is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

and

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 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 ...

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 A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

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 ...

—located along 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 ...

. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the town of

Åsgårdstrand Åsgårdstrand is a small port town in Horten municipality, Vestfold, Norway. It is also the name of a former independent municipality and a center of trade. The town is situated 10 km south of Horten, 10 km north of Tønsberg and 100&nbs ...

and the villages of Borre,

Skoppum Skoppum is a village in the municipality of Horten, Norway. Its population (2005) is 1,633. Skoppum Station on the Vestfold Line The Vestfold Line ( no, Vestfoldbanen) is a railway line which runs between Drammen and Eidanger in Norway. The l ...

, and

Nykirke Nykirke is a village in the municipality of Horten, Norway, located near the E18. Its population as of 2005 is 662. It has its own church, which is more than 800 years old. Famous people *Jørgen Jalland – footballer *Olaf Tufte Olaf ...

. The town of Horten was separated from the municipality of Borre to become a municipality of its own in 1858. The neighboring municipalities of Borre and Horten were merged back together on 1 January 1988. The name of the new united municipality was first ''Borre'', but after a

referendum A referendum (plural: referendums or less commonly referenda) is a direct vote by the electorate on a proposal, law, or political issue. This is in contrast to an issue being voted on by a representative. This may result in the adoption of a ...

it was changed to ''Horten'' on 1 June 2002. The local

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

in Horten is named

Gjengangeren ''Gjengangeren'' is a local newspaper published in Horten, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmos ...

, and covers mostly local news. It is also available online (see external links section). Borre National Park contains the largest known burial site in

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

. It also has the largest collection of king's graves in Scandinavia.

General information

The nearest train station in Horten is

. Skoppum is 1 hour and 10 minutes by train from Oslo Central Station. By car Horten is reached by following

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 ...

south, and is approx. from Oslo. The nearest airport is

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 is located about 30 minutes by train south of Skoppum.

Name

The town is named after the old Horten farm (called "Hortan" in 1552), since it is built on the same ground. The name seems to be the definite form of ''hort'' m 'bulge' (but here in a weak form, Norse ''*horti''). Several hills and mountains in Norway have the name ''Horten'' (or ''Horta'', femininum), and here it could be referring to the hill Brårudåsen lying in the middle of the town.

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 ...

is from relatively modern times. They were granted on 19 November 1907. The arms were granted when Horten received

city status City status is a symbolic and legal designation given by a national or subnational government. A municipality may receive city status because it already has the qualities of a city, or because it has some special purpose. Historically, city status ...

. The arms use the old "English"-style of shield that is

divided Division is one of the four basic operations of arithmetic, the ways that numbers are combined to make new numbers. The other operations are addition, subtraction, and multiplication. At an elementary level the division of two natural numb ...

diagonally in a "party per bend" style with a

mural crown A mural crown ( la, corona muralis) is a crown or headpiece representing city walls, towers, or fortresses. In classical antiquity, it was an emblem of tutelary deities who watched over a city, and among the Romans a military decoration. Later ...

on top signifying its city status. The lower part of the arms show the importance of the city as a naval

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

. The upper part shows a

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

as a symbol for the nature around the city.

Geography

Horten is a city and municipality 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 ...

in Vestfold County. It borders with

in the south, and to Re in both the west and north. Neighboring 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 ...

in the south and the much smaller

Holmestrand is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Holmestrand. The town was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). T ...

in the north. About half of the municipality's total area is made up of forests, while slightly less than a third is agricultural land. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Horten. Smaller towns include Åsgårdstrand,

, and

Nature preserves

Nature preserves include Vealøs, Adalstjern, Frebergsvik and Falkensten. Additional nature preserves are found by Borrevannet, Løvøya,

Bastøy Bastøy is an unpopulated island in Horten municipality, Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost p ...

, and in the village of

. Falkenstendammen is a

wildlife 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 or ...

, home to various nationally threatened species. Reverompa Plant Reserve was established in 2006 due to presence of the nationally endangered crested cow-wheat. Tordenskjoldeika is a protected 700-year-old

oak tree An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

by the harbor.

Demographics

Besides the city of Horten proper with a 2016 population of 20,301, the municipality is also home to three villages: The Horten part of

(2016 pop. 2,953),

(1,692), and

(715). The population growth in the municipality is lower than the county average; Horten had a population growth of 13.2% in 2000–2015, while Vestfold County had a population growth of 14.0%. Horten is one of Norway's most densest municipalities with a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

of 384/km² as of 2015.

Economy

Horten's employment sector is made up of

industry Industry may refer to: Economics * Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity * Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery * The wider industrial sector ...

(21.7% as of 2014), health- and social services (18.1%), education (12.1%), and commerce and auto-repair (12.7%). The

Royal Norwegian Navy The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, ...

was traditionally an important industry, but the city experienced an economic change when the Navy moved its main base to

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 ...

, and Horten Verft went bankrupt in 1987. Currently, one of the most important industries is electrical engineering, represented by companies such as ''

Kongsberg Maritime Kongsberg Maritime (KM) is a Norwegian technology enterprise within the Kongsberg Gruppen (KOG). Kongsberg Maritime deliver systems for positioning, surveying, navigation, and automation to merchant vessels and offshore installations. Their most ...

'', ''Kongsberg Norcontrol'', ''Simrad Horten'', ''GE Vingmed Ultrasound'', and others.

Culture

has been a vacation and bathing destination since 1920. It had already become an artists' colony by then, attracting painters such as Edvard Munch and Fritz Thaulow. Edvard Munch spent a total of seven summers at his vacation home in Åsgårdstrand, known as ''Munchs Lille Hus'' ("Munch's Little House"). The house is now a museum, located on Munch's Street (''Munchsgate 25'').

Borre mounds

''Borrehaugene'' (from Borre, the name of a local village and haugene from the old Norse Word ''haugr'' meaning mound) was the first national park to be founded in Norway. Borre National Park is situated between Horten and

. The site provides important historical knowledge, and can be seen as evidence that there was a center of power here in 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 ...

. The excavations also uncovered an unusually good selection of craft work, much of which is on display in

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 ...

at the Viking Ship Museum. This style has become known as "Borre style" and is, today, known for its animal and knot ornaments, which were often used for decorating harnesses. The finds also confirm that there was a Viking ship buried at Borrehaugene. The Borre mound cemetery at Borre National Park contains

graves A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...

of kings dating back to the Migration Period. The park covers and has the largest collection of kings' graves in

. These burial mounds may represent North Europe's most extensive collection of graves of the old Scandinavian

Yngling The Ynglings were a dynasty of kings, first in Sweden and later in Norway, primarily attested through the poem ''Ynglingatal''. The dynasty also appears as Scylfings (Old Norse ''Skilfingar'') in '' Beowulf''. When ''Beowulf'' and ''Ynglingatal'' ...

dynasty. From 1989 to 1991, new excavations were undertaken both in and around the national park.

Transportation

The ferry Bastø V leaving Moss, Norway 05

Being located out on a peninsula, most major transportation arteries go to the west of Horten, and secondary roads connect the city to these routes. The Moss–Horten Ferry (also known as the Bastø Ferry) crosses the

, connecting to Moss in

Østfold Østfold is a traditional region, a former county and a current electoral district in southeastern Norway. It borders Akershus and southwestern Sweden (Västra Götaland County and Värmland), while Buskerud and Vestfold are on the other side ...

. The ferry departs 1–4 times per hour, and the journey takes about 30 minutes. The ferry transports annually about 1.8 million vehicles and 3.5 million passengers. The railway line

Vestfoldbanen The Vestfold Line ( no, Vestfoldbanen) is a railway line which runs between Drammen and Eidanger in Norway. The line connects to the Drammen Line at the northern terminus at Drammen Station and continues as the Bratsberg Line past Skien Stati ...

passes through the Horten municipality, but not through the main city center.

Skoppum Station Skoppum Station ( no, Skoppum stasjon) is a railway station on the Vestfold Line in the village of Skoppum, in Horten, Norway. Situated from Oslo Central Station, it serves an hourly regional service operated by Vy. The station has two platfor ...

is located southwest of the downtown, although several commuters prefer to use

Holmestrand Station The new Holmestrand Station is a railway station on the Vestfold Line located in the town of Holmestrand in Vestfold, Norway, that opened for traffic on 28 November 2016. It is located inside the tunnel Holmestrandsporten. In October 2016, the ...

due to better road access.

Sports

Horten has several football clubs. The most successful and well known is

FK Ørn-Horten FK or fk may refer to: In arts and entertainment: * Flyer Killer, fictional automated robots in the ''Terminator'' film franchise. * Fox Kids, a former American children's television programming block. * Funky Kong, a video game character. Place ...

, which currently plays in the Norwegian 2nd Division. Another Horten team, Falk, plays 3rd division, while Borre and Holtankammeratene plays further down in the leagues.

Education

Close to Horten is the University College '' Høgskolen i Buskerud og Vestfold'', commonly referred to as ''Bakkenteigen'', which offers a wide range of subjects from sociology, history and language thru mathematics, nature science and maritime studies. Bakkenteigen has over 4,000 students and aims to be a resource for research and development in the region.

Sites of interest

* Borre National Park, the first national park in Norway. It is home to Northern Europe's largest collection of royal grave mounds, and it is the largest grave mound site in Northern Europe. * Marinemuseet, the

Royal Norwegian Navy Museum The Royal Norwegian Navy Museum (Norwegian: ''Marinemuseet'') is a museum documenting the history of the Royal Norwegian Navy. It is located at the former main naval base of Karljohansvern in Horten. The museum was founded by C.F. Klinck on 24 Au ...

, is the oldest existing museum of its kind in the world, founded in 1853. At the Royal Norwegian Navy Museum you can find many ships, including , the world's first

torpedo boat A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of ...

from 1873. * Preus Fotomuseum, The Norwegian Museum of

Photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employe ...

, is a unique museum located in the same building as the naval museum. * The Naval Base - Horten has a

naval base A naval base, navy base, or military port is a military base, where warships and naval ships are docked when they have no mission at sea or need to restock. Ships may also undergo repairs. Some naval bases are temporary homes to aircraft that u ...

named

Karljohansvern Karjohansvern (''Karljohansvern Orlogsstasjon, KJV'') at Horten was the main base for the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1850 to 1963. Background In 1818, it was decided to establish a naval base in Horten. It was first called ''Hortens verft'', an ...

. Activity there in the recent years have been decreasing and parts of the area have now been opened to the public, including some nice

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc sh ...

es. Both the museum of photography and the navy museum are located close to the naval base. *The ''

Band'' is a

military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the ti ...

ranked among the best in Europe has its home base in Karljohansvern in Horten. * ''Horten Bilmuseum'', the

classic car A classic car is an older car, typically 25 years or older, though definitions vary.While other languages, such as German and Dutch, may refer to classic cars as "oldtimers", this usage is unknown in English, where "old-timer" refers to an elder ...

museum, houses a variety of classic cars ranging from 1900 to the 1970s. One of Norway's largest

model railway Railway modelling (UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland) or model railroading (US and Canada) is a hobby in which rail transport systems are modelled at a reduced scale. The scale models include locomotives, rolling stock, streetcars, t ...

s is also on display in the museum. It is open every day during summer, Sundays only from the middle of August to the middle of June. * '' Borre Golfbane'' is a

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". ...

has hosted two

Challenge Tour The Challenge Tour is the second-tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and, as with on the main European Tour and the European Senior Tour, some of the events are played outside Europe. History T ...

events (1994 and 1998) and was in 2005 extended to 27 holes of full length (par 72 + par 36). The first Challenge Tour event in 1994 was the first professional golf tournament on Norwegian soil. The 18-hole course runs along lake Borrevannet and some of the holes have views over the lake. * ''Lake Borrevannet'' is home to a national

bird sanctuary An animal sanctuary is a facility where animals are brought to live and to be protected for the rest of their lives. Pattrice Jones, co-founder of VINE Sanctuary defines an animal sanctuary as "a safe-enough place or relationship within the cont ...

where 255 different bird species have been observed (2003 numbers). 110 species have been confirmed using the lake as their nesting place. * ''L'Esprit d' Edvard Munch'' is the northernmost

vineyard A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineya ...

of the world, operating in Horten. * ''

'', in the southern part of the municipality, is a sight of its own. It is a small, white-painted ocean town that is best known for its great painters (like the aforementioned Edvard Munch) and its beaches.

Notable residents

Public Service

* Mathias Sigwardt (1770 in Borre – 1840) priest and Bishop of Christianssand * Christian Torber Hegge Geelmuyden (1816–1885) naval officer & Mayor of Horten 1857/1864 * Francis Hagerup (1853–1921) a Norwegian law professor, diplomat &

Prime Minister of Norway The prime minister of Norway ( no, statsminister, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government department ...

from 1895 to 1898 and from 1903 to 1905; grew up in Horten *

Kristine Munch Kristine Munch (10 July 1873 – 11 October 1959) was a Norwegian physician. She was among the first female physicians in Norway. She was born in Horten as a daughter of priest Johan Storm Munch (1827–1908) and Kaja Michaeline Falch (1830–18 ...

(1873 in Horten – 1959) an early female Norwegian physician *

Thorstein H. H. Thoresen Thorstein Hartvig Haugen Thoresen (December 9, 1885 – April 17, 1956) was a Norwegian-American lawyer and politician in the state of North Dakota. He served as the 18th Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota from 1937 to 1939 under Governor William ...

(1885 in Horten – 1956)

Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota The lieutenant governor of North Dakota is a political office in North Dakota. The lieutenant governor's duty is to preside as President of the Senate, and is responsible for legislative relations, the state budget and agribusiness development. ...

* Jan B. Jansen (1898 in Horton – 1984) physician, anatomist and brain researcher; in the WWII

Norwegian resistance The Norwegian resistance (Norwegian: ''Motstandsbevegelsen'') to the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany began after Operation Weserübung in 1940 and ended in 1945. It took several forms: *Asserting the legitimacy of the exiled government, ...

* Finn Ronne (1899 in Horten – 1980) a U.S. citizen and Antarctic explorer * Arne Skaug (1906 in Horten – 1974) an economist, civil servant, diplomat and politician *

Gunnar Syverstad Gunnar Bryde Syverstad, BEM (6 February 1910 – 11 March 1945) was a Norwegian resistance member. He is known for his assistance in the Norwegian heavy water sabotage.Norwegian heavy water sabotage The Norwegian heavy water sabotage ( nb, Tungtvannsaksjonen; nn, Tungtvassaksjonen) was a series of Allied-led efforts to halt German heavy water production via hydroelectric plants in Nazi Germany-occupied Norway during World War II, involvi ...

Grethe Rytter Hasle Grethe Berit Rytter Hasle (3 January 1920 – 9 November 2013) was a Norwegian planktologist. Among the first female professors of natural science at the University of Oslo, she specialized in the study of phytoplankton. Personal life Hasle was ...

(1920 in Borre – 2013) was a Norwegian planktologist *

Arnoldus Schytte Blix Arnoldus Schytte Blix (born 4 October 1946) is a Norwegian zoologist and Arctic explorer. He was born in Borre to farmer Erik Gerhard Schytte Blix and nurse Marie Helle. Schytte Blix was appointed professor at the University of Tromsø from 198 ...

(born 1946 in Borre) a Norwegian zoologist and Arctic explorer * Nils Henning Hontvedt (born 1952) a politician, Mayor of Horten from 2001 to 2011

The Arts

Lagertha Broch Lagertha Olea Sofie Broch (27 January 18642 May 1952) was a Norwegian illustrator, children's writer and proponent for women's rights. Personal life Broch was born in Horten, a daughter of merchant and brewery owner Johan Anthony Zincke Broch a ...

(1864 in Horten – 1952) an illustrator, children's writer and proponent for women's rights * William Ivarson (1867 in Horton – 1934) a Norwegian theatre actor * Eidé Norena (1884 in Horten – 1968) a Norwegian soprano and actress * Per Krohg (1889 in Åsgårdstrand – 1965) artist of the mural for the

UN Security Council The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...

* Bjorn Egeli (1900 in Horten – 1984) an American portrait painter and maritime artist * Paul Lorck Eidem (1909 in Horten – 1992) a writer and illustrator, grew up on

Astrid Hjertenæs Andersen Astrid Hjertenæs Andersen (5 September 1915 – 21 April 1985) was a Norwegian poet and travel-writer. She is a recipient of the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature (''Kritikerprisen''), Riksmål Society Literature Prize (''Riksmålsprisen''), D ...

(1915 in Horten – 1985) a Norwegian poet and travel-writer *

Eva Gustavson Eva Gustavson (18 February 1917 – 10 February 2009), sometimes known as Eva Gustafson, was a Norwegian-American contralto who had an active international performance career in operas and concerts during the 1940s and 1950s. She later embarked on ...

(1917 at Oslofjord — 2009) a Norwegian-American contralto in operas *

Leif Preus Leif Preus (18 February 1928 – 5 May 2013) was a Norwegian photographer and museum founder. He was born in Horten as a son of Sverre Preus (1897–1988) and Marian Christoffersen (1901–1972). He was married from 1951. After eight years in th ...

(1928 in Horten – 2013) a photographer, founded the

Preus Museum Preus Museum is the national museum for photography located in Horten, Norway. Preus Museum was founded in 1976 by Leif Preus and the members of the Preus family as a private museum. The collection was acquired by the Norwegian government in 19 ...

in 1976 * Joachim Calmeyer (1931 in Horten – 2016) a Norwegian actor, grew up in Horten *

Sigurd Jansen Sigurd Jansen (born 4 March 1932) is a Norwegian composer, pianist and conductor. Biography Sigurd Alf Jansen was born in Horten, in Vestfold county, Norway. He studied classical music at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. He was a teacher o ...

(born 1932 in Horten) a Norwegian composer, pianist and conductor *

Vidar Lønn-Arnesen Vidar Lønn-Arnesen (born 22 June 1940) is a Norwegian singer, radio presenter and television presenter. He was born in Lardal and grew up in Horten. He started his career as a local entertainer and pirate radio personality in the 1950s. From 1960 ...

(born 1940 in Horten) Norwegian singer, radio and TV presenter *

Grethe Kausland Grethe Kausland (July 3, 1947 – November 16, 2007) was a Norwegian singer, performer and actress. As a child star she was one of Norway's most popular singers (her debut single “Teddyen min” from 1955, sold more than 100,000 recordsJan ...

(1947 in Horten – 2007) a Norwegian singer, performer and actress *

Geir Langslet Geir Langslet (born 9 October 1956 in Horten, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz pianist and band leader raised in Fredrikstad. Career Langslet is a graduate of the Berklee College of Music. He was a member of the band LAVA for 20 years, and partic ...

(born 1956 in Horten) a Norwegian jazz pianist and band leader * Marie Ulven Ringheim (born 1999 in Horten) known as ''

Girl in Red Marie Ulven Ringheim (born 16 February 1999) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer, known for her indie pop project Girl in Red (stylized as girl in red). Her early EPs ''Chapter 1'' (2018) and ''Chapter 2'' (2019) were recorded ...

'', an indie pop singer-songwriter

Sport

Herman Smith-Johannsen Herman Smith-Johannsen, Order of ...

(1875 in Horten – 1987) a supercentenarian skier, introduced cross-country skiing to Canada and North America * Gil Andersen (1879 in Horten – 1930) a Norwegian-American

racecar driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organi ...

* Harry Boye Karlsen (1920 in Horten – 1994) a footballer with 58 caps for

* Per Bredesen (born 1930) a former footballer with 276 club caps and 18 for

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

The following cities are twinned with Horten: *

Hillerød Hillerød () is a Danish town with a population of 35,357 (1 January 2022)Region Hovedstaden The Capital Region of Denmark ( da, Region Hovedstaden, ) is the easternmost administrative region of Denmark. The Capital Region has 29 municipalities and a regional council consisting of 41 elected members. As of 1 August 2021 the chairperso ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

* Karlskrona,

Blekinge County Blekinge County ( sv, Blekinge län) is a Counties of Sweden, county or ''län'' in the south of Sweden. It borders the Counties of Skåne County, Skåne, Kronoberg County, Kronoberg, Kalmar County, Kalmar and the Baltic Sea. The capital is Karl ...

, Sweden * Loviisa, Southern Finland,

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

Ólafsfjörður Ólafsfjörður () is a town in the northeast of Iceland located at the mouth of the fjord Eyjafjörður. The town is connected to Dalvík on Eyjafjörður by the 3.5 km one-lane Múli tunnel (the '' Múlagöng'') and to Siglufjörður by t ...

, Fjallabyggð,

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...