Vestfold is a traditional region, a former

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 ...

and a current electoral district in

Eastern Norway Eastern Norway ( nb, Østlandet, nn, Austlandet) is the geographical region of the south-eastern part of Norway. It consists of the counties Vestfold og Telemark, Viken, Oslo and Innlandet. Eastern Norway is by far the most populous region ...

. In 2020 the county became part of the much larger county of

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 ...

. Located on the western shore 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 ...

, it bordered the previous

Buskerud Buskerud () is a former county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Ha ...

and

Telemark Telemark is a traditional region, a former county, and a current electoral district in southern Norway. In 2020, Telemark merged with the former county of Vestfold to form the county of Vestfold og Telemark. Telemark borders the traditional ...

counties. The county administration was located in

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 ...

, Norway's oldest city, and the largest city is

Sandefjord Sandefjord () is a city and the most populous municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The municipality of Sandefjord was established on 1 January 1838. The municipality of Sandar was merged into Sandefjord on 1 January 1969. On 1 ...

. With the exception of the city-county 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 ...

, Vestfold was the smallest county in Norway by area. Vestfold was the only county in which all municipalities had declared

Bokmål Bokmål () (, ; ) is an official written standard for the Norwegian language, alongside Nynorsk. Bokmål is the preferred written standard of Norwegian for 85% to 90% of the population in Norway. Unlike, for instance, the Italian language, there ...

to be their sole official written form of the

Norwegian language Norwegian ( no, norsk, links=no ) is a North Germanic language spoken mainly in Norway, where it is an official language. Along with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a dialect continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regio ...

. Vestfold is located west of the

, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik,

and Horten; these towns run from Oslo in an almost constant belt of urban areas along the coast, ending in

Grenland Grenland is a traditional district in the county of Vestfold og Telemark, in the south-east of Norway. Located in the southeastern part of the county, Grenland is composed of the municipalities Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, and Siljan. Sometimes the ...

in neighbouring region Telemark. The river

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 ...

runs through the county. Many islands are located at the coast. Vestfold is mostly dominated by lowland and is among the best agricultural areas of Norway. Winters last about three months, while pleasant summer temperatures last from May to September, with a July average high of 17 °C (63 °F). Vestfold is traditionally known for shipping and sailing.

was formerly a headquarters for the Norwegian whaling fleet, and Horten used to be Norway's main naval port. The coastal towns of Vestfold now engage in fishing and shipbuilding. Some lumbering is carried on in the interior. The area also includes some of the best farmland in Norway. Vestfold merged with neighboring Telemark County on 1 January 2020 as part of a nationwide municipal reform. The new county name is

. Vestfold as a county is expected to be re-established by 1 January 2024, following a vote of the county council of Vestfold og Telemark on 15 February 2022 to split the newly established county into its respective counties that existed before the merger took place; Telemark and Vestfold.

Etymology

''Vestfold'' is the old name of the region which was revived in modern times. ''Fold'' was the old name of the

, and the meaning of the name ''Vestfold'' is the region west of the Fold (see also

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 ...

). Before 1919, the county was called ''Jarlsberg og Larvik Amt''. The amt was created in 1821, consisting of the two old counties of

Jarlsberg Jarlsberg was a former countship that forms a part of today's Vestfold county in Norway. The former countships of Jarlsberg and Larvik were merged into a county in 1821. Jarlsberg and Larvik's County (''Jarlsberg og Larviks amt'') were renamed ...

and Larvik. In the Viking Age, Vestfold also referred to

Eiker Eiker is a traditional district in the county of Buskerud, Norway. History Eiker consists of the municipalities of Nedre Eiker and Øvre Eiker. The area is located in the southern part of Buskerud county. Eiker is an agricultural area with a lo ...

Drammen Drammen () is a city and municipality in Viken, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and villages such as Konne ...

Kongsberg Kongsberg () is a historical mining town and municipality in Buskerud, Viken county, Norway. The city is located on the river Numedalslågen at the entrance to the valley of Numedal. Kongsberg has been a centre of silver mining, arms production ...

, Lier, now in

.Vol. XIII: ''A History Of Norway'' And ''The Passion And Miracles of the Blessed Óláfr''
Anthony Faulkes and Richard Perkins (Viking Society for Northern Research), p. 128)

Vestfold Hills The Vestfold Hills are rounded, rocky, coastal hills, in extent, on the north side of Sorsdal Glacier on the Ingrid Christensen Coast of Princess Elizabeth Land, Antarctica. The hills are subdivided by three west-trending peninsulas bounded by n ...

on Antarctica's Sørsdal Glacier is named after the county.

History

Viking history

''Vestfold'' is mentioned for the first time in a written source in 813, when Danish kings were in Vestfold to quell an uprising amongst the Fürsts . There may have been as many as six political centers in Vestfold. At that time Kaupang, which was located in

Tjølling Tjølling is a former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. Tjølling was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). Together with Brunlanes, Stavern and Hedrum, it was merged into Larvik on January 1, 1988. Tjøl ...

near Larvik, had been functioning for decades and had a chieftain.

Kaupang Kaupang was a Norse term for ''market-place'' composed of kaup- (buy) and angr (fjord, harbor), hence "buy fjord" or "buy harbor" (similar to the literal translation of Copenhagen). Today, it is generally used as a name of the first town-like m ...

, which dates from the

Viking Era 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 Ger ...

, is believed to be the first town in Norway, although

(which dates from ca. 900) is the oldest town in Norway still in existence. At Borre, there was a site for another chieftain. That site held chieftains for more than one hundred years prior to 813. The stone mounds at

Mølen Mølen in Brunlanes, Larvik is a geopark and Norway's largest beach of rolling stones. It is a part of Vestfoldraet, the terrain left behind after the end of the most recent ice age around 10,000 years ago. Mølen is one of Larvik's most popula ...

have been dated to 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 mounds at Haugar in present-day

's town centre have been dated to the Viking period. At Farmannshaugen in Sem there seems to have been activity at the time, while activity at Oseberghaugen and Gokstadhaugen dates from a few decades later. An English source from around 890 retells the voyage of Ottar (''Ottar fra Hålogaland'') "from the farthest North, along ''Norvegr'' via Kaupang and

Hedeby Hedeby (, Old Norse ''Heiðabýr'', German ''Haithabu'') was an important Danish Viking Age (8th to the 11th centuries) trading settlement near the southern end of the Jutland Peninsula, now in the Schleswig-Flensburg district of Schleswig-Holst ...

to England", where Ottar places Kaupang in the land of the Dane - ''danenes land''. Bjørn Brandlien says that "To the degree that

Harald Hårfagre Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagreModern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Norw ...

gathered a kingdom after the

Battle of Hafrsfjord The Battle of Hafrsfjord ( no, Slaget i Hafrsfjord) was a great naval battle fought in Hafrsfjord sometime between 872 and 900 that resulted in the unification of Norway, later known as the Kingdom of Norway. After the battle, the victorious Vikin ...

at the end of the 9th century - that especially is connected to Avaldsnes - it does not seem to have made such a great impression on Ottar". Kaupang is mentioned under the name of

Skiringssal Skiringssal (Old Norse ''Skíringssalr'') was the name of a Viking Age hall which stood at a site now known as Huseby, about 0.73 miles (1.2 km) south-west of Tjølling, a settlement a little over east of Larvik, in the south of the ...

(''Kaupangen i Skiringssal'') in Ottar's tales. By the 10th century, the local kings had established themselves. The king or his ombudsman resided in the old Royal Court at ''Sæheim i Sem'', today the Jarlsberg Estate (''Jarlsberg Hovedgård'') in

. The farm Haugar (from

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 ...

''haugr'' meaning hill or mound) became the seat for

Haugating Haugating was a Thing in medieval Norway. Haugating served as an assembly for the regions around Vestfold and the area west of Oslofjord. It was located at Tønsberg in Vestfold, Norway. Background Although it was not as recognized national ...

, the

Thing Thing or The Thing may refer to: Philosophy * An object * Broadly, an entity * Thing-in-itself (or ''noumenon''), the reality that underlies perceptions, a term coined by Immanuel Kant * Thing theory, a branch of critical theory that focuse ...

for Vestfold and one of Norway's most important place for the proclamation of kings. The family of

Harald Fairhair Harald Fairhair no, Harald hårfagre Modern Icelandic: ( – ) was a Norwegian king. According to traditions current in Norway and Iceland in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, he reigned from 872 to 930 and was the first King of Nor ...

, who was most likely the first king of Norway, is said to have come from this area. The Danish kings seem to have been weak in Vestfold from around the middle of the 9th century until the middle of the 10th century, but their rule was strengthened there at the end of the 10th century. The Danish kings seem to have tried to control the region until the 13th century.

Kings ruling some or all of Vestfold

Halvdan Svartes saga-Tittelfrise-Gerhard Munthe

* Erik Agnarsson *

Halfdan Hvitbeinn Halfdan Whiteshanks (Old Norse: ''Hálfdan hvítbeinn'') was a semi-historical petty king in Norway, described in the ''Ynglinga saga''. The following description is based on the account in Ynglinga saga, written in the 1220s by Snorri Sturluson. ...

(part of Vestfold) *

Eystein Halfdansson King Eystein is knocked off his ship. (''Illustration by Gerhard Munthe'') Eystein Halfdansson (Old Norse: ''Eysteinn Hálfdansson'') was the son of Halfdan Hvitbeinn of the House of Yngling according to Norse tradition. He inherited the throne of ...

Halfdan the Mild Halfdan the Mild (Old Norse: ''Hálfdan hinn mildi ok hinn matarilli'', (meaning the generous and stingy on food)) was the son of king Eystein Halfdansson, of the House of Yngling and he succeeded his father as king, according to Heimskringla. He w ...

Gudrød the Hunter Gudrød the Hunter (Old Norse: ''Guðrøðr veiðikonungr'', Norwegian: ''Gudrød Veidekonge'', literally ''Gudrod Hunter-king''; died 820 AD), also known as Gudrød the Magnificent (Old Norse: ''enn gǫfugláti'', Norwegian: ''den gjeve''), is a l ...

Halfdan the Black Halfdan the Black (Old Norse: ''Halfdanr Svarti''; fl. c. 9th century) was a king of Vestfold. He belonged to the House of Yngling and was the father of Harald Fairhair, the first king of a unified Norway. In sagas According to ''Heimskringla'' ...

, together with his brother, Olaf Gudrødsson * Ragnvald the Mountain-High, Cousin of Harold Fairhair *

* Bjørn Farmann *

Olaf Haraldsson Geirstadalf Olaf Haraldssøn Geirstadalf Digerbein (Agder, c. 877 - Tønsberg, c. 934), was a reputed son of King Harald Fairhair of Norway with Svanhild Øysteinsdatter, daughter of Øystein Jarl. Biography The saga ''Heimskringla'', written in Iceland in the ...

, brother of Bjørn *

Harald Gudrødsson Grenske Harald Grenske (10th century) was a petty king in Vestfold in Norway. Harald Grenske was the son of Gudrød Bjørnsson. Gudrød is claimed to have been grandson of Harald Fairhair and the king of Vestfold. Harald's cognomen ''Grenske'' is due to hi ...

, 976–987

Whaling

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 ...

was an important 19th century industry in coastal cities such as Larvik,

, and

, which was the world centre for the world's modern whaling industry. Not only did men from Vestfold County make up practically all the crew on the Norwegian whaling fleet, but many were also involved in the whaling industry in other nations.Tønnessen, Johan Nicolay and Arne Odd Johnsen (1982). ''The History of Modern Whaling''. University of California Press. Page 25. . As an example, the first phase of modern Australian whaling was almost entirely based on workers from Larvik. While 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 ...

was established by Sandefjordians, Larvik played a similar role for the Shetland Islands. Tønsberg initiated much of the whaling industry in

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 ...

and the

Hebrides The Hebrides (; gd, Innse Gall, ; non, Suðreyjar, "southern isles") are an archipelago off the west coast of the Scottish mainland. The islands fall into two main groups, based on their proximity to the mainland: the Inner and Outer Hebr ...

. 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 ...

, ''

Grytviken Grytviken ( ) is a settlement on South Georgia in the South Atlantic and formerly a whaling station and the largest settlement on the island. It is located at the head of King Edward Cove within the larger Cumberland East Bay, considered the b ...

'', was established by

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 on 16 November 1904. Sandefjordian

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 ...

's expeditions to

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 led to the Norwegian annexation of

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 ...

(1927) and Peter I Island (1929). A cove on Peter I Island is named Sandefjord Cove in honor of Nils Larsen's hometown. Sandefjord Harbor is now home to ''

Southern Actor ''Southern Actor'' is a former whale catcher, currently a museum ship based in Sandefjord, Norway and owned by Sandefjord Museum. It is the only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. Over 100,000 ...

'', the only whale-catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original order. The museum ship is owned by Sandefjord Whaling Museum, Europe's only museum dedicated to whaling.Philpott, Don (1991). ''Visitor's Guide: Norway''. Moorland. Page 76. . Sandefjord has been named the centre of the Modern Whaling Epoch, and has been nicknamed "the whaling capital of the world."

Geography

Vestfold was Norway's smallest county, with the exception of the city-county of

. It lies on the western shore of the

. Vestfold borders with Buskerud County in the north and with Telemark County in the west. It is bordered by

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 ...

in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...

to both the south and east. The county has a total area of and has a coastline. Vestfjellet at is the tallest peak in the county. It is also home to 1,407 islands.

Nøtterøy Nøtterøy is an island and a former municipality in the present-day municipality of Færder in Vestfold and Telemark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Borgheim. The parish of ''Nøtterø'' was esta ...

() is the largest island in Vestfold, while

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 ...

() is the second-largest island.Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (1998). ''Bli kjent med Vestfold / Become acquainted with Vestfold''. Stavanger Offset AS. Page 191. . There is a total of 634 freshwater lakes in Vestfold, with a total area of 79 square kilometers. Large lakes include Farris,

Eikeren Eikeren or Eikern is a long and deep lake in the municipalities of Hof in the county of Vestfold og Telemark and Øvre Eiker in the county of Viken, Norway. It is the largest lake in Vestfold. At the eastern end of Vestfold is the village of E ...

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 ...

, Hallevannet, Akersvannet, and others. Vestfold makes up 0.7 percent of Norway's total land area. Ten Norwegian municipalities are larger in size than Vestfold County. As an example,

Kautokeino Kautokeino ( no, Kautokeino; se, Guovdageaidnu ; fkv, Koutokeino; fi, Koutokeino) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Guovdageaidnu/Kautokeino. Other village ...

municipality in

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 ...

County is over four times larger than Vestfold County. The county of Finnmark is 22 times larger than Vestfold.

Geology

The county's soft soil is composed of varieties of moraine and sedimentary soils. The

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

left large parts of Vestfold below sea level, and the most cultivated soil can be found on the marine terraces. Marine clay and sand cover most of the lower lying country in the south-west and north. The Vestfold moraine, a continuation of the Østfold moraine at Moss, is an ice-formed formation which stretches as a cohesive gravel ridge through the county, from Horten in the east to

in the south.

Preserved areas

Færder National Park Færder National Park ( no, Færder nasjonalpark) is a national park in Nøtterøy and Tjøme in Vestfold, Norway. It is mostly a marine park, and includes some islands and coastal areas. To the east, the national park borders to the Ytre Hvaler ...

was the county's first national park when the decision was formalized by

King Harald V Harald V ( no, Harald den femte, ; born 21 February 1937) is King of Norway. He acceded to the throne on 17 January 1991. Harald was the third child and only son of King Olav V of Norway and Princess Märtha of Sweden. He was second in the lin ...

on 23 August 2013. The visitor center is at World's End, and was officially opened by

Queen Sonja Sonja (born Sonja Haraldsen on 4 July 1937) is Queen of Norway since 17 January 1991 as the wife of King Harald V. Sonja and the then Crown Prince Harald had dated for nine years prior to their marriage in 1968. They had kept their relation ...

on 26 June 2015. The national park lies in

- and

municipalities, and is made up of of ocean and of land. It stretches from Ormøy in the north to

Færder Lighthouse Færder Lighthouse ( no, Færder fyr) is a coastal lighthouse in the municipality of Færder in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway. The lighthouse is located on the archipelago Tristein, three small islands in the outer Oslofjord. It was first lit in 18 ...

in the south. It is one of two marine national parks in Norway, and is made up of coast, skerries, islands and sea bed.

in Larvik is home to Norway's largest stone beach and is an ancient burial site consisting of 230 cairns, some exceeding in diameter. Excavations have dated the rock piles to about 250 A.D. It was the first

UNESCO Global Geopark UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGp) are geoparks certified by the UNESCO Global Geoparks Council as meeting all the requirements for belonging to the Global Geoparks Network (GGN). The GGN is both a network of geoparks and the agency of the United Nati ...

in the Nordics when established in 2008. Mølen is one of Larvik's most popular tourist attractions. It is home to over a hundred species of rock, including Norway's national stone, ''

Larvikite Larvikite is an igneous rock, specifically a variety of monzonite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar. These feldspars are known as ''ternary'' because they contain significant components of all three endmember f ...

'', which is named from the area. It is a crucially important seabird habitat, where over 316 species of bird have been recorded.

Municipalities

Vestfold County has experienced a large reduction in number of municipalities. As of 1949, the county was home to 19 rural municipalities and seven city municipalities. There were 14 municipalities as of 2016, but the number will decrease to 8 by 1 January 2020. As of 1 January 2017 the number of municipalities in Vestfold County was reduced from 14 to 12. As of 1 January 2018 the number of municipalities in Vestfold County was reduced from 12 to 9. #

Andebu Andebu is a village in Sandefjord municipality, Vestfold County, and a former municipality. The administrative centre of the municipality was the village of Andebu. The village is surrounded by forests, mountains, and hills. Its nearest cities a ...

(merged into Sandefjord on 1 January 2017) # Hof (merged into Holmestrand on 1 January 2018) #

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 ...

(added Hof on 1 January 2018) # Horten # Lardal (merged into Larvik on 1 January 2018) # Larvik (added Lardal on 1 January 2018) #

(merged with Tjøme on 1 January 2018 to form the new municipality of

Færder Færder is a municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Borgheim. The municipality was established in 2018 by the unification of the former municipalities of ...

) # Re (merged into Tønsberg on 1 January 2020) # Sande (merged into Holmestrand on 1 January 2020) #

(added Andebu and Stokke on 1 January 2017) # Stokke (merged into Sandefjord on 1 January 2017) # Svelvik (merged into

on 1 January 2020) #

(merged with Nøtterøy on 1 January 2018 to form the new municipality of

) #

(added Re on 1 January 2020)

Cities

* Horten * Larvik *

* Stavern *

Parishes

* Andebu * Arnadal (Arendal) * Berg * Borre * Botne * Brunlanes * Fon * Fredricksværn, see Stavern * Hedrum * Hem * Hillestad * Hof * Holmestrand * Horten * Hvarnes * Høyjord * Kjose * Kodal * Konnerud * Kvelde * Langestrand * Lardal * Larvik * Nykirke * Nøtterøy * Ramnes * Sandar * Sande * Sandefjord * Sandeherred, see Sandar * Sankt Laurentii * Sem * Skjee * Skoger * Slagen * Stavern * Stokke * Strømm (Strømmen) * Strømsgodset * Styrvoll * Svarstad * Svelvik * Tanum * Tjølling * Tjøme * Tønsberg * Undrumsdal * Valløy * Vassås * Vivestad * Vor Frue (Maria) * Våle * Åsgårdstrand * Larvik Branch (LDS, early-1927) * Tønsberg Branch (LDS, early-1951) * Larvik (Katolske Apostoliske, 1888–1963)

Villages

* Barkåker *

Berger Berger is a surname in both German and French, although there is no etymological connection between the names in the two languages. The French surname is an occupational name for a shepherd, from Old French ''bergier'' (Late Latin ''berbicarius'', ...

* Bergsåsen * Bjerkøya * Bjørnevåg * Borgheim * Borre *

Brekkeåsen Brekkeåsen is a residential area in Re municipality 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 Tele ...

* Buerstad *

Duken Duken is a village and statistical area (''grunnkrets'') in Nøtterøy municipality, Norway. The statistical area Duken, which also can include the peripheral parts of the village as well as the surrounding countryside, has a population of 699. Th ...

Eidsfoss Eidsfoss is a village in Hof municipality, Vestfold county, Norway. It is located near Lake Eikeren. The village was the site of the Eidsfos Iron Works (''Eidsfos Jernverk'') which dated to 1697. The iron works was closed in 1873. The village is ...

* Eik * Eikeberg *

Fevang Fevang is a residential- and statistical area (''grunnkrets'') in Sandefjord municipality, Norway. The statistical area Fevang, which also can include the peripheral parts of the village as well as the surrounding countryside, has a population of ...

Fokserød Fokserød is a residential- and statistical area (''grunnkrets'') in Sandefjord municipality, Norway. Fokserød was originally the name of three former farms located near the current ''Coop Obs!'' megastore, relatively near Sandefjord Airport Torp ...

* Fon * Freberg *

Føynland Føynland is a populated island in Nøtterøy municipality, Norway. Two bridges connect the island to Nøtterøy in the west and Husøy in Tønsberg Tønsberg , historically Tunsberg, is a city and municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county ...

* Gjone * Glomstein * Gretteåsen * Grimestad * Gullhaug * Hafallen *

Helgeroa Helgeroa is a village in Larvik municipality, Norway. It is a popular tourist destination during summers. It is home to a marina, guest harbor, and a harbor for ferries operating in the Langesundsfjord. At the tip of the pier is the 8-meter tall N ...

Hem A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the g ...

* Hof * Hulebakk * Husvik * Husøy *

Hvasser Hvasser is a populated island and a village in Færder municipality, Norway, connected to mainland and the city of Tønsberg via the islands Brøtsø, Tjøme and Nøtterøy. The name comes from the Norwegian word "hvass", meaning sharp, which is ...

* Høyjord *

Hårkollen Hårkollen is a village and statistical area (''grunnkrets'') in Nøtterøy municipality, Norway. The statistical area Hårkollen, which also can include the peripheral parts of the village as well as the surrounding countryside, has a population o ...

* Kjose * Kjøpmannskjær * Klever * Kodal * Kvelde *

Lahelle Lahelle is a neighborhood and statistical area (''grunnkrets'') in Sandefjord municipality, Norway. It is the innermost part of the 5 km Lahellefjord. It was formerly spelled ''Ladhella'', which includes the word ''lada'', translating to load ...

* Linnestad * Melsomvik *

Nesbrygga Nesbrygga (or Nesbryggen) is a village and statistical area (''grunnkrets'') in Nøtterøy municipality, Norway. The statistical area Nesbrygga, which also can include the peripheral parts of the village as well as the surrounding countryside, ha ...

* Nesbygda *

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 ...

* Ormelet *

Oterbekk Oterbekk is a village and statistical area (''grunnkrets'') in Nøtterøy municipality, Norway. The statistical area Oterbekk, which also can include the peripheral parts of the village as well as the surrounding countryside, has a population of 69 ...

* Ramnes * Revetal * Rånerudåsen * Råstad * Sande * Selvik * Sem *

Skallestad Skallestad is a village in Færder Municipality in 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 porti ...

* Skinmo * Skjerve *

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 ...

* Solløkka * Solvang * Stavern * Stokke * Storevar *

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 ...

* Strengsdal * Sundbyfoss * Sundene * Svarstad * Svelvik * Svinevoll * Teie * Tenvik * Torød * Ula * Unneberg * Valberg *

Vassås Vassås is a small village in the municipality of Bindal in Nordland county, Norway. It is located along the Tosen arm of the Bindalsfjorden, just north of the Vassås Bridge which connects the village to the larger village of Terråk. The v ...

* Vear *

Veierland Veierland is a populated, carfree island in Færder municipality, Norway. A ferry service operated by Jutøya AS connects the island with the nearby, larger island of Nøtterøy. The island also has a permanent ferry link to Engø peninsula in ...

Verdens Ende Verdens Ende ("World's End", or "The End of the Earth" in NorwegianNickel, Phyllis and Hans Jakob Valderhaug (2017). ''Norwegian Cruising Guide—Vol 2: Sweden, West Coast and Norway, Swedish Border to Bergen''. Attainable Adventure Cruising Ltd. ...

* Verningen * Vestskogen * Vollen * Årøysund *

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 ...

Former Municipalities

* Borre *

Botne Botne is a former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The parish of Botne was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). According to the 1835 census the municipality had a population of 1,600. In 1942 a part o ...

Brunlanes Brunlanes is a parish and former municipality within Larvik municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It was annexed by Larvik on January 1, 1988. The administrative centre of the municipality was located in the adjacent villages of Nevlunghavn ...

* Hedrum * Hof * Lardal *

* Ramnes * Sandar * Sem *

Skoger Skoger is a village located on the border between Buskerud and Vestfold counties, Norway. Of its population of 1,082 as of 2005, 654 were registered as residents of Drammen whereas 428 live in Sande in Vestfold county, Norway. History Histor ...

* Stavern * Stokke * Strømm *

Våle Våle is a village in Tønsberg municipality, and former municipality, in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. Våle is a rural, agricultural area, with Kirkevoll/ Brekkeåsen, Rånerudåsen, Svinevoll, Sørby and Gretteåsen as more dense housing ...

Political strength

Results from parliamentary elections in Vestfold County since 1973: Bold letters represent the alliances (Leftwing Ap+ SV. Centre

KrF The Christian Democratic Party ( nb, Kristelig Folkeparti, nn, Kristeleg Folkeparti, se, Risttalaš Álbmotbellodat, , KrF) is a Christian-democratic political party in Norway founded in 1933. The party is an observer member of the European Pe ...

+ V+ Sp. Rightwing H+ Frp). M = Number of elected parliamentarians.

Demographics

According to Statistics Norway, Vestfold County was home to 244,967 residents as of 1 January 2016. Immigrants made up 11.9 percent of the population in 2017. Most immigrants were from Poland (4,287 people), followed by Lithuania (2,794) and Iraq (1,549). Despite its small size, Vestfold had the third-highest

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 ...

in Norway. However, the population density may still have been considered low; as an example, the population density 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 ...

was four times higher than that of Vestfold County in 1998. Sandefjord was the most populous city of Vestfold County; one in four people from Vestfold were from Sandefjord, or 25.2 percent of the county population.

Economy

Traditional industries in Vestfold have included

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

ship building Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...

. For over 50 years in the 19th century,

and partially

functioned as the world centre for the whaling industry. However, whaling ended in the 1960s and the ship building industry has gradually reduced since the 1980s.

Information technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of Data (computing), data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information te ...

is currently a growing industry, and the county is home to large web shops such as Komplett, MPX.no and netshop.no. 18.9 percent of the county's total area is used for agriculture, the highest percentage of any county in Norway. 70% of agricultural lands are used for the cultivation of grains. Vestfold's farming area makes up five percent of Norway's cultivated areas. However, by area, Vestfold only makes up 0.7 percent of Norway's land area. Vestfold has Norway's most expensive vacation homes. Sandefjord had Norway's most expensive vacation homes in 2012, while

had the most expensive homes as of 2010. General property values appreciated 28.3 percent between 2010 and 2015.

Tourism

Summer tourism is an important industry in Vestfold, particularly in coastal communities such as

and Stavern. Coastal cities also have large numbers of vacation homes. There were 534,724 hotel stays in 2015, where the purpose was vacationing for 236,895. Most international tourists were from the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, Sweden, and

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 ...

. There were 781,459 stays at rental cabins or campgrounds in 2015. Consequentially, the population increases drastically during summer months in municipalities such as Sandefjord, Tjøme, and elsewhere. The population at Tjøme goes from 4,500 to around 50,000 each summer. The population of islands such as Tjøme often quadruple during summer, while summer communities as Stavern often sees a doubling or tripling.Evensberget, Snorre (2014). ''DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Norway''. Penguin. Page 129. . Tjøme Island is home to nearly as many vacation homes as residential homes. While Tjøme has the nickname ''Sommerøya'' ("the Summer Island"), Sandefjord is nicknamed ''Badebyen'' ("the Bathing City") due to its many beaches and former spas. Sandefjord is known for its many great beaches, and it is primarily known as a summer resort community. It first became a bathing destination when sulphur was discovered in 1837. The city gained further recognition when Sandefjord Sulfur Spa and Resort (''Kurbadet'') was established in 1837. The bath was one of the most visited in Europe during the late 19th century.Jøranlid, Marianne (1996). ''40 trivelige turer i Sandefjord og omegn''. Vett Viten. Page 36. . Vestfold's most visited tourist attractions include

Borre mound cemetery Borre mound cemetery (Norwegian: ''Borrehaugene'' from the ''Old Norse'' words ''borró'' and ''haugr'' meaning mound) forms part of the Borre National Park at Horten in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway. It is home to seven large and 21 smaller bu ...

, the largest burial site in Northern Europe, as well as numerous sites along the coast. Architectural sites include the villages of

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 ...

in Horten, and

Fredriksvern Fredriksvern (also called ''Friderichsværn'' (1801), ''Frederiksværn'' (1865), ''Fredriksværen'' (1900) and abbreviated ''Frsværn'') was an important Norwegian naval base, just south of Larvik in Vestfold. It is named after Fredrik V Denmark- ...

in Stavern. Other important attractions are Sandefjord Whaling Museum, Mølen Geopark in Larvik, as well as

Tønsberg Fortress Tønsberg Fortress (''Tunsberghus festning'') was a medieval fortress and castle, located in Tønsberg, Norway which was defended by the fortress for over 300 years. It includes ruins from ''Castrum Tunsbergis'', Norway's largest castle in the 1 ...

(''Slottsfjellet'') in

Largest companies

Largest companies in Vestfold County 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:

Culture

Vestfold is the county in Norway with the most traces from the

. Examples include the Oseberg- and Gokstad Burial Mounds. While the Oseberg Ship was discovered in

, the Gokstad Ship was discovered in

. The Gokstad Ship is Norway's largest preserved Viking ship. Both ships are now located at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. Additional burial mounds are found at

and

, an

. Borre mound cemetery is home to Northern Europe's largest burial mound site from Viking Age. Vestfold is home to 21 churches dating to

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 ...

times. It is also home to one stave church, Høyjord Stave Church in

(Sandefjord). Nearby Andebu Church also has Norway's oldest parish register, dating to 1623. The city of Sandefjord proper is home to Europe's only museum dedicated to whaling,

Sandefjord Museum Sandefjordmuseene (''Hvalfangstmuseet'') is a museum located in Sandefjord, Norway. It is dedicated to the whaling industry and is the only specialized museum on the subject of whales and whaling in Europe. Since 2009, the museum has been associa ...

in the city centre. This museum also owns ''

'', a whale-catcher turned museum ship. Southern Actor is the only whale-catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. Also at Sandefjord Harbor is the Harbour Chapel (''Bryggekapellet''), which is the only floating church in Norway and most likely Europe, perhaps the only floating church in the world. The city of

is Norway's oldest city, most likely founded in year 871. Tønsberg is home to

, which is Scandinavia's largest ruin site. It includes ruins from ''Castrum Tunsbergis'', Norway's largest castle in the 13th century. An outdoor music festival is held at Tønsberg Fortress every July. Ruins of a German fortress can be seen at Folehavna Fort on

West Island The West Island () is the unofficial name given to the cities, towns and boroughs at the western end of the Island of Montreal, in Quebec, Canada. It is generally considered to consist of the Lakeshore municipalities of Dorval, Pointe-Cla ...

, Sandefjord.

Transportation

The

Vestfold Line 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 Station ...

is a railway line that runs from

, through a number of towns in Vestfold and ending in the town of Skien in

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 ...

runs through the county roughly parallel to the railway. There are two international ferry connections, both operated by Color Line. Larvik is connected to the Danish town

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 ...

, the other route is between

and Strømstad in Sweden. Fjord Line is also a ferry operator between Sandefjord and Strømstad. In addition there is a domestic route connecting Horten and Moss.

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 ...

is one of Norway's largest airports. Only

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 Oslo Airports have more international flights than Torp Airport. 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 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 ...

. Torp is regional hub for low-cost carrier

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

, as well as low-cost carriers Ryanair and

WizzAir Wizz Air, legally incorporated as Wizz Air Hungary Ltd. ( hu, Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt.) is a Hungarian ultra-low-cost carrier with its head office in Budapest, Hungary. The airline serves many cities across Europe, as well as s ...

also operate from the airport. 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 ...

Points of interest

Larvik

* Bøkeskogen, world's northernmost

beech tree Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''E ...

forest.Ham, Anthony and Stuart Butler (2015). ''Lonely Planet Norway''. Lonely Planet. Page 91. . *

, home to remains for the oldest Nordic town yet discovered. The remains are from one of

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 ...

's earliest urban sites, established in year 800 A.D.Skre, Dagfinn (2007). ''Kaupang in Skiringssal''. Aarhus University Press. Page 13. .Doreen, Taylor-Wilkie (2018). ''Insight Guides Norway''. Insight. Page 157. . *

, Scandinavia's first

. *

Nevlunghavn Nevlunghavn is a village in Larvik municipality, Norway. Before the municipal merge in 1988 it was a part of Brunlanes municipality. Nevlunghavn has grown together with the adjacent village Helgeroa. The two villages have a combined population ...

and

, adjacent coastal villages. * Larvik Museum * Fritzøehus, largest privately owned estate in Norway. * Stavern, small coastal town, home of Citadell Island **

, Norway's main naval base from the mid-1750s until 1864. **

Minnehallen Minnehallen or Hall of Remembrance is a national memorial located outside Stavern in Larvik, Vestfold, Norway. The memorial was commissioned by the Norwegian Parliament after World War I to commemorate the fallen Norwegian sailors of the war. I ...

(Hall of Remembrance), largest monument in Vestfold.

Horten

* Borre National Park, largest

burial mound Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...

site in Northern Europe. * Løvøy Chapel *

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 ...

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 ...

* Borre Church, romanesque medieval church constructed in the 1100s. * Tordenskioldeika *

, oceanside resort town. * Borre Golfbane

Tønsberg and Færder

, largest ruin park in the Nordic countries. * Oseberg Mound, site of the discovery of the '' Oseberg Ship'' * Haugar *

Tønsberg Cathedral Tønsberg Cathedral ( no, Tønsberg Domkirke) is a Lutheran church located in Tønsberg, Norway. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Tunsberg within the Church of Norway. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral status in ...

* Sem Church * Slottsfjellmuseet * Nordbyen * World's End, southernmost point at

. * Herkelås * Tjøme Church *

, first National Park in Vestfold.

Sandefjord

(the Whaling Museum), Europe's only museum dedicated to whaling. **

, only whale-catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. *

Gokstad Mound The Gokstad Mound (Norwegian: Gokstadhaugen) is a large burial mound at Gokstad Farm in Sandefjord (formerly Sandar municipality) in Vestfold County, Norway. It is also known as the King's Mound (''Kongshaugen'') and is where the 9th century Go ...

, site of the discovery of the 9th-century '' Gokstad Ship''. * Gaia ship, replica of the ''Gokstad Ship'' docked at Museum's Wharf. *

Sandar Church Sandar Church (Norwegian: ''Sandar kirke'') is the oldest church in Sandefjord, Norway in Vestfold og Telemark. The church was erected at the ruins of a mediaeval stone church from the 13th century. The current church was built in 1792 in the st ...

, built on ruins of a 13th-century

stone church. Present church was erected in 1792. *

Whaler's Monument Whaler's Monument, also known as The Whaling Monument (Norwegian: ''Hvalfangstmonumentet''), is a rotating bronze memorial statue situated by the harbor in Sandefjord, Norway. It is located at the end of Jernbanealleen, which is the main street i ...

, rotating bronze monument erected in honor of pioneering whalers. * Sandefjord Church *

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 ...

, 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. * Kurbadet, former resort spa and one of Europe's most visited baths in the late 19th century. * Folehavna Fort, ruins from a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

fortress erected in 1941 during 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 ...

. * Høyjord Stave Church, 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 Vestfold County. * Langeby, popular bathing beach at

. *

, third-largest lake in Vestfold County.

Archaeological sites

Istrehågan

is an ancient burial ground which dates to the

around 1500-500 BCE. It is located at Jåberg in

, on the border between

and Larvik. The rock settings at Istrehågan resemble a ship. It is long, and meters broad. Archaeological excavations made in 1959-61 uncovered remains of bones, bear claws, pottery shards, a brooch, and more. At Haugen farm on the Sandefjord side is Vestfold County's largest collection of

petroglyphs A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

Borre National Park

At Borrehaugene near Borrre there are 9 large mounds and around 30 smaller ones. It is the largest

site in Northern Europe. Borre mound cemetery most likely contains graves belonging to kings of the

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. It is mentioned in the poem ''

Ynglingatal ''Ynglingatal'' or ''Ynglinga tal'' (Old Norse: 'Enumeration of the Ynglingar') is a Skaldic poem cited by Snorri Sturluson in the ''Ynglinga saga'', the first saga of Snorri's ''Heimskringla''. Þjóðólfr of Hvinir (Thjodolf), who was a poet ...

'' as the burial site of one of two kings belonging to the royal dynasty of the Ynglingas.

Kaupang

( Larvik) is home to remains from the oldest Nordic town yet discovered. It was a trade centre established around year 800, making it one of

's earliest urban sites. The settlement was abandoned in the mid-10th century. It is located in Kaupang Bay in Viksfjord, Larvik. Archeological finds include melting pots, jewelry parts, casting moulds and casting models. Most of Kaupang remains not excavated. There are replicas of Viking homes at Kaupang today, giving insight to how homes were constructed during the

Oseberg Burial Mound

Oseberg Mound is located in

and is where the '' Oseberg Ship'' was discovered. The ship, which dates to 834 A.D., had a length of . Two female skeletons were found in the ship's burial chamber.

Viking burial site at Gulli

Gulli, outside

, was the site of an archaeological excavation during the period from 2003 to 2004, prior to asphalt being laid for constructing the new E18 (road). There were 60 graves - 20 of those were preserved to a degree that uthorities decidedpermitted examinations. "Perhaps the most spectacular

tem Tem or TEM may refer to: Acronyms * Threat and error management, an aviation safety management model. * Telecom Expense Management * Telecom Equipment Manufacturer * TEM (currency), local to Volos, Greece * TEM (nuclear propulsion), a Russian ...

was a ''høvre''" - used with a horse's harness. "There are few of those in Norway - one in

Trøndelag Trøndelag (; sma, Trööndelage) is a county in the central part of Norway. It was created in 1687, then named Trondhjem County ( no, Trondhjems Amt); in 1804 the county was split into Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag by the King of Denma ...

and a gilded one found in Borre". The artifacts are on display at the Midgard Historical Centre in Borre.

Fevang

19th century archeologists were struck by the many burial mounds and artifacts discovered at Fevang near Torp Airport in

. Local farmers had discovered various artifacts in the 19th- and early 20th centuries. Archeologist

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. burial mounds A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones built ...

. Nicolaysen further discovered that Fevang had been an active graveyard for over 1,000 years - since year 0 A.D. until the first Christian cemeteries were established. Among the artifacts discovered were a gold jewel named ''Berlokk'', which was retrieved in a woman's grave along with two gold beads, two blue glass beads, a hairpin, ceramic, burnt bones, and two clips of bronze. Her tomb is dated to the Old

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

, around 0-400 A.D.

Gokstad Mound

in Sandefjord was where the '' Gokstad Ship'' was excavated 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. Olaf Geirstad-Alf Olaf Gudrødsson (c. 810 – c. 860), known after his death as Olaf Geirstad-Alf "Olaf, Elf of Geirstad" (Old Norse Ólafr Geirstaðaalfr), was a semi-legendary petty king in Norway. A member of the House of Yngling, he was the son of Gudrød the H ...

, former king of Vestfold and half-brother of

, the father of

, Norway's first king. However, recent discoveries have increased uncertainty and it therefore remains unknown what chieftain was buried at

Gokstad The Gokstad Mound (Norwegian: Gokstadhaugen) is a large burial mound at Gokstad Farm in Sandefjord (formerly Sandar municipality) in Vestfold County, Norway. It is also known as the King's Mound (''Kongshaugen'') and is where the 9th century Go ...

. The ship, which is the largest found in Norway, is currently located at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. The ship was buried along with numerous gifts, including weapons, jewels, a gaming board, fish-hooks, 64 shields, six beds, three smaller boats and kitchen utensils. Twelve horses, eight dogs, two goshawks and two peacocks were also discovered in the grave. Interpretive signs have been put up at the mound and '' Gaia'', an exact replica of the Gokstad Ship, can be seen on Museum's Wharf at Sandefjord Harbor.

Mølen

The

word ''Mol'' translates to cairns, a site often used by ancient peoples to mark a burial site.

, which is Norway's largest stone beach, is home to 230 cairns, which have been built over ages. Some cairns have been dated to 250 A.D. The

isthmus An isthmus (; ; ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthmus ...

of Mølen is home to stone piles, grave mounds, and stone settings, which are all part of a protected historic site. The last Ice Age pushed large amounts of gravel and stones ahead of it, and deposited it as a moraine through all of Vestfold, known as ''Vestfoldraet''. Raet meets the ocean at Mølen, where the moraine sinks into the sea. Its encounter with the

ocean waves has uncovered and polished the huge round stone floor for centuries.

Bøkeskogen

Besides being the largest

forest in

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 ...

, and the most northernmost beech tree forest in the world, Bøkeskogen is also an important archeological area. 83-90 burial mounds have been discovered in the forest. Some of these include the largest burial grounds from the

Pre-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 regio ...

in Vestfold County.

Recreation

At least 238 kilometers of coastal hiking trails can be found in Vestfold County, from Larvik in the south to Svelvik in the north. Hiking trails are found throughout the county, including at World's End in

. Furthermore, there is a 35 km (22 mi.) marked trail between the towns of Stavern and

, Kjærrafossen and Bøkeskogen are also home to various trails. Tønsberg Barrel, an old beacon dated to ''

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 ...

'' in the

Middle Ages 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 ...

, sits at

Yxnøy Yxnøy (also spelled Yxney, formerly: Yxnøyn) is the southernmost part of Østerøya (East Island) in Sandefjord, Norway. It stretches from Nordre Truber to Ertsvika. It is one of the largest undeveloped areas found along the Vestfold coast. It i ...

on Sandefjord's East Island.

is home to Folehavna Fort and additional trails. Combined, the trails on Sandefjord's East- and West Islands are 45 km (28 mi.), and a part of the international North Sea Trail. Bøkeskogen in Larvik is home to various trails, varying from 2.6 km (1.6 mi.) to 10 km (6.2 mi.) in length.

Fauna

Vestfold's fauna includes species such as the

White-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla'') is a very large species of sea eagle widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which includes other diurnal raptors ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Eurasian eagle-owl The Eurasian eagle-owl (''Bubo bubo'') is a species of eagle-owl that resides in much of Eurasia. It is also called the Uhu and it is occasionally abbreviated to just the eagle-owl in Europe. It is one of the largest species of owl, and femal ...

Mountain hare The mountain hare (''Lepus timidus''), also known as blue hare, tundra hare, variable hare, white hare, snow hare, alpine hare, and Irish hare, is a Palearctic hare that is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. Evolution The mount ...

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 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 ...

. Rare observations of Gray wolf, European lynx, 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 ...

do occur. A wolf shot in Lardal in 2013 was the first wolf killed in the county in over 100 years. Between 700 and 800 moose are annually hunted in Vestfold. Larvik has one of the highest numbers of moose in Norway. The

Harbor seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared se ...

is the most commonly observed species of seal in Vestfold, and it was estimated to be at minimum 183 seals in Vestfold as of August 2014. Dolphins are uncommon, however, a

Common bottlenose dolphin The common bottlenose dolphin or Atlantic bottlenose dolphin (''Tursiops truncatus'') is a wide-ranging marine mammal of the family Delphinidae. The common bottlenose dolphin is a very familiar dolphin due to the wide exposure it gets in captiv ...

was observed by

in 2014, and a

Striped dolphin The striped dolphin (''Stenella coeruleoalba'') is an extensively studied dolphin found in temperate and tropical waters of all the world's oceans. It is a member of the oceanic dolphin family, Delphinidae. Taxonomy The striped dolphin is one o ...

was observed the same summer at

in Larvik. Common European Viper is the only venomous snake found in Norway. There are two non-venomous snake species in Vestfold County: European grass snake and European smooth snake. Vestfold has a rich

avifauna Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweight s ...

: over 130 bird species have been observed in Svelvik, while

in Larvik has the national record of 320 species.

Wildlife refuge

Saltstein 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 th ...

is part of a protected habitat for birds. From 2014 surfing was permitted off Saltstein. Besides being an

in Larvik is a habitat for a variety of rare bird species. Mølen became a protected sanctuary for birds in 1970. 320 species of birds have been recorded at Mølen, more species than at any other site in Norway. Wildlife preserves include Melsom- and

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 ...

Wildlife Preserves. Hemskilen Wildlife Preserve lies on the Larvik-

border and is an important habitat for shorebirds,

geese A goose ( : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera '' Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some other birds, mostly related to the she ...

, and

Passerines A passerine () is any bird of the order Passeriformes (; from Latin 'sparrow' and '-shaped'), which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds, passerines are distinguished from other orders of birds by th ...

. Melsom Plant- and Wildlife Preserve in Sandefjord is home to various older oaks, some of them home to as many as 1,500 different species of insects. Marøyskjæra Bird Preserve consists of two skerries west of Natholmen Island, which have been important nesting areas for

Common tern The common tern (''Sterna hirundo'') is a seabird in the family Laridae. This bird has a circumpolar distribution, its four subspecies breeding in temperate and subarctic regions of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migrator ...

and

Common gull The common gull or sea mew (''Larus canus'') is a medium-sized gull that breeds in the Palearctic, northern Europe. The closely related short-billed gull is sometimes included in this species, which may be known collectively as "mew gull". Man ...

since the 1980s. Over 500 seagulls hatched on the islets in the 1990s.

In popular culture

Although not filmed in Vestfold, the City of Tønsberg appears in the films ''

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 ...

'' (2011) and also in '' Captain America: The First Avenger'' (2011), and in Avengers: Endgame Some films shot in Vestfold include: * ''

'' (2018), movie based on the

2011 Norway attacks The 2011 Norway attacks, referred to in Norway as 22 July ( no, 22. juli) or as 22/7, were two domestic terrorist attacks by neo-Nazi Anders Behring Breivik against the government, the civilian population, and a Workers' Youth League (AUF) ...

, filmed in

and

. * '' Olsenbanden tar gull'' (1972), filmed in Stavern ( Larvik) and Sande in Vestfold. * '' Baadshah'' (1999), Tønsberg * '' Christmas Blood'' ("Juleblod") (2017), Tønsberg and

. * '' Wisting'' (2018– ), Larvik and Sandefjord. * ''

Nonni and Manni ''Nonni and Manni'' is an adventure children's television series produced as a joint venture between Iceland and West Germany. It debuted on 26 December 1988 on West Germany's ZDF channel and lasted for six episodes with the last one being aired o ...

'' (1988–89), Horten. * '' Head Above Water'' (1993), filmed at East Island in Sandefjord. * '' Deadline Torp'' (2005), movie based on the 1994 Torp hostage crisis, filmed in Sandefjord and Larvik. * ''

Valfångare ''Whalers'' (Swedish: ''Valfångare'') is a 1939 Swedish drama film directed by Anders Henrikson and Tancred Ibsen and starring Allan Bohlin, Tutta Rolf, and Hauk Aabel. It was Rolf's final film. The film's sets were designed by the art direct ...

'' (1939), Sandefjord. * '' Den starkaste'' (1929), Sandefjord.

Gallery

Færder.jpg,

Borreparken, gravhaug, Horten kommune, Vestfold.jpg, Borre National Park in Horten Excavation Oseberg ship 1.jpg, The Oseberg Ship was discovered in Tønsberg. Stavern Wasilioff.jpg, Town centre in Stavern Citadellet 1.jpg,

Citadellet Citadellet (''Citadel'') was a 19th-century Norwegian fortress. The last day of military activity was in 1970. The fort was demolished in 1971. Citadellet was intended to protect the Royal Norwegian Navy's Karljohansvern naval station in Horten. ...

, 19th-century fortress in Stavern Høyjord stavkirke, MIS.jpg, Høyjord Stave Church, only

left in Vestfold Trollfoss.jpg, Trollfoss in Larvik, the tallest waterfall in Vestfold.Schandy, Tom and Tom Helgesen (2012). ''Naturperler i Vestfold''. Forlaget Tom & Tom v/Schandy. Page 192. .

References

External links

Vestfold photo gallery
{{Authority control Former counties of Norway 2020 disestablishments in Norway Petty kingdoms of Norway States and territories disestablished in 2020