Langeby is a beach at
West Island
The West Island () is the unofficial name given to the cities, towns and boroughs at the western end of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. It is generally considered to consist of the Lakeshore municipalities of Dorval, Pointe-Cla ...
(Vesterøya) in
Sandefjord, Norway
Sandefjord () is a city and the most populous municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838. The municipality of Sandar was merged into Sandefjord on 1 January 1969. On 1 ...
. It is described as the city’s best beach by both
Frommer's
Frommer's is a travel guide book series created by Arthur Frommer in 1957. Frommer's has since expanded to include more than 350 guidebooks in 14 series, as well as other media including an eponymous radio show and a website. In 2017, the company ...
- and
Fodor's
Fodor's is a publisher of English language travel and tourism information. Fodor's Travel and Fodors.com are divisions of Internet Brands.
History
Founder Eugene Fodor was a keen traveler, but felt that the guidebooks of his time were boring ...
Travel Guides. Besides its sandy beach, it is home to Langeby Camping which offers boat- and kayak rentals. Langeby has a convenience store and piers used for fishing and boats. The beach has sloping rocks, a floating platform, diving boards, and showers. There is also a playground as well as a soccer field and volleyball court.
Langeby attracts thousands of visitors every summer. It lies near Vøra, a beach and campground which attracts summer visitors and vacationers from throughout the country. A coastal path known as ''Kyststien'' connects Langeby to Vøra. Near ''Vesterøyveien'' between the two beaches are remains from the
Stone Age
The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...
, discovered at an area from the ocean. Many archeological artifacts have been retrieved from this location. Tent camping is permitted on numerous nearby islets, including the Hellesøya and Buerøya. A nearby uninhabited island, Hellesøya, was purchased by the city in 1934 to become a public recreation area. Hellesøya Island is home to a campground, sandy beach, and a boat pier.
The beach was purchased and acquired by the city in 1958.
Etymology
Formerly known as ''Langibyr'', it was pronounced Langabø until 1398 but got its current spelling in 1539. The name Langeby derives from “the long farm”.
History
Archeological discoveries have found evidence for prehistoric settlements at Auve, immediately south of Langeby, dating to the
Stone Age
The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with t ...
between 5,400 and 4,900 years ago.
Langeby has been a swimming destination since at least 1398. A number of farms were previously located around Langeby on
West Island
The West Island () is the unofficial name given to the cities, towns and boroughs at the western end of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. It is generally considered to consist of the Lakeshore municipalities of Dorval, Pointe-Cla ...
, but all agricultural activity ended in 1960. Langeby Pier was previously the main public pier for West Island, where many fishermen kept their vessels.
Camping at Langeby was first established by Olaf Olsen Langeby in 1934-35. Langeby Camping is now a company offering 12 rental apartments and 140 spaces for RV's, tents, and camping trailers. The campsites are no longer than at most from the ocean. Besides its two sandy beaches, Langeby has of sloping rocks. It is situated at West Island, from the city centre.
The beach was purchased by the municipality of Sandefjord on February 26, 1958.
The prestigious headquarters of Bjørn Hansen AS is located in a villa near Langeby and is shielded by forest on one side and unrestricted views of Sandefjord on the other.
[Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (2000). ''Sandefjord i bilder / Sandefjord in pictures''. Grafisk studio forlag. Page 125. ISBN 8290636024.]
References
{{coord, 59.0781, 10.2617, format=dms, type:landmark_region:NO, display=title
Sandefjord
Beaches of Norway
Culture in Vestfold og Telemark
Tourist attractions in Vestfold og Telemark