About Us

Vanberia is a gift/needlework shop run by three generations of the Thompson family.  It is located in scenic downtown Decorah, nestled in the Upper Iowa River Valley of Northeast Iowa.  Vanberia was established in the 1950s by two Luther College students of the Wanberg (Vangberg in Norway) family.  The Vanberja was a boat ("jekta") that traveled from the family farm in  Olden, Norway twice a year to Bergen during the 1800s.  They traded farm goods for supplies for the farm.  Our family purchased Vanberia in 1974 from Roy Carlson & Thelma Peterson.

We hope you will browse through our catalogue pages and contact us when you find that special item for you or for someone you know.  We stock many items that are not in our catalogue, so please feel free to call or e-mail us about Hummel, Chantal; Lenox/Gorham/Dansk, Noritake, Royal Copenhagen/Bing & Grondahl, Reed & Barton, Firelight Glass oil lamps, Orrefors, Rosenthal, Good Grips utensils, Wusthof/Trident knives, Bee House canisters, Pipka figurines, Norwegian sølje jewelry, pewter jewelry, Konge Tinn flatware and hollow ware as well as other Norwegian flatware patterns, Portmeirion, Norwegian knitting yarn/patterns/buttons/clasps, hardanger kits/supplies, cross stitch supplies, Norwegian wool & cross stitch kits, Dale sweaters, Suzanne Toftey items, CDs, Scandinavian books & cookbooks, Scandinavian paper napkins, rosemaling by many gold medalists, or better yet, come to visit us.  Our staff would love to show you around and help in any way.

Website © 2004, Vanberia International Gifts