Sandefjord Spa ( no, Sandefjord Kurbad, often shortened to Kurbadet), was a spa in

Sandefjord 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 ...

, Norway, established by Heinrich Arnold Thaulow in 1837. The main building from 1899 is one of the largest wooden buildings in Norway and in the Nordic countries overall. Kurbadet was one of Europe's most visited baths in the late 1800s. Royalty and Prime Ministers from throughout Europe visited the spa in the late 1800s. It was the first spa in Sandefjord and functioned as a medical institution focusing on the treatment of symptoms for

rheumatic disease Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...

s. A majority of spa visitors were from Norway, but international guests from

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Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

and the

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also visited Kurbadet. The spa was open from 1837 until 1939, when it became a municipal property. The buildings are now housing a café, bar, gallery, and a host of local associations. The bath's original building from 1899 is made in style of a dragon and is located in the city centre. Tours of Kurbadet can be scheduled. Badeparken, or "the Bathing Park", is located nearby and was established by the spa in 1902.

History

The spa first opened its doors on 1 August 1837. The original installations were based on seawater tub baths and mud baths. When a sulfur source was found in 1838, the spa began offering sulfurous water for bathing. The spa became one of the most popular spas in Europe but fell into disrepair after World War II. The city council voted in 1980 to restore the spa as a cultural monument. Sandefjord Spa was established in the mid-1800s by Dr Thaulow, the city's first physician. It was located in a large wooden structure at Bryggegaten, and guests were treated sulphur baths and were offered saltwater baths at Strømbadet. Among the spa's notable visitors were Henrik Ibsen, Svend Foyn,

Camilla Collett Jacobine Camilla Collett (née Wergeland; 23 January 1813 – 6 March 1895) was a Norwegian writer, often referred to as the first Norwegian feminist. She was also the younger sister of Norwegian poet Henrik Wergeland, and is recognized as bein ...

Adolph Tidemand Adolph Tidemand (14 August 18148 August 1876) was a noted Norwegian romantic nationalism painter. Among his best known paintings are ''Haugianerne'' (''The Haugeans''; 1852) and '' Brudeferd i Hardanger'' (''The Bridal Procession in Hardanger'' ...

, and members of the royal family. The spa later expanded when Dr Thaulow purchased Hjertnes Hovedgård, a large farm by the city harbor, now home to Park Hotel. The building, Socitetsbygningen, was equipped with a restaurant, reading hall, smoking room and pool tables. The bath's own orchestra practiced in the hall.

Notable visitors

Some notable visitors to the spa included:Fagerli, Torkel (2004). “Kulturminner: Kongelig besøk ved Sandefjord Bad i 1855 - Kronprinsesse Lovise” (in Norwegian). Sandar historielag. Retrieved on August 24, 2021, from the

National Library of Norway The National Library of Norway ( no, Nasjonalbiblioteket) was established in 1989. Its principal task is "to preserve the past for the future". The library is located both in Oslo and in Mo i Rana. The building in Oslo was restored and reopened ...

at https://urn.nb.no/URN:NBN:no-nb_digibok_2016030868078 * Henrik Ibsen, playwright and theatre director *

Johan Sebastian Welhaven Johan Sebastian Cammermeyer Welhaven (22 December 1807 – 21 October 1873) was a Norwegian author, poet, critic, and art theorist. He has been considered "one of the greatest figures in Norwegian literature." Background Johan Welhaven was born ...

, author and poet *

, painter *

Hans Gude Hans Fredrik Gude (March 13, 1825August 17, 1903) was a Norwegian romanticist painter and is considered along with Johan Christian Dahl to be one of Norway's foremost landscape painters. He has been called a mainstay of Norwegian National Roma ...

, painter * Camilla Collet, author * Crown Princess Louise * Crown Prince

Charles XV Charles XV also Carl (''Carl Ludvig Eugen''); Swedish: ''Karl XV'' and Norwegian: ''Karl IV'' (3 May 1826 – 18 September 1872) was King of Sweden (''Charles XV'') and Norway, there often referred to as Charles IV, from 8 July 1859 until his dea ...

Louise of Sweden Louise Josephine Eugenie of Sweden ( sv, Lovisa Josefina Eugenia; 31 October 1851 – 20 March 1926) was Queen of Denmark from 1906 until 1912 as the spouse of King Frederick VIII. Born into the House of Bernadotte, Louise was the only surviv ...

Prince Frederick of the Netherlands Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau (full names: Willem Frederik Karel; 28 February 1797, in Berlin – 8 September 1881, in Wassenaar), was the second son of William I of the Netherlands and his wife, Wilhelmine of Pru ...

* King

Oscar I of Sweden Oscar I (born Joseph François Oscar Bernadotte; 4 July 1799 – 8 July 1859) was King of Sweden and Norway from 8 March 1844 until his death. He was the second monarch of the House of Bernadotte. The only child of King Charles XIV John, Oscar i ...

* Prince Oscar II of Norway

References

{{coord, 59.1282, 10.2285, type:landmark_region:NO, display=title Buildings and structures in Sandefjord Culture in Vestfold og Telemark Tourist attractions in Vestfold og Telemark