of old fortifications in the Swedish countryside, many of which were used and/or built at the time of the migrations. I've visited several of them.

That is what I was talking about.

There's about a thousand of these in total in Sweden, most of them somewhat less impressive than the one in the pic. Do you want to know more?

YES!

As someone who is interested in this stuff but not so interested to see all 1,000, or even 5, do you have any insights into the best sites? Best meaning sites where I could harrass people with questions in English, they have a nice little museum, or a site with special significance or size.

I would recommend going to the island of Öland. They have Ismantorp (the one in the pic) which is impressive and undisturbed and Eketorp (which AFAIK is the only migration era fort in Sweden with real tourist stuff like gift shop and guided tours, but be warned: it was rebuilt in the 11th century so is not as pristine as Ismantorp).

http://www.rfk.nu/assets/dokument/Navigationsrundor/Olandsrunda.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismantorp_Fortress

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eketorp

But observe that since there's so many of them around you can find some pretty much wherever you happen to be in central/southern Sweden. Of course most of them are just basically some stone wall foundations out in the woods. Some of them sit on spectacular sites though with great views.

[The Brain]

As Viking pointed out if you are willing to be somewhat inclusive then Birka is a must, which is conveniently close to Stockholm and has a museum and everything.

[alfred russel]

Thanks guys, this is helpful.

[Jacob]

I'd check out the Danish National Museeum.  They have some bits from the migration period, as well as some earlier and later parts: http://www.nationalmuseet.dk/sw33830.asp

In local chronology the migration period is referred to as the "Iron Age" - after the "Bronze Age" but preceding the "Viking Age".

They even have some videos if you're interested: http://www.nationalmuseet.dk/sw59867.asp (haven't looked at them, they could be junk).

Denmark has some pretty nice viking related museums, but that's a little late for what you're after, right?

[alfred russel]

I'd check out the Danish National Museeum.  They have some bits from the migration period, as well as some earlier and later parts: http://www.nationalmuseet.dk/sw33830.asp

In local chronology the migration period is referred to as the "Iron Age" - after the "Bronze Age" but preceding the "Viking Age".

They even have some videos if you're interested: http://www.nationalmuseet.dk/sw59867.asp (haven't looked at them, they could be junk).

Denmark has some pretty nice viking related museums, but that's a little late for what you're after, right?

As it probably won't surprise you, I'm a fairly hardcore history nerd. I'm interested in seeing / learning about almost every period.

If you think it is worth seeing, I probably will too (provided you can get a comparable experience in english).