Sandefjord () is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and the most populous

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Vestfold og Telemark Vestfold og Telemark (; ) is a county under disestablishment in Norway. The county is the southernmost one of Eastern Norway and consists of two distinct and separate traditional regions: the former counties of Telemark and (most of) Vestfold ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838. The municipality of Sandar was merged into Sandefjord on 1 January 1969. On 1 January 2017, rural municipalities of Andebu and Stokke were merged into Sandefjord as part of a nationwide municipal reform. This merger was the first one to take place during the reform. The city is known for its rich

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

history and the prosperous whaling industry, which made Sandefjord the richest city in Norway.Porter, Darwin and Danforth Prince (2003). ''Frommer's Norway''. Wiley. p. 158. . Today, it has built up the third-largest merchant fleet in Norway. It is home to Europe's only

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

dedicated to whaling, and is home to Gokstad Mound where the 9th century Gokstad Ship was discovered. Sandefjord has numerous nicknames, including the

Whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industr ...

"capital" of Norway or as the undisputed summer city of

. The city is also known as the "whaling capital of the world."Engel, Lyle Kenyon (1963). ''Scandinavia: A Simon & Schuster Travel Guide''. Cornerstone Library. p. 145.Ryder, Simon and Cameron Duffy (2018). ''Insight Guides Norway''. Insight Guides. p. 163. .Alspaugh, Emmanuelle (2006). ''Fodor's Norway''. Fodor's Travel Publications. p. 73. .Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (1985). ''Sandefjord: A modern city with vast potential''. Grafisk Studio. p. 81. . It has also been dubbed the "Bathing City" (Badebyen), due to its many beaches and former resort spas.Alspaugh, Emmanuelle (2006). ''Fodor's Norway''. Fodor's Travel Publications. pp. F-7, 73. . It is still considered a resort town, due to high numbers of visitors during summer months.Berman, Martha (1995). ''Fielding's Scandinavia''. Fielding Worldwide. p. 240. . Sandefjord has become a transportation hub, home of Torp International Airport, one of Norway's largest airports. Daily ferry connections to Sweden are provided by '' Fjord Line'' and '' Color Line'' from the city harbor.

European Route E18 European route E18 runs from Craigavon in Northern Ireland to Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is about in length. Although the designation implies the possibility of a through jo ...

, one of Norway's most important roads, traverses the municipality. Sandefjord is a stronghold for the Conservative Party; the Conservative coalition received over 70 percent of votes cast in 2011. Current mayor is Bjørn Ole Gleditsch from the Conservative Party, who has been mayor since 2004.

General information

Etymology

The name Sandefjord, which dates to 1200 A.D., originates from the ancient farm name ''Sandar''.Tore, Sandberg and Cato Arveschoug (2001). ''Sandefjord zoomet inn av fotograf Tore Sandberg''. C. Arveschoug and Magne Helland. p. 6. . The first element is the genitive case of the name of the parish and former municipality of Sandar. The name Sandar derives from the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

term "sandar", which is the plural form of "sandr", translating to 'stretch of sand' (sandstrekning). The name Sandefjord was first mentioned in chapter 169 of ''

Sverris saga ''Sverris saga'' is one of the Kings' sagas. Its subject is King Sverre Sigurdsson of Norway (r. 1177–1202) and it is the main source for this period of Norwegian history. As the foreword tells us, the saga in its final form consists of mo ...

'' from the year 1200. It was then referring to the fjord which is now known as ''Sandefjordsfjord''.

Coat-of-arms

The

coat-of-arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its w ...

dates from modern times, having been granted on 9 May 1914.Davidsen, Roger (2008). ''Et Sted i Sandefjord''. Sandar Historielag. p. 296. . The

Viking ship Viking ships were marine vessels of unique structure, used in Scandinavia from the Viking Age throughout the Middle Ages. The boat-types were quite varied, depending on what the ship was intended for, but they were generally characterized as bein ...

symbolizes the famous Gokstad ship, which was found in Sandefjord in 1880, one of the best preserved Viking ships known. The whale symbolizes that in the late 19th and early 20th century, Sandefjord was a main home port for whalers operating in the southern oceans. On 1 January 2017, Sandefjord received a new coat of arm after the merge with Andebu- and Stokke municipalities. The arms has the title: Courage and Strength, and is created in black and gold. The arms was designed by Erik Raastad from Sandefjord, with minor modification by the heraldic expert Jan Eide from Oslo. The decision to get a new coat of arms was made by the merger committee in Andebu on 24 May 2016.

History

Viking history

Sandefjord has been inhabited for thousands of years. Excavations indicate that people have inhabited Sandefjord for around 3,000 years. Rock carvings at Haugen farm by

Istrehågan Istrehågan is an ancient monument at Jåberg on the Sandefjord-Larvik border in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway.Jøranlid, Marianne (1996). ''40 trivelige turer i Sandefjord og omegn''. Vett Viten. Page 123. .Davidsen, Roger (2008). ''Et Sted i Sande ...

in Jåberg are dated to 1,500–500 BCE. Haugen farm is home to Vestfold County's largest petroglyph site.Børresen, Svein E. (2004). ''Vestfoldboka: en reise i kultur og natur''. Skagerrak forl. p. 38. . In 1961-1962, 78 rock carvings were discovered at the site. They consist of ships, spiral figures, circular hollows, and much more. The Vikings lived in Sandefjord and surrounding areas about 1,000 years ago, and numerous Viking artifacts and monuments can be found in Sandefjord. One of the most important remains from the

Viking Age The Viking Age () was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonizing, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. It followed the Migration Period and the Germ ...

was found at the grave site '' Gokstadhaugen'' (Gokstad Mound) in Sandefjord. The Gokstad ship was excavated by

'', an exact replica of the Gokstad ship, crossed the Atlantic Ocean from

Bergen Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly 285,900. Bergen is the second-largest city in Norway. The municipality covers and is on the peninsula o ...

to be exhibited at the

World's Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, hel ...

in Chicago in 1893. A replica of the Gokstad ship, called '' Gaia'', currently has Sandefjord as home port. Other known replicas include the ''Munin'', (a half scale replica) located in Vancouver, Canada. The Gokstad Ship, Norway's largest preserved Viking ship, was discovered during an excavation at Gokstad Mound in 1880. The Vikings first settled here due to its speedy route from Sandefjord and along the coast. Viking settlements and grave sites have been discovered in Sandefjord. Sandefjord functioned as a seaport defined by the twin industries of shipping and shipbuilding throughout the 1600s and 1700s. It was formally recognized as a market town by King Oscar in 1845. Its population at the time was 749 residents.

Health resort

The city became known as a world-renowned health resort destination between 1837 and 1939. Royalty and Prime Ministers from throughout Europe visited the town for its spas in the late 1800s. The city gained its reputation as a health- and pleasure community when Sandefjord sulfur spa and resort ("Sandefjord Kurbad") was established in 1837. It was the first spa in town and functioned as a medical institution focusing on the treatment of symptoms for rheumatic diseases. The original bathhouse has been restored and is now a culture house by the city center. It was one of Europe's most visited baths until its closure in 1939. Around 50,000 people, mostly Norwegians, visited the bath from 1837 to 1939. Majority of spa visitors were from Norway, but international guests from Germany,

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 United States also visited the spas of Sandefjord. Today the bath's building, '' Kurbadet'', has been restored and hosts cultural events and various annual activities.

Town fires

Sandefjord has experienced numerous town fires, including a town fire in 1800 which led to most of the town burning down and subsequently having to be rebuilt. An additional fire in 1900 destroyed 56 houses and caused major damage. Sandefjord's most important capital, its ships, and the shipping industry, remained untouched from the major fire of March 1900. The fire, which started on the night before March 16, 1900, led to the entire city center burning down, including important business offices. Both newspapers in town, '' Sandefjords Blad'' and ''Vestfold'', saw their offices burnt down. Six jewelry stores, three watchmakers, eight grocery stores, and a variety of other shops were destroyed. The fire started in the factory ''Nordmannen''. The fire caused the loss of 51 buildings for a total value of NOK 1.5 million in addition to NOK 1 million in loss of store items. Sandefjord Church from 1872 also burnt down during the town fire of 1900.Davidsen, Roger (2008). ''Et sted i Sandefjord: lokalhistorisk stedsnavnsleksikon''. Sandar historielag. Page 330. ISBN 9788299456753. A new town fire March 27 and 28 in 1915 led to the death of two people and destroyed seven farms. Large parts of the street Storgata were also destroyed.

Whaling and ships

Sandefjord is perhaps best known as a whaling community. The centre of the world's modern whaling industry was located in town, and Sandefjordians not only made up practically all the crew on the Norwegian whaling fleet, but substantial numbers of Sandefjordians also worked within the whaling industry in nearby countries. For over fifty years in the late 1800s, Sandefjord functioned as the world center for the whaling industry, including the manufacture and equipment of whaling vessels, floating factories, and whale-catchers. The city has also been named the "whaling capital of the world." 25 whaling companies were established in Sandefjord between 1905 and 1914.Schandy, Tom and Tom Helgesen (2012). ''Naturperler i Vestfold''. Forlaget Tom & Tom v/Schandy. Page 170. . During the 1911/12 season, Sandefjord had 27 whaling companies with a total of 115 vessels. This made up over 30 percent of the world's whaling firms. From 1850, a number of ships from Sandefjord were

whaling Whaling is the process of hunting of whales for their usable products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that became increasingly important in the Industrial Revolution. It was practiced as an organized industr ...

and sealing in the Arctic Ocean and along the coast of

Finnmark Finnmark (; se, Finnmárku ; fkv, Finmarku; fi, Ruija ; russian: Финнмарк) was a county in the northern part of Norway, and it is scheduled to become a county again in 2024. On 1 January 2020, Finnmark was merged with the neighbouri ...

. The first whaling expedition from Sandefjord to the

Antarctic Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...

was sent in 1905. Towards the end of the 1920s, Sandefjord had a fleet of 15 factory ships and more than 90 whalers. In 1954, more than 2,800 men from the district were hired as crew on the whalers, but from the mid-1950s whaling was gradually reduced. The number of southbound expeditions rapidly decreased during the 1960s, and the 1967/68 season became the last for Sandefjord. In 1971, the city’s last whale processing vessel was sold to Japan. The shipping industry was gradually readjusted from whaling to other ship types during this period. The local Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted and Jotun Group Private Ltd. had major roles in this business. Sandefjord Southern Actor

Today, the memories of this important period of the city's history are kept alive at the Whaling Museum (''Hvalfangstmuseet''). This museum is the only museum in Europe specializing in whales and the history of whaling. The history of the whalers can also be explored at the Museum's Wharf with a visit aboard the whale-catcher '' Southern Actor''.

is considered to be the industry which made Sandefjord the richest city in Norway. Sandefjord also has shipping traditions of tall sailing ships and steam ships. The full-rigged sailing ship ''

Christian Radich ''Christian Radich'' is a Norwegian full-rigged ship, named after a Norwegian shipowner. The vessel was built at Framnæs shipyard in Sandefjord, Norway, and was delivered on 17 June 1937. The owner was The Christian Radich Sail Training Foundat ...

'', three-masted

barquentine A barquentine or schooner barque (alternatively "barkentine" or "schooner bark") is a sailing vessel with three or more masts; with a square rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged main, mizzen and any other masts. Modern barquentine sailing ...

Endurance Endurance (also related to sufferance, resilience, constitution, fortitude, and hardiness) is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from an ...

'',

whale catcher A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales. Terminology The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, J ...

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He ...

'' and

replica ''

'' were some of the many ships built by Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted. Hans Albert Grøn of Sandefjord established the first whaling station in the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...

in 1894, which was located at Gjánoyri on the island of Streymoy. As of 1903, half of all whaling companies in the Faroe Islands were operated out of Sandefjord. Furthermore, Sandefjord was the headquarters of the South African Whaling Company (SAWC), which was established in 1908 and managed by shipowner Johan Bryde of Sandefjord. Sandefjordian whaling firms were also established on the coast of Africa, in

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

, among other places.

Antarctic expeditions

Towards the beginning of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Norwegian whaling spread throughout the world, most and foremost from Sandefjord. Expeditions from Sandefjord went as far as Norwegian Bay in Australia, Stewart Island in New Zealand,

Walvis Bay Walvis Bay ( en, lit. Whale Bay; af, Walvisbaai; ger, Walfischbucht or Walfischbai) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The ci ...

in Namibia,

Corral, Chile Corral is a town, commune and sea port in Valdivia Province, Los Ríos Region, Chile. It is located south of Corral Bay. Corral is best known for the forts of Corral Bay, a system of defensive batteries and forts made to protect Valdivia during ...

, and also isolated places such as Kerguelen Islands,

South Georgia Island South Georgia ( es, Isla San Pedro) is an island in the South Atlantic Ocean that is part of the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It lies around east of the Falkland Islands. Stretching in the east� ...

Bouvet Island Bouvet Island ( ; or ''Bouvetøyen'') is an island claimed by Norway, and declared an uninhabited protected nature reserve. It is a subantarctic volcanic island, situated in the South Atlantic Ocean at the southern end of the Mid-Atlantic R ...

, and the

Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...

. In the 1910s, affluent Sandefjordian August F. Christensen was given a grant to practice whaling outside

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

and

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

. He was also appointed Ecuador's consul to Norway. He achieved an agreement with Ecuadorian government officials which allowed Norwegians to inhabit the

Galápagos Islands The Galápagos Islands (Spanish: , , ) are an archipelago of volcanic islands. They are distributed on each side of the equator in the Pacific Ocean, surrounding the centre of the Western Hemisphere, and are part of the Republic of Ecuador ...

, and also receive 200 hectares of land, pay no taxes for ten years, and be allowed to keep their Norwegian citizenship. Christensen created huge local interest of Galápagos, and the local company '' La Colonia de Floreana A/S'' was established on 21 March 1925. Its main goal was to exploit the Norwegian fishing rights at the Galápagos Islands. A ship named ''Floreana'' departed from Sandefjord on 15 May 1925, equipped with enough men and goods to establish a colony. Modell av Grytviken kirke (HS

On 16 November 1904,

Carl Anton Larsen Carl Anton Larsen (7 August 1860 – 8 December 1924) was a Norwegian-born whaler and Antarctic explorer who made important contributions to the exploration of Antarctica, the most significant being the first discovery of fossils for which ...

of Sandefjord established the whaling community of Grytviken, the largest settlement in

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = , song = , image_map = South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in United Kingdom.svg , map_caption = Location of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in the southern Atlantic Oce ...

. South Georgia Island lies a few thousand kilometers east of

Cape Horn Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramí ...

Nils Larsen Nils Larsen (19 June 1900 – 29 September 1976) was a Norwegian sea captain. Larsen is perhaps most associated with the Norvegia expeditions of Antarctica. Larsen was born in Sandar, and became a noted whaler, captaining a number of whali ...

(1900–76) was a sea captain from Sandefjord, famous for his expeditions of

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...

in the early 20th century. It was under his expeditions that Norway achieved annexation of

in 1927 and Peter I Island two years after. A cove on Antarctica's Peter I Island is named Sandefjord Cove in honor of Larsen's hometown. Sandefjord Ice Bay in continental Antarctica is also named after Sandefjord. Mount Nils Larsen in

Queen Maud Land Queen Maud Land ( no, Dronning Maud Land) is a roughly region of Antarctica claimed by Norway as a dependent territory. It borders the claimed British Antarctic Territory 20° west and the Australian Antarctic Territory 45° east. In addi ...

, Mount Nils in

Enderby Land Enderby Land is a projecting landmass of Antarctica. Its shore extends from Shinnan Glacier at about to William Scoresby Bay at , approximately of the earth's longitude. It was first documented in western and eastern literature in February 18 ...

and Nils Larsen Glacier are examples of many geographical names given in honor of Nils Larsen.

World War II

Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-113-0003-15, Nordeuropa, Küstenbatterie, Bunker

A week after

Operation Weserübung Operation Weserübung (german: Unternehmen Weserübung , , 9 April – 10 June 1940) was Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign. In the early morning of 9 Ap ...

, German forces entered Sandefjord on April 16, 1940. 30-40 men arrived in semi-trucks from Horten under the leadership of Erik von Drydalski. After handing their directives to Sandefjord police chief Kjartan Bruun Hansen, the men left for Hotel Atlantic, where they established their headquarters in the city. German troops in the city soon rose to 200. At the beginning of the

German occupation of Norway The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany during the Second World War began on 9 April 1940 after Operation Weserübung. Conventional armed resistance to the German invasion ended on 10 June 1940, and Nazi Germany controlled Norway until th ...

, a German ''Hafenkapitän'' ( harbormaster) was placed at Tollboden, and a representative for Admiral Norwegen was placed in an office building at Framnes verft. German soldiers could be seen marching throughout the city. At the beginning of the occupation, over 2,000 German officers visited ''Socitetsbygningen'' (today's Park Hotel), which belonged to Sandefjord Spa. The Nazi flag was waving over the building during the visit. Norwegian students were told to learn the German language, and handed out a book, '' Deutsche Fibel''. They were also given a copy of Adolf Hitler's book '' Mein Kampf'' translated into the Norwegian language. Albert-kristoffer-johan-skålsvik

German forces constructed two coastal forts in Sandefjord, located at the southern tips of both

West West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

- and East Islands. The largest German construction in Sandefjord took place at Folehavna, where a fortress was erected in the spring of 1941. Four cannons with a target range of 14 kilometers were installed at the site, along with a 120-meter tunnel. The four 15 cm cannons were installed in concrete gun pits on the sloping rocks. German construction also took place by

Goksjø Goksjø is a lake in the municipalities of Sandefjord, Larvik and Andebu in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. Goksjø is 5 km from north to south, and has a circumference of 20 km. At its deepest, Goksjø is no deeper than 26 meters. Goksjø ha ...

Lake, and also at Jernbaneallén, where a former garage structure was turned into a prison camp. Many Sandefjordians were killed during World War II, including a number of seamen. Håkon Andersen of Framnes was killed onboard ''Arcturus'' when the ship was attacked by British Beaufighters. Albert K. J. Skålsvik (1921–1944) of Krokemoa, a member of the Norwegian Homefleet ("Hjemmeflåten"), was 18 years when the war broke out. Skålsvik was killed, along with the captain, when the ship ''DS Kong Bjørn'' was attacked by allied warplanes by Ryvingen Lighthouse in 1944. He is now commemorated at the Hall of Remembrance in Stavern ( Larvik). Skålsvik's younger brother, Bernard, was also a part of the Homefleet and was killed at age 17 in 1945.Holskjær, Lars (2017). ''Kamper uten tall''. Forlagshuset i Vestfold. p. 192. . Radios were illegal, and Sandefjordians such as Henry Melby of Gokstad was arrested for having a radio in 1942. He was incarcerated at the tanker ''Inger Johanne'', which was attacked by allied warplanes in 1944, killing 15 people, including Henry Melby. In the fall of 1941, German occupation forces replaced Sandefjord's city manager Finn Sandberg with NS-member Frithjof Holtedahl who was soon appointed mayor. Sandar received its NS mayor in November 1941, Ole Kristian Holtan.Olstad, Finn (1997). ''Sandefjords historie. B. 2: En vanlig småby?'' Sandefjord kommune. Page 119. ISBN 8299379725. Olaf Bøe from

Nasjonal Samling Nasjonal Samling (, NS; ) was a Norwegian far-right political party active from 1933 to 1945. It was the only legal party of Norway from 1942 to 1945. It was founded by former minister of defence Vidkun Quisling and a group of supporters such ...

was appointed editor for Sandefjords Presse by Anders Beggerud in 1944. Following World War II, Norway became one of the founding members of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

and several air bases were constructed in Norway using NATO funds. One of these was

Sandefjord Airport Torp Sandefjord Airport, Torp ( no, Sandefjord lufthavn, Torp; ) is an international airport located northeast of Sandefjord, Norway and south of Oslo. The airport features a runway aligned 18/36. Torp partially serves as a regional airport for Ves ...

, which was to be used by the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...

in case of war. Construction began in 1953 and was completed in July 1956.

SAS merge

The municipalities of Sandefjord (S), Andebu (A) and Stokke (S) merged on 1 January 2017. The merge was the first of numerous nationwide merges following a municipal reform by the

Solberg Cabinet The Solberg Cabinet was the government of the Kingdom of Norway, headed by Conservative Party leader Erna Solberg as Prime Minister from 16 October 2013 to 14 October 2021. The government was appointed by King Harald V on 16 October 2013 follo ...

. The "new" municipality is 425.47 km², including freshwater lakes and rivers. It is 11th most populated municipality in Norway, and the most populous in Vestfold County.Larsen, Erlend (2016). ''Tre kommuner blir til én''. Erlend Larsen Forlag. pp. 13 and 171. . Proposed names for the "new" municipality were Gokstad, Sandar and Torp, however, the name ''Sandefjord'' was ultimately kept. A poll conducted by ''Sandefjords blad'' in January 2015 called 600 residents in Andebu, 750 in Stokke, and 1,000 in Sandefjord. All were given the question "Do you think Stokke, Andebu, and Sandefjord should establish one single municipality?". 69% of Sandefjord residents answered "yes", while 64% (Andebu) and 61% (Stokke) answered "yes" in Stokke and Andebu. Few Stokke residents read '' Sandefjords Blad'', the main newspaper of Sandefjord, and relatively few residents commute to Sandefjord proper for work. However, Sandefjord's wealth and its international airport have been seen as key factors as to why Stokke residents decided to merge. 77.8 percent of Stokke residents ultimately voted to merge into Sandefjord during the September 2015 elections.

Historical population

Ommestadkollen, Sandefjord, Vestfold, Norway - panoramio

The city experienced a 98.6 percent population growth from 1875 to 1900. Even not including Sandar's merge into Sandefjord in 1888, this population increase was substantially higher than most Norwegian cities. Sandar experienced the largest population growth of any Norwegian town, and over twice the growth of other towns in Vestfold County. From 1875 to 1900, the disposable income of Sandefjordians increased by over 200 percent. Total assets in local banks also increased, and in 1895–1900, total assets went from 0.6 to 1.9 million in Aktiekreditbanken and from 1.1 million to 1.3 million in Sandefjords Sparebank. Even after whaling lost its importance, Sandefjord remained Norway's richest city, and from 1913 to 1917, the median income increased by over 350 percent.

Geography

Sandefjord is a coastal city on the western shore of the

Oslo Fjord The Oslofjord (, ; en, Oslo Fjord) is an inlet in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the and lighthouses and down to in the south to Oslo in the north. It is part of the Skagerrak strait, connecting the Nor ...

. It can be described as a suburb of

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population ...

, situated southwest of the capital.Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (1985). ''Sandefjord: A modern city with vast potential''. Grafisk Studio. p. 4. . It is the largest city in

County. Its 93-mile long coastline has various beaches and sheltered coves, and several forests are also within city limits. The two

peninsulas A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on al ...

called Østerøya ("East Island") and Vesterøya ("West Island") contribute to a total coastline of , and form the Sandefjordsfjord and Mefjord. The coastline offers a wide variety of sandy beaches, skerries, and

islet An islet is a very small, often unnamed island. Most definitions are not precise, but some suggest that an islet has little or no vegetation and cannot support human habitation. It may be made of rock, sand and/or hard coral; may be permanen ...

s (116 in total), along with bays and sloping rocks. Forested areas are often laced with paths and lighted for trails for summer hikes and winter skiing. Of Sandefjord's total area, (31%) is agricultural and (26%) is forest. 2 percent is made up of lakes and rivers. Neighbouring towns are

Tønsberg Tønsberg , historically Tunsberg, is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, eastern Norway, located around south-southwest of Oslo on the western coast of the Oslofjord near its mouth onto the Skagerrak. The administrative c ...

and Larvik. 124-116 islands are within city limits. Small island bays give shelter for overnight campers, and many islets have relatively accessible beaches. Sandefjord is home to several peninsulas, including West Island (12 km²), East Island (8 km²), Engø (1 km²), Marøy, and Årø.

Langøya Langøya is the third largest island of Norway (outside of Svalbard), with an area of . The island is a part of the Vesterålen archipelago in Nordland county, Norway. The island includes the municipalities of Bø and Øksnes as well as parts ...

(Langø) is the largest island at 0.55 km², while other islands include Ravnø (0.40 km²), Skogøy/Storøya (0.25 km²), Natholmen (0.2 km²), Storholmen (0.13 km²), Ormestadholmen (0.1 km²), Grindholmen (0.08 km²), and Granholmen (12 acres). Despite its location in-between Flautangen and Lindholmen (

Tjøme Tjøme () is an island in Færder, and a former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Tjøme. The parish of ''Tjømø'' was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see f ...

) in the Tønsbergfjord, the archipelago of Stauper belongs to Sandefjord. It consists of ten large islands and a number of smaller skerries and islets. There were two natural lakes in Sandefjord prior to the 2017 merge:

, which is the third-largest in

Vestfold Vestfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in Eastern Norway. In 2020 the county became part of the much larger county of Vestfold og Telemark. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it bordered t ...

County, and the smaller Napperødtjern (). Napperødtjern lies a few hundred meters north of Goksjø and is a

nature preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological o ...

surrounded by swamp forests and wetland. Artificial ponds include Bugårdsdammen, Brydedammen, Virikdammen, Kroksjø, Veradammen, Svarttjern, and others. Local wildlife such as moose, deer, and avifauna can often be observed near freshwater lakes and rivers. Sandefjord has four fjords: Sandefjordsfjord, Lahellefjord, Mefjord, and Tønsbergfjord, which it shares with neighboring

. The highest point in the municipality is Brånafjell at , which lies northwest of Høyjord. Hjertås at above sea level is the highest point in the city of Sandefjord. From the peak are surrounding views of the

Oslofjord The Oslofjord (, ; en, Oslo Fjord) is an inlet in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the and lighthouses and down to in the south to Oslo in the north. It is part of the Skagerrak strait, connecting the Nor ...

, Vealøs by

Skien Skien () is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county in Norway. In modern times it is regarded as part of the traditional region of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the ...

, Skrim and Torp.

Climate

The climate of the entirety of Norway is extremely affected by the Gulf Stream. Were it not for the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, coastal cities by

would be up to 4 °C (7 °F) colder. This means that the climate, the summers especially, are warmer than in other regions at the same latitude, i.e. the

State of Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U. ...

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...

. Sandefjord has a higher latitude than Juneau, Alaska; Sandefjord is at 59°08′N, while the capital of Alaska is at 58°18′N. Sandefjord experiences more sun than any other Norwegian city during the summer months. Warm breezes from

Skagerrak The Skagerrak (, , ) is a strait running between the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, the southeast coast of Norway and the west coast of Sweden, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area through the Danish Straits to the Baltic Sea. T ...

cause a mild climate, and Sandefjord experiences the highest annual number of cloud-free days in Norway. The climate is relatively mild for its latitude. Fields become green in early May, but the air remains slightly cold. The summer seldom begins before the end of May, when temperatures often rapidly increase. The whole month of June and most of July experience little darkness during night and

songbirds A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 5 ...

are silent for only 2–3 hours at most.Ebbesen, Jorgen Tandberg (2018). ''The Sulphureous Bath at Sandefjord in Norway''. Sagwan Press. p. 6. . July is the warmest month of the year in Sandefjord when temperatures often rise above . Sandefjord has a relatively humid continental climate (

Dfb DFB may refer to: * Deerfield Beach, Florida, a city * Decafluorobutane, a fluorocarbon gas * Dem Franchize Boyz, former hip hop group, Atlanta, Georgia * Dfb, Köppen climate classification for Humid continental climate * Distributed-feedback ...

) with warm summers, no dry season, and relatively much precipitation year long. During the colder season, which is from the end of November until early March, there is a 56 percent average chance that precipitation will be observed during a given day. The likelihood of snow falling is highest in late January and the season in which it is likely to snowfall spans from early November until early April. The coldest day of the year in Sandefjord is 4 February, with an average low temperature of and average high of only .

Villages

Sandefjord Municipality consists of Sandefjord proper and an additional six villages: * Stokke (2016 pop. 3,391) * Andebu (pop. 2,160) * Melsomvik (pop. 2,076) * Kodal (pop. 1,002) * Fossnes (pop. 519) * Høyjord (pop. 316) A small part of Sandefjord – the Himberg farm – is lying as an exclave inside the borders of the municipality of Larvik. All efforts at annexing Himberg into surrounding Larvik have been met with massive protests from local residents. A 1995 annexation attempt was ultimately canceled due to large protests from Himberg residents. Himberg is a rural agricultural community consisting of no more than ten households. There are only four similar exclaves in Norway, and Himberg is the most populous exclave in the nation, with a population of around 40. It is .

Townscape

Whaler's Monument, a Sandefjord trademark, is located at the end of the city's main street, Jernbanealléen, in the harbour area. Nearby are the oceanfront restaurants ''Kokeriet'' and ''La Scala'', two of the relatively few places where whale meat is regularly served. The

Train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...

- and nearby bus stations are approximately up Jernbanealléen from the waterfront.Lee, Phil and Jules Brown (2003). ''The Rough Guide to Norway''. Rough Guides. p. 129. . The main commercial areas are found on Jernbanealléen (main street), Storgata, Kongensgate and Hvaltorvet Shopping Centre. Sandefjord has a city centre, consisting of a mixture of old and modern buildings and a selection of shops. It has a good selection of restaurants and cafés. According to the renowned restaurant guide, ''Salt & Pepper,'' Sandefjord holds what is possibly Norway's best gourmet restaurant which is located in a modern building near the harbour, known as ''Brygga11'', run by

Bocuse d'Or The Bocuse d'Or (the ''Concours mondial de la cuisine'', World Cooking Contest) is a biennial world chef championship. Named for the chef Paul Bocuse, the event takes place during two days near the end of January in Lyon, France, at the SIRHA Inter ...

winner Geir Skeie.Gjerseth, Simen (2016). ''Nye Sandefjord''. Liv forlag. Page 329. . Other restaurants include ''Chili'', ''Kismat'', ''Restaurant La Scala'', ''

Peppes Pizza Peppes Pizza is a Norwegian pizza chain that serves American style. Peppes Pizza is the largest pizza restaurant chain in Scandinavia with close to 90 departments. The restaurant chain was founded in 1970 by the american, Louis Jordan and his n ...

'', ''Kokeriet'', ''Zorba'', ''Lady og Landstryker'n'', and others. Also located at the harbour, is the

fishmonger A fishmonger (historically fishwife for female practitioners) is someone who sells raw fish and seafood. Fishmongers can be wholesalers or retailers and are trained at selecting and purchasing, handling, gutting, boning, filleting, displaying, m ...

well known for the quality of its goods and delicacies, including freshly caught shrimp, crab and fish. The fishmonger, known as ''Brødrene Berggren'', was established in 1911 and is among the oldest in Norway. It processed 1,000 tons of fish and shellfish per year as of year 2000. In the Bakgaarden (backyard) area are numerous cafés, boutiques, and art shops, as well as occasional summer concerts. Restaurants are found throughout the city and offer local specialties such as smoked salmon, dry-cured salmon, moose, reindeer, grouse, and deer. ''Sandar Haandverksbryggeri'' is a popular microbrewery, while wine tastings are offered at ''SMAK Winebar''. Bars include ''Draaben Bar'', ''James Clark Pub'', ''Brygga Bar'', and ''Pir 4''. Street names are named for notable women in the Krokemoa area, such as Lauras vei (named for Laura Konstanse Jensen in 1993), planets (Mosserød), bird species (Lystad), plant species ( Unneberg), rock species (Nygård), insects (Gjekstad), and Norse mythology (

Breidablik } and ang, fācenstafas respectively). In Beowulf, the lack of refers to the absence of crimes being committed, and therefore both halls have been proposed to be sanctuaries. In popular culture * Breidablik is a sacred weapon in ''Fire Emblem H ...

k), which has streets named for

Freyja In Norse paganism, Freyja (Old Norse "(the) Lady") is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (magic for seeing and influencing the future). Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chario ...

, Odin,

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, an ...

Týr (; Old Norse: , ) is a god in Germanic mythology, a valorous and powerful member of the and patron of warriors and mythological heroes. In Norse mythology, which provides most of the surviving narratives about gods among the Germanic people ...

, Baldr,

Frigg Frigg (; Old Norse: ) is a goddess, one of the Æsir, in Germanic mythology. In Norse mythology, the source of most surviving information about her, she is associated with marriage, prophecy, clairvoyance and motherhood, and dwells in the wet ...

Mjölnir Mjölnir (from Old Norse Mjǫllnir) is the hammer of the thunder god Thor in Norse mythology, used both as a devastating weapon and as a divine instrument to provide blessings. The hammer is attested in numerous sources, including the 11th cen ...

Bragi Bragi (; Old Norse: ) is the skaldic god of poetry in Norse mythology. Etymology The theonym Bragi probably stems from the masculine noun ''bragr'', which can be translated in Old Norse as 'poetry' (cf. Icelandic ''bragur'' 'poem, melody, wise ...

, Urðr, Loki,

Þrymr In Norse mythology, Þrymr (''Thrymr'', ''Thrym''; "uproar") was king of the jǫtnar. In one legend, he stole Mjǫlnir, Thor's hammer, to extort the gods into giving him Freyja as his wife. His kingdom was called Jötunheimr, but according to ...

Jötunheimr The terms Jötunheimr (in Old Norse orthography: Jǫtunheimr ; often anglicised as Jotunheim) or Jötunheimar refer to either a land or multiple lands in Nordic mythology inhabited by the jötnar. are typically, but not exclusively, presente ...

, and various

Norse gods Norse is a demonym for Norsemen, a medieval North Germanic ethnolinguistic group ancestral to modern Scandinavians, defined as speakers of Old Norse from about the 9th to the 13th centuries. Norse may also refer to: Culture and religion * Nors ...

. Streets are also named for notable people with ties to the city, including Wilhelm Wetlesen, Johan Bryde,

, Christen Christensen, Jørgen Tandberg Ebbesen, Heinrich Arnold Thaulow,

Nils Vibe Stockfleth Nils Joachim Christian Vibe Stockfleth (11 January 1787 in Fredrikstad, Norway – 26 April 1866 in Sandefjord) was a Norwegian cleric who was instrumental in the first development of the written form of the Northern Sami language. Stockfleth ...

, Peter Hersleb Harboe Castberg, Magnus Brostrup Landstad, and others.

Architecture

Sandefjord's architecture varies from smaller tree homes to large modern complexes. Sandefjord is one of few Art Nouveau towns in Norway; it is the town with the second-most Art Nouveau buildings in Norway. The major town fires of 1882, 1900 and 1915 devastated much of town and paved the way for new architecture. While neighboring towns mostly consist of wooden clapboard houses, Sandefjord is home to pastel-painted fronts, spires, turrets, and gargoyles.

Jugend style ''Jugendstil'' ("Youth Style") was an artistic movement, particularly in the decorative arts, that was influential primarily in Germany and elsewhere in Europe to a lesser extent from about 1895 until about 1910. It was the German counterpart of ...

structures include Saint John the Baptist's Church, Privatbanken, Gunilla's (''Kongens gate 18''), and an award-receiving 1915 structure at ''Stockfleths gate 9''. Noble examples are also found at Christopher Hvidts Plass, including the bakery Ivar Halvorsen (built in 1900) and the former Methodist Church (1918).Tore, Sandberg and Cato Arveschoug (2001). ''Sandefjord zoomet inn av fotograf Tore Sandberg''. C. Arveschoug and Magne Helland. p. 147. . Certain parts were left untouched by the town fires, including the street known as Bjerggata. Bjerggata is the oldest or one of the oldest parts of Sandefjord. It consists mostly of white wooden homes and is an indicator of how Sandefjord looked until the 1950s.Lee, Phil (2012). ''The Rough Guide To Norway''. Rough Guides. p. 118. .Davidsen, Roger (2008). ''Et Sted i Sandefjord''. Sandar Historielag. pp. 304–305. . Most of the homes at Bjerggata are dated to the early 1800s. Other architecture includes the Viking-inspired dragon style complex from 1899, which housed Sandefjord Spa.Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (1985). ''Sandefjord: A modern city with vast potential''. Grafisk Studio. p. 51. . It is one of Scandinavia's largest wooden buildings.

Politics and government

Sandefjord is a stronghold for the Conservative Party. In the Norwegian local elections of 2011, 47.9% of voters voted for the Conservative Party. The right-wing parties received a total of 70.4% of the vote in Sandefjord, compared to 51.2% nationwide. The current mayor, Bjørn Ole Gleditsch, was elected in 2004 with the support of the Progress Party. Gleditsch is the wealthiest mayor to ever be elected in Norway. Cathrine Andersen from the Progress Party has been deputy mayor since 2015.

Municipal council

The

municipal council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

of Sandefjord is made up of 57 representatives that are elected to four-year terms. Each representative from Sandefjord proper is represented by 1,160 inhabitants, representatives from Stokke by 1,045, and Andebu by 837 residents per municipal council member. The party breakdown as of 2017 is:

Demographics

According to Statistics Norway in 2017, the municipality is home to 62,622 residents. There were 2,797 vacation homes in Sandefjord as of 2018, and 2,19 people per housing unit. 69.2% are members of Church of Norway, 18% are unaffiliated and 12.8% are members of other religious communities. In addition to State Churches, the city also houses various minor congregations, including an Adventist- and Methodist Church. Religious minorities with congregations in town include

Pentecostals Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

(Salem), Catholics ( St. Johannes Døperen), Methodists (Metodistkirken),

Seventh-day Adventists The Seventh-day Adventist Church is an Adventist Protestant Christian denomination which is distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the seventh day of the week in the Christian (Gregorian) and the Hebrew calendar, as the Sabbath, and i ...

(Adventkirken), Baptists (Baptistkirken),

Norwegian Lutheran Mission The Norwegian Lutheran Mission (''Norsk Luthersk Misjonssamband'' in Norwegian; NLM) is one of several independent Lutheran organisations based in Norway. History The organization was founded in 1891 as Det Norske Lutherske Kinamisjonsforbund ...

(Den lille gren), Jehovas Witnesses (Rikets Sal) and

Muslims Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

(Alkawther Islam Center and Sandefjord Islamic Center). Baptists first established a congregation in town in the 1880s and Methodists in the 1890s. Konferansesenter1

Brunstad Christian Church (Smith's Friends) is an

evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

non-denominational church which was established in neighboring Horten in 1905. Brunstad Conference Center is the denomination's headquarters and is located in Stokke. It is the only worldwide denomination which was established in Norway. The largest minority groups in 2017 (first- and second generation immigrants) are Lithuanians (1.95%), Polish (1.93%), Iraqis (1.24%), Vietnamese (0.80%), Germans (0.71%), Swedes (0.69%), Kosovans (0.67%), Bosnians (0.64%), and Danes (0.51%). Sandefjord has a high population density of 339 people per square kilometre. The population density is particularly high in Sandefjord proper, and between E18 and the coast, the city has an equivalent population density to that of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. The population increases significantly during summer months due to tourism. After the merge with Stokke and Andebu in 2017, Sandefjord has a population of over 63,000. This makes Sandefjord to the 11th most populous municipality in Norway. It is the most populous city in

County; One in four people from Vestfold County are from Sandefjord, or 25.2 percent of the county population.

Economy

Sandefjord is the wealthiest city in Norway. Important industries in Sandefjord are information technology, chemical production, tourism, navigation, ship building and fishing. It is home to the international airport Torp Airport, paint producer Jotun, the brewery Grans Bryggeri, the chocolate factory Hval Sjokoladefabrikk, and the engineering company Ramboll Oil & Gas. High-tech and information technology have become important industries in recent times, represented by some of Norway's largest web shops: Komplett, mpx.no, and netshop.no. The largest employer, besides the city itself, is Jotun, which was established in Sandefjord in 1926. Jotun is now one of the world's largest manufacturers of paints and coating products. As of February 2017, Jotun has a presence in over 100 countries and employed 9,500 employees worldwide. The Jotun Group operates four divisions, while its head office is located in Sandefjord. As of 2016, Jotun had 9,800 employees including one thousand employees within Norway. It operated 37 factories in 21 countries and is represented in 120 countries through distributors, offices, and agents. It is owned by the Gleditsch family and

Orkla ASA Orkla ASA is a Norwegian conglomerate operating in the Nordic region, Eastern Europe, Asia and the US. At present, Orkla operates in the branded consumer goods, aluminium solutions and financial investment sectors. Orkla ASA is listed on the Osl ...

. While Jotun by far is the largest company in

County, the second-biggest company is Komplett. A web shop operating in all of Scandinavia, Komplett had a 7.3 billion NOK revenue in 2015 and had 800 employees. Åsnes - panoramio

Sandefjord had Norway's most expensive seaside vacation homes as of 2011, with an average price of 7.2 million crowns. General property values in Sandefjord appreciated 25.7 percent between 2010 and 2015. Sandefjord Muzeum Wielorybnictwa 3

Largest companies in Sandefjord based on

operating income In accounting and finance, earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) is a measure of a firm's profit that includes all incomes and expenses (operating and non-operating) except interest expenses and income tax expenses. Operating income and ope ...

in 2015:

Tourism

Sandefjord is dubbed a resort town due to its many summer visitors. Sandefjord is also nicknamed the "Bathing City" due to its many beaches, islands and minor archipelagos. Beaches such as Vøra and nearby Langeby on West Island attract summer visitors from

and other larger Norwegian cities. Sandefjord became a bathing destination when sulphur was discovered in waters and gyttja in 1837. Sandefjord is home to over two thousand vacation homes, most of which are built along the seaside. Sandefjord had Norway's most expensive vacation homes as of 2012; the mean vacation home price was 7.1 million crowns in 2012. Sandefjord Voera

The city of Sandefjord may be best known for its bathing and many beaches.Alspaugh, Emmanuelle (2006). ''Fodor's Norway''. Fodor's Travel Publications. p. 74. . It is first and foremost known as a summer community. The city lies on a low, slightly inclined

strand Strand may refer to: Topography *The flat area of land bordering a body of water, a: ** Beach ** Shoreline * Strand swamp, a type of swamp habitat in Florida Places Africa * Strand, Western Cape, a seaside town in South Africa * Strand Street ...

, protected on three sides by hills, and only open towards the south where the Sandefjordsfjord is located. It is known for its great bathing and pure sea water quality. It has a country-like appearance with clean streets and quaint roads. The city is dependent on the bathing establishment during the summer season when many tourists arrive in Sandefjord. The bathing season in Sandefjord generally begins on 1 June, while it ends on the last day of August. Visitors to Sandefjord Spa in the 19th century were the city's first tourists, and made Sandefjord into a popular holiday destination.Tollnes, Ivar and Olaf Akselsen (1994). ''Sandefjord: Den lille storbyen''. Sandefjords blad. p. 140. . The city's fame as a seaside mecca dates back to 1837, when sulphur springs first were discovered in town. Sandefjord has been nicknamed "Eastern Norway's vacation paradise." A majority of current tourists and vacation homeowners are from the capital of

. Sandefjord is home to four hotels: Scandic Park Hotel, Hotel Kong Carl, Torp Hotel, and Clarion Collection Hotel Atlantic. Skjellvika Sandefjord

Culture

The 9th century Gokstad Ship was discovered in Sandefjord during an 1880 excavation led by

Nicolay Nicolaysen Nicolay Nicolaysen (14 January 1817 - 22 January 1911) was a Norwegian archaeologist and Norway's first state employed antiquarian. He is perhaps best known for his excavations of the ship burial at Gokstad in 1880. Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, was built around year 910. It is the largest preserved Viking ship in Norway. A Viking chieftain was buried at the Gokstad Mound (Gokstadhaugen), along with the 23.5-meter Gokstad Ship. Interpretive signs have been put up at the Gokstad Mound on Helgerødveien. Sandefjord has four churches remaining from the Middle Ages: Høyjord Stave Church, Kodal Church, Skjee Church, and Andebu Church. While Andebu Church has Norway's oldest parish register (dated 1623), Høyjord stave church is the only

stave church A stave church is a medieval wooden Christian church building once common in north-western Europe. The name derives from the building's structure of post and lintel construction, a type of timber framing where the load-bearing ore-pine posts ar ...

left in

County. Its chancel dates to the year 1100 and is the oldest part of the church. Burial mounds dating to the Viking Age can be seen around the church. Sandar Church by Sandefjord Station was constructed atop of the ruins of a Medieval church dated to the 13th century. The present church, however, was erected in 1792. Sandefjord Bryggekapellet

Midtåsen Sculpture Park contains a collection of bronze- and marbleworks by sculptor Knut Steen, which is housed in a pine forest

pavilion In architecture, ''pavilion'' has several meanings: * It may be a subsidiary building that is either positioned separately or as an attachment to a main building. Often it is associated with pleasure. In palaces and traditional mansions of Asia ...

overlooking Sandefjord and its

fjord In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Förden and East Jutland Fjorde, Germany, ...

. The former estate of shipping magnate Anders Jahre is located at Midtåsen, and is now owned by the municipality. Guided tours of the villa are available. The 1200 km² (23,916 sq. ft.) villa was designed by architect Arnstein Arneberg. It is located in a 60-decare (15 acre) park. Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center is home to three auditoriums and an outdoor amphitheater. A movie theater, City Hall and library are found at Hjertnes. Concerts, opera, and other cultural events also take place at Hjertnes Civic Center.

Art

Sandefjord is the city in Norway with the most sculptures per inhabitant. The city is home to around 100 sculptures from over 50 artists and sculptors including

Ørnulf Bast Ørnulf Bast (25 January 1907 – 28 October 1974) was a Norwegian sculptor and painter particularly known for his public monuments. Background Ørnulf Bjarne Bast was born in Oslo. His parents were Halsten Andersen Bast Birklund (1870–19 ...

, Nils Aas, Dagfin Werenskiold, Knut Steen, Per Krogh, and others. Notable sculptures include the Whaler's Monument and the Sea Queen (“Havdronningen”) by Arnold Haukeland, which is located outside Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center. Midtåsen Sculpture Park contains a collection of bronze and marble works by Knut Steen in a park and villa designed by Arnstein Arneberg. Poseidon Sculpture Park, which is located in Badeparken, features Greek mythology sculptures by Nina Sundbye. Arne Durban’s sculpture "Mother and Child" is located in the City Park (“Byparken”), while a sculpture of priest Magnus Brostrup Landstad made by Hans Holmen can be seen at ''Landstads plass'' by Sandar Church. A polar bear sculpture by Skule Waksvik is located outside Sandefjord Museum, while a whale jawbone arch is placed outside Scandic Park Hotel. A memorial to fallen sailors (Sjømannsminnesmerket) was placed outside Sandefjord Church in 1920 and was made by sculptor

Gustav Lærum Gustav Lærum (2 June 1870, in Fet – 21 May 1938) was a Norwegian satirical illustrator, caricaturist and sculptor. He provided illustrations for the satirical magazines '' Korsaren'', '' Tyrihans'', and '' Vikingen'', and also the newspap ...

. The fountain at Christopher Hvidts Plass, the Thaulow fountain, was donated to the city in 1875 by Heinrich Arnold Thaulow, the city's first physician and founder of Sandefjord Spa. It is the city's oldest sculpture and its first donation. In 2017, the NGO ''Art for All in the World'' conducted a project where seven mural artists contributed. A mural by Eduardo Kobra, “Peace between nations”, can be seen behind ''Peter Grøns gate 2B''. Street art by graffiti artist Victor Ash can be seen at ''Stockfeldsgate 6-8''.

Museums

Sandefjord is home to Europe's only museum dedicated to

, which is located in the city center.Philpott, Don (1991). ''Visitor's Guide: Norway''. Moorland. p. 76. . The museum was one of the first original museums in Norway when established in 1917. Today it boasts over 150,000 photographs as well as exhibits of marine animals, a restored whale catcher, and more. A whale catcher named '' Southern Actor'' is docked at Museum's Wharf and is a part of the Maritime Museum. It is the only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. It was constructed by Sevilla Whaling Co. in 1950 and brought to Sandefjord in 1989.Olstad, Finn (1997). ''Sandefjords historie B.2: En vanlig småby?'' Sandefjord kommune. Page 395. ISBN 8299379725. Museum's Wharf ("Museumsbrygga") was established in 1995 and both the '' Gaia ship'' and ''Southern Actor'' were placed at the wharf. There are six protected buildings in Sandefjord as of 2008: City Museum (Bymuseet), Maritime Museum (Sjøfartsmuséet), and the three farms Elverhøy-, Nordby-, and Auve farms. The city's oldest house, which is located at Skippergaten 6 and was built in 1667, is also one of the city's protected structures. The City Museum and Maritime Museum, along with Sandefjord Museum, are the three museums found in Sandefjord. Sandefjord Museum is among the world's largest whaling museums. It was established in 1917 and was a gift to the city from

Lars Christensen Lars Christensen (6 April 1884 – 10 December 1965) was a Norwegian shipowner and whaling magnate. He was also a philanthropist with a keen interest in the exploration of Antarctica. Career Lars Christensen was born at Sandar in Vestfold, No ...

Transportation

is one of Norway's largest airports, and is particularly known for its high number of international flights. Torp is Norway's second-largest airport in terms of international flights in 2003. As of 2003, Torp had over one million annual passengers, of which around 50% were for international flights. Despite being located 74 miles south of Oslo, Torp is sometimes called Oslo Airport Torp. It is reached with a free shuttle bus from Sandefjord Airport Station on Vestfoldbanen. Sandefjord Airport is a budget airline hub for airlines such as

Widerøe Widerøes Flyveselskap AS, trading as Widerøe, is a Norwegian airline, and is the largest regional airline operating in the Nordic countries. The airline's fleet of 40 Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft, and 3 Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, serves over 40 ...

, Ryanair, and Wizz Air. Torp offers direct routes to over 30 international and domestic destinations, including daily flights to European cities such as

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

. The city is served by frequent intercity trains to Oslo and onwards to Oslo Airport. Daily ferries connect Sandefjord to Sweden.Fodor, Eugene (1991). ''Fodor's Scandinavian Cities''. Fodor's Travel Publications. p. 93. . Color Line ferries '' MS Color Hybrid'' and '' Color Viking'' connect the town to

Strömstad Strömstad is a locality and the seat of Strömstad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 6,288 inhabitants in 2010. For historical reasons, Strömstad is called a ''city'' despite its small population. Strömstad became part of S ...

in Sweden. Fjord Line is another ferry service connecting Sandefjord and Sweden. Neighboring town of Larvik is home to daily ferry operations between Norway and

Hirtshals Hirtshals is a town and seaport on the coast of Skagerrak on the island of Vendsyssel-Thy at the top of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark, Europe. It is located in Hjørring municipality in Region Nordjylland. The town of Hirtshals has a p ...

, Denmark. Scandi Line was a former ferry service operating ferries between Sandefjord and Sweden. Sandefjord is also home to a domestic ferry route: MF Jutøya transports people and goods to Veierland Island from Engø peninsula several times per day. Sandefjord is also a cruise ship destination.

European route E18 European route E18 runs from Craigavon in Northern Ireland to Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is about in length. Although the designation implies the possibility of a through jo ...

traverses the municipality. It is one of Norway's most important main roads, and makes the drive to

approximately 90 minutes.

Public transit

Sandefjord Airport, Torp from the air cropped

Sandefjord Station is the central train station and is served by regional trains operated by Vy. The main bus station is also located by Sandefjord Station. Fast and frequent express buses from Sandefjord shuttle along E18, connecting to

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporati ...

and linking key resorts in

Southern Norway Southern Norway ( no, Sørlandet; lit. "The Southland") is the geographical region (''landsdel'') along the Skagerrak coast of southern Norway. The region is an informal description since it does not have any governmental function. It rough ...

. Trains and buses for Sandefjord leave Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) every 30 minutes, and the journey takes two hours. The public transportation system in Sandefjord is known as Vestfold Kollektivtrafikk (VKT). Besides Sandefjord Station, additional railway stations include Sandefjord Airport Station and Stokke Station. Torp Express Bus Service operates buses from Sandefjord Airport to Oslo. There are free shuttle buses between Sandefjord Airport Station and Sandefjord Airport. Panoramic view of Sandefjord Lufthavn Torp Norway 2015-05-27 darker

Panoramic view of Sandefjord Lufthavn Torp Norway 2015-05-27 darker

Sports

Bugårds Park is home to the city's largest sporting grounds and facilities, including areas for soccer, tennis, frisbee golf, handball, badminton, archery, rollerskating, horseback-riding, water sports, ice hockey, and ice skating. The 60-acre park sits by Sandefjord High School and is also home to a walking path,

duck pond A duck pond is a pond for ducks and other waterfowl. Duck ponds provide habitats for water fowl and other birds, who use the water to bathe in and drink. Typically, such ponds are round, oval or kidney-shaped. An example is the lily pond in th ...

and designated picnic areas. The swimming center with its 2,500 m² public pool is also located in Bugårds Park. Indoor handball courts are housed in Jotunhallen, while tennis courts are found in Pingvinhallen. Sandefjord Golfbane is an 18-hole golf course located at Jåberg, 5 km (3.1 mi.) from the city center. It was designed by Peter Chamberlin. It was established in August 2009.

Professional sports

Sandefjord Fotball Sandefjord Fotball, commonly known simply as Sandefjord, is a Norwegian professional football club, founded on 10 September 1998. The club currently competes in Eliteserien, the top tier of the Norwegian football league system. Their home groun ...

is a professional football club which plays in

Tippeligaen Eliteserien () is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion ...

/Eliteserien (Norwegian Premier League). The team previously played home games at Storstadion, but has played at Komplett Arena since its opening in 2007. The club reached the

Norwegian First Division The Norwegian First Division, also called 1. divisjon and OBOS-ligaen (named sponsor is property developer OBOS), is the second-highest level of the Norwegian football league system. Each year, the top finishing teams in the 1. divisjon are ...

in 1999, the year after its foundation. Sandefjord is noted for its strong performance in professional handball. The city is home to two top league handball teams: Sandefjord TIF and

IL Runar Idrettslaget Runar is a Norwegian sports club from Haukerød in Sandefjord. It has sections for athletics, handball, football, and cross-country skiing. It was established on January 7, 1949. Athletics Its athletics section is known for its promi ...

. From 1991 to 2008 Sandefjord TIF won nine Men's Premier League and another local team, Runar Håndball, won four. Sandefjord TIF Handball won the Men's Premier League again in 2005–06. In professional ice skating, Sandefjord has been the location of

Norwegian Allround Championships The Norwegian Allround Championships are organized by the '' Norges Skøyteforbund'' (Norwegian Skating Association). Men's result 1887-1893 Unofficial Only one distance was skated, the 5000 meter. The winner was Norwegian Champion. * NC = Not cl ...

in 1928, 1958, and 1961.

Education

Sandefjord High School (SVGS) has about 2,000 students and is Norway's largest high school. It is a result of the merge between Sandefjord's four former high schools. Skagerak International School is also located in town and offers English-speaking kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school. Other private schools include Moe- and Mokollen schools. Skiringssal folkehøyskole is a

folk high school Folk high schools (also ''Adult Education Center'', Danish: ''Folkehøjskole;'' Dutch: ''Volkshogeschool;'' Finnish: ''kansanopisto'' and ''työväenopisto'' or ''kansalaisopisto;'' German: ''Volkshochschule'' and (a few) ''Heimvolkshochschule;' ...

in Sandefjord, which is owned by

County. There are six public middle schools in Sandefjord: Andebu-, Breidablikk-, Bugården-, Ranvik-, Stokke- and Varden middle schools. There are 21 public elementary schools in town. Sandefjord High School (SVGS) and its two-story 32,000 m² (344,000 sq. ft.) facilities are located at Krokemoa near the Bugårds Park. It is a public International Baccalaureate World School, but also offers general academics (the college preparatory ''studiespesialisering'' of the Norwegian school system), as well as elite sports, vocational education, and more. Skagerak International School is a private, English-language, International Baccalaureate World School at Framnes. Its education is offered to both international- and Norwegian students. Established as a High School in 1991, the school expanded to include a kindergarten as well as Primary- and Middle schools in 2000. The basis of the education is formed by the International Baccalaureate Primary Years (PYP), Middle Years (MYP) and Diploma (DP) programs. Skagerak is located in a renovated shipyard on the waterfront at Framnes. Camps and excursions are offered for all Primary- and Middle School students, as well as two or more annual trips abroad. High School students travel abroad for cultural and service-oriented trips, mostly to areas in Europe, Central Asia, and Africa. The High School is a member of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

's ''SOUL'' project. As of 2018, 250 students are enrolled at Pilot Flight Academy at Torp Airport.

Points of interest

Notable points of interest include: * Gokstad Burial Mound, site of the discovery of the 9th-century Gokstad Ship. * Sandefjord Museum (the Whaling Museum), Europe's only museum dedicated to the whaling industry. ** Gaia ship, 1990 replica of the Gokstad Ship at Museum's Wharf in Sandefjord Harbor. ** Southern Actor, whale-catcher turned museum ship. Only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. * Whaler's Monument, rotating bronze monument, erected in honor of pioneering whalers * Sandefjord Spa (Kurbadet), the 1899 thermal baths are housed in one of Scandinavia's largest wooden buildings. * Bjerggata, one of the oldest parts of town with preserved wooden houses. * Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center, adjacent to Badeparken and Scandic Park Hotel. * Sandar Church, built on ruins of a 13th-century

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

stone church. Present church was erected in 1792. * Sandefjord Church, 1903 church, home of Sandefjord Church Bells and host of various concerts and events. * Høyjord Stave Church, in Andebu, only preserved

County. * Hvaltorvet Shopping Centre, largest shopping mall in Sandefjord, located in the city center. * Harbour Chapel ("Bryggekapellet"), Europe's only floating church. * Folehavna Fort, ruins from a German fortress constructed in 1941 during the

.Schandy, Tom and Tom Helgesen (2012). ''Naturperler i Vestfold''. Forlaget Tom & Tom v/Schandy. Pages 173-175. ISBN 9788292916148.Gjerseth, Simen (2016). ''Nye Sandefjord''. Liv forlag. Page 71. ISBN 9788283301137. * Sundås Fort, ruins from fortifications constructed in 1899 during the

Union between Sweden and Norway Sweden and Norway or Sweden–Norway ( sv, Svensk-norska unionen; no, Den svensk-norske union(en)), officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, and known as the United Kingdoms, was a personal union of the separate kingdoms of Swede ...

. *

, ancient burial ground which dates to the

Roman Iron Age The archaeology of Northern Europe studies the prehistory of Scandinavia and the adjacent North European Plain, roughly corresponding to the territories of modern Sweden, Norway, Denmark, northern Germany, Poland and the Netherlands. The regi ...

around 1500–500 BCE.

Recreation

Sandefjord has some of Eastern Norway's largest preserved coastal recreation areas. This includes Yxnøy, which is one of the largest preserved nature areas along

's coast. There are 20 km (12.4 mi) of coastal hiking trails on Østerøya peninsula, including to its southern tip where Tønsberg Barrel is located. Tønsberg Barrel is an old beacon mentioned in ''

''. The 20 km coastal path at Østerøya (East Island) is an extension of the 25 km (15.5 mi) coastal path on Vesterøya (West Island). These 45 kilometers (28 mi.) of hiking trails are part of the international North Sea Trail. Additional hiking trails are found at Preståsen, Hjertnes Forest, Fjellvikåsen, Mokollen, Midtås, as well as the Culture Walk. 100 km of hiking trails are attached to trailheads by Heisetra in rural Andebu. Sandefjord is home to ten

cross-country skiing trail A cross-country skiing trail or ''loipe''From german: Loipe or ''Langlaufloipe'', pl. –''n'', ''loipe'' is a loanword in English-language travel guides, referring to cross-country ski trails in Europe. It is a Germanization of the Norwegian word, ...

s (loipes).

is a 3.47 km² (2.15 mi²) lake on the border between Sandefjord, Larvik, and Andebu. It is the third-largest lake in

County. Goksjø is popular for swimming, kayaking and fishing; some of the fish species found here are

Northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus ''Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a p ...

European perch The European perch (''Perca fluviatilis''), also known as the common perch, redfin perch, big-scaled redfin, English perch, Euro perch, Eurasian perch, Eurasian river perch, Hatch, poor man’s rockfish or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply th ...

, Ide, Common dace, European eel,

Salmon Salmon () is the common name for several commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family Salmonidae, which are native to tributaries of the North Atlantic (genus ''Salmo'') and North Pacific (genus '' Oncorhy ...

and Brown trout. Freshwater fishing is also common by rivers such as Svartåa in Andebu and the Hagenes River in Kodal.

Numedalslågen Numedalslågen is a river located in the counties of Vestfold and Telemark and Viken in southeastern Norway. It is one of the longest rivers in Norway. Location Numedalslågen stretches for over through the counties of Vestfold and Telemark and ...

, which is considered one of Norway's best salmon fishing rivers, is located in neighboring town of Larvik. Sandefjord is home to numerous campgrounds, all which are located along the seaside. Campgrounds include Asnes, Langeby, Vøra, Sjøbakken, Strand Leirsted, Solløkka, and islands such as Granholmen and Natholmen. Langeby is considered Sandefjord's best beach by Frommer's 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 borin ...

Travel Guides, and is home to Langeby Camping which offers boat- and kayak rentals. Tent camping is permitted on numerous nearby islands, including the 11-acre (4.5 ha) Hellesøya and 12-acre (5 ha) Buerøya. Langeby lies adjacent to Vøra, a neighboring beach and campground. Vøra tends to get crowded during warm summer days due to tourism. It attracts summer vacationers from throughout Norway during warm summer months. The archipelago of Stauper in the Tønsbergfjord, in-between

and Østerøya, is particularly popular during summer months. These islands are popular for swimming, kayaking, boating, and camping. It consists of four larger islands, four small islands, and a number of islets. Tent camping is permitted in forests, minimum 150 meters (492 ft.) from nearest settlement.

Beaches

Sandefjord's 146 km (90.7 mi.) of coastline is home to various beaches:http://www.oslofjorden.com/badesteder/kart_badeplasser_sandefjord_kommune.html * Asnes ( West Island): Campground, convenience store, public restrooms, diving boards, sloping rocks. * Flautangen ( East Island): Firepits, fishing, public restrooms. * Folehavna (West Island): Hiking trails, fishing, sloping rocks. Ruins from a German fortress built in 1941. * Fruvika (West Island): Firepits, benches, public restrooms. * Granholmen (islet): Campground, convenience store, public restrooms, pier, boat rentals, playground. * Grubesand (West Island): 100-meter beach with hiking trails, firepits, sloping rocks, picnic tables, fishing, and public restrooms. * Langeby (West Island): Campground, convenience store, fishing, boat pier, restrooms, sloping rocks, floating platform, diving boards, showers, volleyball court, soccer field, playground. * Sandtangen (

Lake): Freshwater beach with pier and floating platform. * Skjellvika (East Island): Oceanside pier, diving boards, hiking trails, floating platform, sloping rocks. * Strømbadet (city center): floating jetty for swimming in the Sandefjord Harbor. Access from Hjertnesstranda. * Tangen (West Island): Diving boards, floating platform, soccer field, playground, volleyball court, benches, toilets. * Truber and Yxnøy (East Island): Sloping rocks, public restrooms, hiking trails, picnic tables. * Vøra (West Island): Campground, convenience store, volleyball court, public restroom, playground, soccer field, floating platform. Goksjo

Additional beaches include Bogen (Nallberg), Brunstad, Kleivern, Korsvik, Kulerødvannet, Sandbånn and Rossnesodden (Melsomvik), Storevar, Stålerødvannet, Ertsvika, Strandvika, Albertstranda, Ormestadvika, Trollsvann, and Vårnes. Several islands with beaches are only accessible by boat, including Gokstadholmen, Lindholmen, Gåsø, Furuholmen, Gåsøkalven, Ravnø, Buerøya and Hellesøya. The lake

is home to beaches such as Gubbetangen and Sandtangen. In the early 1940s, the city, under the leadership of mayor Frithjof Holtedahl, acquired the beaches Asnes on Vesterøya and Skjellvika on Østerøya. Mayor Holtedahl was also instrumental in acquiring the beach Vøra in 1943.

Nature preserves

The early 1980s saw the establishment of several nature preserves in Sandefjord, including at Fokserød, Strandvika,

Hemskilen Hemskilen is a plant and wildlife preserve with a wetland area known for its unique vegetation and fauna. It is located near the island Storøya on the Sandefjord-Larvik border in Vestfold County. Hemskilen is, at 335 decares (83 acres), one of th ...

, and Vøra. Sandefjord is home to 16

s as of 2017: * Dalaåsen ( beech forest) * Flisefyr-Hidalen (forest) * Storås and Spirås (forest) * Veggermyra og Nordre Skarsholttjønn (marsh) * Langø and Bokemoa (

protected landscape Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although t ...

) * Robergvannet (

wetland A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...

) * Melsom (plant- and wildlife preserve) * Napperødtjern (

riparian forest A riparian forest or riparian woodland is a forested or wooded area of land adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, pond, lake, marshland, estuary, canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered chann ...

) * Fokserød (beech forest) * Holtan (plant preserve) * Strandvika (riparian forest) *

(wetland) * Vøra (geological area) * Akersvannet (marsh)

Public parks

Public parks in Sandefjord include: Badeparken_Sandefjord_2

* Bugårdsparken ("the Bugårds Park"), 60-acre park that is home to Storstadion, a 20-acre

, public pools, ice-skating rink, and a sports facilities. * Byparken ("the Town Park"), built after the town fire of 1900. Home of the statue ''Mother and Child'' by Arne Durban. The decision to establish a city park was made by the city council on June 28, 1901. In 1906, enough funds had been received to secure the land. The park has a cubic stone pedestal gifted to the city in May 1995 from Sandefjord Rotary. On this pedestal is where the “sculpture of the month” has been placed every month since 1995. * Badeparken ("the bathing park"), 15-acre city park with fitness trail, an amphitheater, and playground, adjacent to Scandic Park Hotel and Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center ** Poseidon Sculpture Park, sculpture park by Nina Sundbye established in 1995 * Andebuparken, park in the center of Andebu * Sandefjord Hundepark (Sandefjord Dog Park), dog park near Sandefjord Upper Secondary School managed by Sandefjord hundeklubb * Midtåsen Sculpture Park, 15-acre park at Anders Jahre's former villa, sculptures and views of the Sandefjordsfjord. The park was dedicated to artist Knut Steen. * Hjertnesstranda ("the Hjertnes Beach"), park at the harbor-front with barbecue grills, sand volleyball fields, benches, public toilets. ** Sandefjord Skatepark * Kirkeparken ("the church park"), park immediately west of Sandefjord Church. * Preståsen, park and recreation area situated on a 44-meter (144 ft.) high hill overlooking the city. Preståsen has various hiking trails, benches, a playground, barbecue sites, a water fountain, and Brydedammen, which is a large pond. It has two access points from Bjerggata in the city center.

Notable residents

Business & Public Service

* Christen Christensen (1845–1923) a Norwegian shipyard and ship-owner * Johan Bryde (1858–1925) a ship owner and whaler, set up a whaling station in South Africa *

(1860–1924) an Antarctic explorer, set up the Antarctic whaling industry and the settlement at Grytviken on South Georgia * Olaf Alfred Hoffstad (1865–1943) botanist, school principal and Mayor of Sandefjord, 1911/1934 *

Christian Theodore Pedersen Christian Theodore Pedersen (23 December 1876 – 20 June 1969) was a Norwegian-American seaman, whaling captain and fur trader active in Alaska, Canada, and the northern Pacific from the 1890s to the 1930s. He was called "one of the canniest old sk ...

(1876–1969),

Norwegian American Norwegian Americans ( nb, Norskamerikanere, nn, Norskamerikanarar) are Americans with ancestral roots in Norway. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the latter half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the ...

seaman,

captain and fur trader in

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

, Canada and the northern Pacific *

(1884–1965) a Norwegian shipowner and whaling magnate * Ole Aanderud Larsen (1884–1964), ship designer, co-founder of the paint company Jotun * Ingrid Christensen (1891–1976) polar explorer, first woman to set foot on

* Anders Jahre (1891–1982) shipping magnate * Odd Gleditsch, Sr. (1895–1990), business entrepreneur, co-founder of the paint company Jotun * Theodore Theodorsen (1897–1978), Norwegian American theoretical

aerodynamicist Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...

* Anton Fredrik Klaveness (1903–1981) a Norwegian equestrian and ship-owner * Karenanne Gussgard (born 1940) retired justice of the

Supreme Court of Norway The Supreme Court of Norway ( Norwegian Bokmål: ''(Norges) Høyesterett''; Norwegian Nynorsk: ''(Noregs) Høgsterett''; lit. ‘Highest Court’) was established in 1815 on the basis of section 88 in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Norway, w ...

1990/2010 * Bjørn Ole Gleditsch (born 1963) heir to paint co. Jotun; Mayor of Sandefjord since 2003 * Marie Benedicte Bjørnland (born 1965) head,

Norwegian Police Security Service The Norwegian Police Security Service (, ) is the police security agency of Norway. The agency was previously known as ''POT'' (' or Police Surveillance Agency), the name change was decided by the Parliament of Norway on 2 June 2001. History a ...

2012/2019 * Frederic Hauge (born 1965) environmental activist, founded and runs

Bellona Foundation The Bellona Foundation is an international environmental NGO headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with branches in Europe and North America. Founded in 1986 by Frederic Hauge and Rune Haaland as a direct action protest group to curb Norway's oil and ...

The Arts

* Ole Windingstad (1886–1959) a Norwegian conductor, pianist and composer * Eline Nygaard Riisnæs (1913–2011) a pianist and musicologist at UiO * Teddy Nelson (1939–1992) country music singer, sang with

Skeeter Davis Skeeter Davis (born Mary Frances Penick; December 30, 1931September 19, 2004) was an American country music singer and songwriter who sang crossover pop music songs including 1962's " The End of the World". She started out as part of the Davis S ...

* Dag Solstad (born 1941) a Norwegian novelist, short-story writer and dramatist * Lorene Yarnell (1944–2010) a dancer and actress, one of an American mime duo * Karin Fossum (born 1954) a Norwegian author of crime fiction; the ''"Norwegian queen of crime"'' * Bent Hamer (born 1956) a film director, writer and producer * Nils Mathisen (born 1959) keyboards, violin, guitar and bass and composer, *

Anita Hegerland Anita Hegerland (born 3 March 1961 in Sandefjord) is Norway's biggest selling solo artist.Bergan, Jon Vidar (December 30, 2019). “Anita Hegerland”. Great Norwegian Encyclopedia. Retrieved on August 26, 2021, from https://snl.no/Anita_Hegerl ...

(born 1961) singer * Finn Gjerdrum (born 1961) a Norwegian film producer * Ole Mathisen (born 1965) saxophone and clarinet and composer *

Hans Mathisen Hans Mathisen (born 27 July 1967 in Sandefjord, Norway) is a Norwegian Jazz guitarist, educated on the Jazzprogram at Trondheim musikkonservatorium (1988–90), well known for his Pat Metheny and Wes Montgomery inspired performances. He is th ...

(born 1967) guitarist *

Petter Wettre Petter Wettre (born 11 August 1967) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (Saxophone) and composer, known from a number of album recordings, accompanied by receiving the Spellemannprisen two times. Career Wettre was born and raised in Sandefjord. ...

(born 1967) a jazz musician (Saxophone) and composer * Per Mathisen (born 1969) bassist and composer * Thomas Numme (born 1970) television host *

Espen Sandberg Espen Sandberg (born 2 June 1971) is a Norwegian film director and advertising producer, well known to work with his childhood friend and director Joachim Rønning on several projects such as ''Bandidas'' (2006), '' Max Manus: Man of War'' (2008 ...

(born 1971) a Norwegian film director and advertising producer * Joachim Rønning (born 1972) film director * Ina Wroldsen (born 1984) a Norwegian singer and songwriter *

Per Fredrik Åsly Per Fredrik Åsly, better known as PelleK (born 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 ...

(born 1986) known as ''PelleK'' an actor, composer, singer and YouTuber * Tor Eckhoff (1964-2021) an adventurer and

YouTuber A YouTuber is an online personality and/or influencer who produces videos on the video-sharing platform YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006. Influence Influe ...

* Lukas Zabulionis (born 1992) a saxophonist and composer, lives in Sandefjord

Sport

* Thorbjørn Svenssen (1924–2011) footballer with a then record of 104 caps for

* Solfrid Johansen (born 1956) sport rower, came 4th & 5th at

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the sec ...

* Erik Bjørkum (born 1965) a sailor and team silver medallist at the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

Ronny Johnsen Jean Ronny Johnsen (born 10 June 1969) is a Norwegian former footballer who played as a centre-back or defensive midfielder. Johnsen played club football in Norway, Turkey, and England for Sem, Stokke, Eik-Tønsberg, Lyn, Lillestrøm, Beşikt ...

(born 1969), footballer with 384 club caps and 62 for

* Morten Fevang (born 1975) a football midfielder with 400 club caps * Geir Ludvig Fevang (born 1980) a retired football midfielder with 390 club caps

In popular culture

Johnny Depp in Queensland, Australia (June 2015)

* Both directors of '' Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'' (2017), Joachim Rønning and

, are from Sandefjord. * '' Hodet over vannet'' (1993) was filmed at Yxney on Østerøya in Sandefjord. The 1996-remake is starring

Cameron Diaz Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. With a variety of works in film, she is widely recognised for her work in romantic comedies and animation. Diaz has received various accolades, including nominations for ...

. * '' Deadline Torp'' (2005), Norwegian film based on the 1994 Torp hostage crisis. It was directed by Nils Gaup and written by Jo Nesbø. * An episode, "Power Junkies" (season 1), of '' Outrageous Acts of Science'' (2012) was partly shot in Sandefjord. * Episode #5.26 of the British TV series ''

Coach Trip ''Coach Trip'' is a British reality game show originally broadcast on Channel 4 from 7 March 2005 to 30 June 2006. The programme returned after a three-year break, from 25 May 2009 to 9 March 2012. In early 2013, the show went into hiatus agai ...

'' (2010) was shot in Sandefjord. * '' Den starkaste'' (1929), Swedish silent film partly shot in Sandefjord. * '' Valfångare'' (1939), Swedish movie filmed in Sandefjord. It was directed by

Anders Henrikson Anders Henrik Henrikson (13 June 1896 – 17 October 1965) was a Swedish actor and film director. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1913 and 1965. He also directed 30 films between 1933 and 1956. Selected filmography Actor * '' The ...

and

Tancred Ibsen Tancred Ibsen (11 July 1893 – 4 December 1978) was a Norwegian military officer, aviator, film director and screenwriter. Background Ibsen was the son of Sigurd Ibsen and Bergljot Bjørnson. He was the grandson of both Henrik Ibsen and No ...

. * Music video for "Belinda" (2021) by

Marcus & Martinus Marcus & Martinus (both born in Elverum, Norway 21 February 2002), occasionally known as M&M, are Norwegian dance-pop duo consisting of monozygotic twin brothers Marcus and Martinus Gunnarsen. They have released three albums: '' Hei'', '' Toge ...

was shot at Sandefjord Airport * " Sang til Sandefjord", song played daily by Sandefjord Church * Music video for "The Cabin" (2013) by

Ylvis Ylvis () are a Norwegian comedy duo consisting of brothers Vegard and Bård Ylvisåker. They debuted as professional variety artists in 2000 and have since appeared in several countries in variety shows, comedy concerts, television shows, radio ...

was shot in Andebu, Sandefjord. * Music video for "Hvalfangsmuseet" (2011) by Bare Egil Band was shot in Sandefjord. * ''The Machinery'' (2020–),

Viaplay Viaplay is a streaming service owned by Viaplay Group which is based in Stockholm. History Originally owned by Modern Times Group, it was launched in May 2007 as Viasat On Demand. It was rebranded as Viaplay in 2011. Viaplay released its fir ...

TV show featuring

Kristoffer Joner Kristoffer Joner (born 19 September 1972) is a Norwegian actor. He is best known for his roles in '' Villmark'' and ''The Man Who Loved Yngve''. He was a part of Rogaland Teater when he was 14 years of age until his early 20s. He was one of the f ...

. It is based in and filmed in Sandefjord. Filming began in Sandefjord in 2019. The city is mentioned in a number of songs, including " Ola var fra Sandefjord" (by Einar Rose, later recorded by the Johnny Band and others), "" (

), "En sang om en sjømann" (

Lillebjørn Nilsen Bjørn "Lillebjørn" Falk Nilsen (born 21 December 1950) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and folk musician. He was born in Oslo, and is considered by some to be the leading "voice of Oslo", thanks to numerous classic songs about the city from th ...

), "Oasen 2014" (

Tix Andreas Andresen Haukeland (born 12 April 1993), better known as Tix (stylized as TIX), is a Norwegian singer. He represented Norway at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 with the song "Fallen Angel". He has Tourette syndrome, a condition charact ...

), "Medvind" ( Erik og Kriss), "Vanvittig Utopi II" ( Gatas Parlament), "Så Det På TV" ( Postgirobygget), and "Helt om natten, helt om dagen" ( Lars Vaular).

Fauna

Wildlife includes the Mountain hare,

European badger The European badger (''Meles meles''), also known as the Eurasian badger, is a badger species in the family Mustelidae native to almost all of Europe. It is classified as least concern on the IUCN Red List as it has a wide range and a large stab ...

European beaver The Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber'') or European beaver is a beaver species that was once widespread in Eurasia, but was hunted to near-extinction for both its fur and castoreum. At the turn of the 20th century, only about 1,200 beavers survi ...

Roe deer The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...

Red deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of we ...

Moose The moose (in North America) or elk (in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is a member of the New World deer subfamily and is the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is the largest and heaviest extant species in the deer family. Most adult ma ...

, Red fox,

European hedgehog The European hedgehog (''Erinaceus europaeus''), also known as the West European hedgehog or common hedgehog, is a hedgehog species native to Europe from Iberia and Italy northwards into Scandinavia and westwards into the British Isles.Harris, S ...

European pine marten The European pine marten (''Martes martes''), also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and parts of Iran, Iraq and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. ...

, and

Norway lemming The Norway lemming, also known as the Norwegian lemming (''Lemmus lemmus'') is a common species of lemming found in northern Fennoscandia, where it is the only vertebrate species endemic to the region. The Norway lemming dwells in tundra and fell ...

. More rare but occasionally encountered are the Gray wolf,

Eurasian lynx The Eurasian lynx (''Lynx lynx'') is a medium-sized wild cat widely distributed from Northern, Central and Eastern Europe to Central Asia and Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas. It inhabits temperate and boreal forests up to an eleva ...

Wolverine The wolverine (), (''Gulo gulo''; ''Gulo'' is Latin for " glutton"), also referred to as the glutton, carcajou, or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscul ...

and

Brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is ...

. Wolves are extremely rare in Sandefjord, although they have been observed on numerous occasions. A wolf shot in neighboring Lardal in 2013 was the first wolf killed in

County in over 100 years. Common European Viper is the only venomous snake found in Norway. There are an additional two non-venomous snake species found in Vestfold County: European grass snake and European smooth snake. The

Slowworm The slow worm (''Anguis fragilis'') is a reptile native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, a slowworm, a blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. These legless lizards are also sometimes called common slowworms. T ...

is considered a lizard.Larsen, Erlend (2011). ''På Tur i Vestfold del 2''. E-forlag. p. 22. .

Gallery

Haukerød Skolekorps 2016.jpg, 17 May parade, 2016 Tønsberg tønne.jpg, Tønsberg Barrel at the southern tip of Østerøya Joachim Frich Sandefjord.jpg, Sandefjord in 1848, painting Sandefjord kirke1.JPG, Sandefjord Church Sandefjord innseiling IMG 6023.jpg, Seaside entry to Sandefjord Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution (1891) (17813080994).jpg, Gokstad Mound GransBryggeri2.jpg, Grans Brewery Sandefjord - building 10.jpg, Typical house in Bjerggata Sandefjord_Næringsforening.jpg, Sandefjord, spring 2019 Sandefjord Hotel Atlantic.jpg, Clarion Collection Hotel Atlantic SandefjordVGS1.jpg, Sandefjord High School is Norway's largest. Sandefjord, Norway - panoramio (3).jpg, City Park (Byparken)

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from Statistics Norway
Sandefjord Municipality website
* *
Whaling Museum

Sandefjord Public Library

The local history society "Gamle Sandefjord" – "Old Sandefjord"

A local history society dedicated to the erstwhile municipality of Sandar – Sandar Historielag i Sandefjord

A biographical dictionary of the population of the town of Sandefjord in 1801
in Norwegian
A blog-format collection of potted biographies of people in Sandefjord who turn up in the sources as of 1762 as well as occasional articles based on that material, mostly in Norwegian
{{Authority control Municipalities of Vestfold og Telemark Populated places in Vestfold og Telemark Cities and towns in Norway