Larvik () is a

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

Vestfold Vestfold () is a county and a current electoral district in Norway. Located on the western shore of the Oslofjord, it borders Buskerud and Telemark counties. The county administration is located in Tønsberg, Norway's oldest city, and the larg ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. It is located in the traditional district of

. The

administrative centre An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgi ...

of the municipality is the city of Larvik. Other main population centres in the municipality include the town of

Stavern Stavern is a town in Larvik Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The town is located at the mouth of the Larviksfjorden along the Skagerrak coast, about south of the town of Larvik. Historically, Stavern was a self-governing municipality ...

and the villages of Gjone, Helgeroa,

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 ga ...

, Kjose, Kvelde, Nevlunghavn, Skinmo,

Svarstad Svarstad is a village in Larvik Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The village is located along the river Numedalslågen, approximately north of the town of Larvik and about south of the village of Hvittingfoss in Kongsberg Municipal ...

, Ula,

Verningen Verningen is a village in Larvik Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The village is located along the European route E18 highway, about to the northeast of the town of Larvik. The village of Himberg (an exclave of Sandefjord Municipality) ...

, and

Tjøllingvollen Tjøllingvollen or Viksfjord is a village in Larvik Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The village is located about to the east of the town of Larvik. The village of Hem lies about to the northeast, the village of Verningen lies about ...

. The municipality is the 140th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Larvik is the 21st most populous municipality in Norway with a population of 48,246. The municipality's

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

is and its population has increased by 5.9% over the previous 10-year period. The city of Larvik achieved market town status in 1671, but it did not become a self-governing municipality until 1 January 1838 when the

formannskapsdistrikt () was the name of a Norwegian self-governing municipality. The name was used from the establishment these municipalities in 1838 until the name fell out of use in 1863. The municipalities had their legal basis from two laws enacted on 14 Jan ...

law went into effect. Larvik is known as the hometown of

Thor Heyerdahl Thor Heyerdahl KStJ (; 6 October 1914 – 18 April 2002) was a Norwegian adventurer and Ethnography, ethnographer with a background in biology with specialization in zoology, botany and geography. Heyerdahl is notable for his Kon-Tiki expediti ...

. It is also home to ''

Bøkeskogen Bøkeskogen ("The Beech Tree Forest") stretches inwards along Farris, Farris Lake in Larvik. It is an archeological area which is home to between 83, 90, and 100 burial mounds.Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (1998). ''Bli kjent med Vestfold / Become acqua ...

'', the northernmost beech tree forest in the world. Larvik is the home of Norway's only natural mineral water spring, Farriskilden. ''Farris Bad'', located in Larvik, has been described as one of the best spas in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. It has the largest spa department in Scandinavia.

General information

The town of Larvik was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see

law). On 1 January 1875, a small area of Brunlanes Municipality (population: 4) and a different area of Hedrum Municipality (population: 46) were both transferred into the town of Larvik. In 1937, another area of Hedrum Municipality (population: 69) was transferred into Larvik. In 1948, an area of Hedrum Municipality (population: 296) was transferred into Larvik. On 1 January 1974, the unpopulated Tagtvedt area of Hedrum was transferred to Larvik. On 1 January 1986, part of the Åsveien 3 property in Hedrum was transferred to the neighboring town of Larvik. On 1 January 1988, the city of Larvik was part of a major municipal merger which consolidated the municipalities of

Brunlanes Brunlanes is a List of former municipalities of Norway, former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1988. The area is now the southwestern part of Larvik Municipality. The administr ...

(population: 8,138),

Hedrum Hedrum is a former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1988. The area is now part of Larvik Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Nanset (from 1978-1988; prio ...

(population: 10,449), and

Tjølling Tjølling is a former municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1988. The area is now part of Larvik Municipality. The administrative centre was the village of Tjøllingvollen. Other vi ...

(population: 7,878) with the towns of

Larvik Larvik () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Larvik (town) ...

(population: 8,045) and

(population: 2,538) to create a new, much larger

Larvik Municipality Larvik () is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. Other main population centres in the municipality include the ...

with a population of 37,048 people. On 1 January 2018, Lardal Municipality was merged the neighboring Larvik Municipality as part of a nationwide municipal reform. After merging, Larvik was the largest municipality in Vestfold by area and the second-most populous municipality in Vestfold.

Etymology

The municipality (originally the town of Larvik) is named after the small cove at the end of the Larviksfjorden, which was historically called in

Old Norse Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

. The first element is the

genitive case In grammar, the genitive case ( abbreviated ) is the grammatical case that marks a word, usually a noun, as modifying another word, also usually a noun—thus indicating an attributive relationship of one noun to the other noun. A genitive ca ...

of '

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...

' (here referring to the

Numedalslågen Numedalslågen is a river in Norway. It is considered to be the second longest river in Southern Norway. It is located in the Numedal valley which runs through the counties of Vestfold, Buskerud and Vestland. At long, it is of the longest rivers ...

River). The last element is '

cove A cove is a small bay or coastal inlet. They usually have narrow, restricted entrances, are often circular or oval, and are often situated within a larger bay. Small, narrow, sheltered bays, inlets, creek (tidal), creeks, or recesses in a coast ...

inlet An inlet is a typically long and narrow indentation of a shoreline such as a small arm, cove, bay, sound, fjord, lagoon or marsh, that leads to an enclosed larger body of water such as a lake, estuary, gulf or marginal sea. Overview In ...

'. Thus, the meaning of the name is 'cove at the mouth of a river'. Prior to 1889, the name was written ''Laurvik'' or ''Laurvig''.

Coat of arms

Larvik has had three different

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic ac ...

since 1889. The first

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

was granted in 1889 and it was in use until 20 January 1989 when a new coat of arms was granted. The official

blazon In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct an accurate image. The verb ''to blazon'' means to create such a description. The visual d ...

was ''"

Argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

, a leaved tree issuant from a mount

vert Vert or Verts may refer to: * Vert (heraldry), the colour green in heraldry * Vert (music producer) (born 1972), pseudonym of Adam Butler, an English music producer * Vert (river), in southern France * Vert (sport), a competition in extreme versio ...

"''. This means the arms have a

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

(background) has a

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

argent In heraldry, argent () is the tincture of silver, and belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". It is very frequently depicted as white and usually considered interchangeable with it. In engravings and line drawings, regions to b ...

which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * '' Charge!!'', an album by The Aqu ...

is a green tree growing out of a green hill. The green color in the field and the tree design symbolize the local

beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

forest around the town. This design may have been chosen because for a couple of reasons. A beech tree had been used by the 18th century governor of the area, Jens Kielman. Also this beech tree design was part of a seal of a local

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular territory. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradespeople belonging to a professional association. They so ...

in the early 19th century. The second

was granted on 17 March 1989 and it was in use until 1 January 2018. The official

was ''" Azure, a mast with three sails

"'' (). This means the arms have a blue

(background) and the

is a ship's mast with three

sail A sail is a tensile structure, which is made from fabric or other membrane materials, that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may b ...

s. The charge has a

which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The blue color in the field and the design were chosen to represent the maritime traditions of the municipality. The arms were designed by Kjell Ronald Hansen. The municipal flag had the same design as the coat of arms. The current

was adopted for use starting on 1 January 2018. The

is ''"Azure, a tree with seven droplet-shaped leaves, of which six are opposite two and two, issuant from a mount argent"'' (). This means the arms have a blue

(background) and the

is a tree design with six leaves shaped like water droplets that are arranged symmetrically, three on each side and one on top. The charge has a

which means it is commonly colored white, but if it is made out of metal, then silver is used. The arms have a complex symbolism. The seven drops symbolize forest water that flows into streams and further into the main

and

Farris Farris is a lake on the border of Telemark and Vestfold counties in Norway. The long freshwater moraine-dammed lake is located mostly in Larvik Municipality in Vestfold, but the northwestern part of the lake is located in Siljan Municipality an ...

elva rivers. The tree design symbolizes the importance of the local

forests and

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

industry. The six water drops also symbolized the ports spread along the coast as well as the six former municipalities that are now together as one large municipality. The arms were designed by Tormod Henriksen from

. The municipal flag had the same design as the coat of arms.

History

Various remains from the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...

have been discovered throughout the municipality of Larvik, for instance by Torpevannet near the village of Helgeroa. Raet goes through all of Vestfold County before peaking out of the ocean in Mølen in Larvik. Ancient peoples have carried rocks from Raet and constructed vast numbers of burial mounds at Mølen. During the

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

, ancient peoples erected a stone monument resembling a ship at Istrehågan, one of Norway's greatest remains () from prehistoric times. About southeast of the town is Skiringssal, an archaeological site where archaeologists first discovered burial mounds and an ancient Viking hall, and later uncovered the nearby remains of an ancient town, Kaupang. This is now known as the oldest known merchant town in Norway. There was international trade from this area, over 1,200 years ago. Skiringssal has remains from the oldest town yet discovered in the

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; ) are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe, as well as the Arctic Ocean, Arctic and Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic oceans. It includes the sovereign states of Denm ...

, and it was one of Scandinavia's earliest urban sites. Larvik (which historically used the Danish spelling: ''Laurvig'') was an old coastal village. In 1671, the village received

kjøpstad A (historically ''kjøbstad'', ''kjöbstad'', or ''kaupstad'', from ) is an old Scandinavian term for a "market town" in Denmark–Norway for several hundred years. Kjøpstads were places of trade and exporting materials (e.g. timber, flour, iron ...

(market town) status in 1671 when Ulrik Fredrik Gyldenløve bought the Fritsø estate. He later became the first

Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

of Laurvig. The count built a new residence in 1674, "Herregården", which can still be visited today. The whole Larvik area was owned by a Danish Count () until 1817. Since the rest of Norway had come under Swedish rule in 1814, the county was purchased by four local businessmen in 1817. Then in 1821, it became part of the newly created Jarslberg og Laurvigs amt (county). Johan Christian Dahl - Larvik by Moonlight - Google Art Project

Johan Christian Dahl - Larvik by Moonlight - Google Art Project

Larvik is also the site of the Treschow estate, "Fritzøehus", which is currently owned by the heirs of Mille-Marie Treschow, reportedly "Norway's richest woman". The Treschow estate was created in 1835 when Willum Frederik Treschow bought the county from the Danish crown, who in turn had bought the county from the local consortium "grevlingene", four local entrepreneurs who proved unable to manage the ownership financially (the consortium had bought the county from the Danish crown in 1817 originally, the crown taking over the county when the last of the counts had to sell it because of debt). Larvik, along with neighbouring cities of

Sandefjord Sandefjord () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Sandefjord ...

and

Tønsberg Tønsberg (), historically Tunsberg, is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tønsberg Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located about south-southwest of the capital city of Oslo on the western coast of the Oslofjord near ...

, were the three dominant

whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

cities of Norway in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Government

Larvik Municipality is responsible for

primary education Primary education is the first stage of Education, formal education, coming after preschool/kindergarten and before secondary education. Primary education takes place in ''primary schools'', ''elementary schools'', or first schools and middle s ...

(through 10th grade), outpatient

health services Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

senior citizen Old age is the range of ages for people nearing and surpassing life expectancy. People who are of old age are also referred to as: old people, elderly, elders, senior citizens, seniors or older adults. Old age is not a definite biological sta ...

services,

welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...

and other

social services Social services are a range of public services intended to provide support and assistance towards particular groups, which commonly include the disadvantaged. Also available amachine-converted HTML They may be provided by individuals, private and i ...

zoning In urban planning, zoning is a method in which a municipality or other tier of government divides land into land-use "zones", each of which has a set of regulations for new development that differs from other zones. Zones may be defined for ...

economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...

, and municipal

road A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. Th ...

s and utilities. The municipality is governed by a

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

of directly elected representatives. The

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

indirectly elected An indirect election or ''hierarchical voting,'' is an election in which voters do not choose directly among candidates or parties for an office ( direct voting system), but elect people who in turn choose candidates or parties. It is one of the o ...

by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Vestfold District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Municipal council

The

of Larvik is made up of representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political

party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...

Mayors

The

mayors In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

() of Larvik: *1838-1840: Parish priest Castberg *1841-1848: Ahlert Hysing *1849-1857: Johan Sverdrup ( V) *1858-1860: Thorvald Olsen *1861-1868: Christian Christiansen ( H) *1869-1870: T.M. Nielsen *1871-1874: Jens Zetlitz *1875-1875: Carl Lund *1875-1878: Christian Christiansen ( H) *1878-1880: J.W. Falch *1880-1884: Lauritz Schmidt *1885-1886: Jul. Johnsen *1887-1888: Lauritz Schmidt *1889-1890: Colin Archer *1891-1891: Mr. Sølsberg *1891-1892: Sophus Caspar Singdahlsen *1893-1897: Michael Velo ( SmP) *1898-1898: Thorvald Johansen *1899-1901: Michael Velo ( SmP) *1901-1903: Magnus Hesselberg Oppen *1904-1904: Niels Christian Odberg ( V) *1905-1907: Thomas Arbo Høeg *1908-1910: Niels Christian Odberg ( V) *1911-1911: Magnus Hesselberg Oppen *1912-1914: Ludvig Næss ( V) *1915-1919: Karl B. Løwe ( V) *1920-1921: Oscar Andersen ( Ap) *1922-1923: Johan Andersen ( Ap) *1924-1928: Trygve Rynning ( LL) *1929-1931: Oscar Andersen ( Ap) *1932-1934: Trygve Rynning ( LL) *1934-1940: Oscar Andersen ( Ap) *1941-1941: Karl B. Løwe ( V) *1941-1945: Rolf Bjørn Høvik ( NS) *1945-1945: Oscar Andersen ( Ap) *1946-1953: Charles Anderssen ( Ap) *1953-1955: Kristian Albert Christiansen ( Ap) *1956-1959: Christian Larsen ( Ap) *1960-1971: Reidar Hansen ( Ap) *1972-1983: Gunnar Ellefsen ( Ap) *1984-1987: Gunnar Jensen ( Ap) *1988-1991: Arild Lund ( H) *1992-1993: Ragnar Johannessen ( Ap) *1994-1999: Øyvind Hunskaar ( Sp) *1999-2011: Øyvind Riise Jenssen ( H) *2011-2019: Rune Høiseth ( Ap) *2019-2023: Erik Bringedal ( H) *2023–present: Birgitte Gulla Løken ( H)

Demographics

Larvik's population is primarily centred along the coast. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Larvik, is one of two cities in the municipality; the other one being

. The city's residential areas are first and foremost in the hills between the fjord and

. The municipality had a total population of 48,396 as of 2023, with 4,159 of them being immigrants to Norway from other countries. Figures from a census held at the beginning of the 19th century indicate that Larvik's population has quadrupled in approximately 200 years. Its population however is spread through the municipality, and about 50% of the people reside in the city of Larvik. The majority of the population is found along and around the Larviksfjorden, from

in the west to Gon in the east. The population sometimes doubles during summer weeks due to tourism. Larvik is home to 4,886 vacation homes as of 2023.

Economy

Larvik is the most important agricultural municipality in

county. Besides grains, other crops grown include potatoes and vegetables. It has the county's largest production of cucumbers and tomatoes. Important industries are commerce, hotel management, and restaurant management. The

fishing industry The fishing industry includes any industry or activity that takes, cultures, processes, preserves, stores, transports, markets or sells fish or fish products. It is defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization as including recreational, sub ...

in Larvik is the second-largest in Vestfold, only smaller than the fishing industry in

Færder Municipality Færder is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Borgheim. Other villages in the municipality include Årøysund, Bj ...

. Important fishing harbours include

, Helgeroa, and Nevlunghavn. Furthermore, Larvik has the biggest

logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidder, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or trunk (botany), logs onto logging truck, trucksNorway Spruce ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, 9–17 cm long. It is very clo ...

is the most important tree species. The mined mineral Larvikite, found only here, is exported from Larvik to countries in Europe, to the United States and many other countries.

Tourism

Larvik is first and foremost known as a summer vacation community. Due to its stable climate and one of Norway's highest median temperatures, Larvik experiences significant summer tourism. Larvik's climate is among the mildest in Norway, with one of the nation's highest number of annual sunshine days. It is home to nearly 5,000 holiday homes. The coastal town of

and picturesque villages of Helgeroa and Nevlunghavn receive large numbers of tourists during summer months. Stavern is known as a summer community, and its population more than doubles during summers. Tourist attractions in Stavern include Hall of Remembrance, Fredriksvern, and Citadellet. Citadel Island is home of Staverns Fortress which dates to the 1680s. The island is a current refuge for artists. Kaupang has been described as the "chief attraction" for visitors in Larvik. Kapuang is also known as Norway's most important monument from the

Viking Age The Viking Age (about ) was the period during the Middle Ages when Norsemen known as Vikings undertook large-scale raiding, colonising, conquest, and trading throughout Europe and reached North America. The Viking Age applies not only to their ...

. Another source describes Mølen Geopark as Larvik's most visited tourist attraction. Other attractions include the Maritime Museum, Fritzøehus, Herregården, the home of

, and

. Larvik is also home to Farris Bad, the largest spa in the

, which has been described as one of Europe's best spa facilities.

Geography

Larvik occupies the southwestern corner of

county, between

Sandefjord Municipality Sandefjord () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Vestfold. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Sandefjord ...

in the east and the Langesundsfjorden in the west. The coastline of Larvik stretches from the entrance to the Sandefjordsfjord and to the Langesundsfjord, with the Larviksfjorden in the middle. The coastline consists of various beaches, bays, islets, and skerries. The land is relatively flat along the coast and by the many bays, while the interior parts consist of large and hilly woodlands. Larger mountains are found along the border with

Telemark Telemark () is a Counties of Norway, county and a current electoral district in Norway. Telemark borders the counties of Vestfold, Buskerud, Vestland, Rogaland and Agder. In 2020, Telemark merged with the county of Vestfold to form the county o ...

County in the west. The municipality has a coastline, a listtle shorter than that of neighbouring

. The municipality is located approximately southwest of the Norwegian capital,

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) 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 of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

. The municipality covers an area of , making it the largest municipality in Vestfold county. By population, however, Larvik is the third-most populous municipality, only smaller than neighbouring

and

municipalities. Larvik has its own

fjord In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...

which connects to the Lågen River. Larvik borders Kongsberg Municipality in the north (in

Buskerud Buskerud () is a Counties of Norway, county and a current electoral district in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Innlandet, Vestland, Telemark and Vestfold. The region extends from the Oslofjord and Drammensfjorden in the southeast to Hardanger ...

county),

in the east, and

Porsgrunn Municipality is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Porsgrunn. Some other notable settlements in Porsgrunn include the town of Brev ...

and Siljan Municipality (both in

county) in the west. The southernmost point in the municipality is Tvistein Lighthouse in the sea south of Hummerbakken in

. On the mainland, its southernmost point is found in Oddane, between Mølen and Nevlunghavn. The westernmost point is Geiterøya Island in the Langesundsfjord, and the easternmost point is one of the Rauer islets. The highest point is the tall mountain Vindfjell which lies on the western border with Siljan Municipality in

county. Notable geographical features include the lake

and the river

, locally called ''Lågen'', which terminates at the Larviksfjorden at the town of Larvik. Other bodies of water include the lakes

Goksjø Goksjø is a lake on the border of Larvik Municipality and Sandefjord Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The lake is located about to the northwest of the Sandefjord (town), town of Sandefjord and about to the south of the village of Kod ...

, and Hallevatnet. Larvik is also noted for its natural springs of mineral water, ''Farriskildene'', which have been commercially exploited under the brand name ''

''. At Kaupang in Tjølling lies the remains of the medieval Skiringssal trading outpost. Larvik is also home to the world's northernmost natural occurrence of ''Fagus sylvatica''

forest A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense ecological community, community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, ...

s (

European Beech ''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech, is a large, graceful deciduous tree in the beech family with smooth silvery-gray bark, large leaf area, and a short trunk with low branches. Description ''Fagus sylvatica'' is a large ...

tree), known as ''

'' ("The Beech Tree Forest"). Larvik panorama

Villages

The municipality is home to two cities and seven larger urban villages: *

(city), population: 26,851 *

(city), population: 5,902 * Tveteneåsen, population: 850 *

, population: 676 * Helgeroa and Nevlunghavn, population: 1,962 * Kvelde, population: 1,103 *

, population: 1,003 *

, population: 611 Himberg is an

exclave An enclave is a territory that is entirely surrounded by the territory of only one other state or entity. An enclave can be an independent territory or part of a larger one. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is s ...

which is part of

, although it is completely surrounded by Larvik Municipality in all directions. Attempts at annexing Himberg into Larvik Municipality have largely been met with protests from Himberg residents. A 1995 attempt at annexing Himberg was cancelled due to protests from local residents. There are only four such enclaves in Norway, and Himberg is the most populous enclave in Norway, with a population of approximately 40 people. Himberg is .

Transportation

Larvik is served by

Sandefjord Airport Torp Sandefjord Airport, Torp (; ) is a minor international airport located northeast of Sandefjord and south of Oslo in Norway. The airport features a runway aligned 18/36. Torp partially serves as a regional airport for Vestfold and in part as a ...

, its nearest international airport. The

European route E18 European route E18 runs between Craigavon, County Armagh, Craigavon in Northern Ireland and Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is about in length. Although the designation implies the ...

highway traverses the municipality and is one of Norway's most important main highways. Larvik Station is the city's main railway station along the Vestfoldbanen railway line. Daily ferries to Hirtshals,

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

depart from the city harbour and are operated by Color Line. The neighbouring city of Sandefjord has several ferry links with daily departures to

Strömstad Strömstad is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Strömstad Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 6,288 inhabitants in 2010. For historical reasons, Strömstad is called a Stad (Sweden), ''city'' despite its small popu ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

and, further south, the town of

Langesund is the administrative centre of Bamble Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The town is located on a peninsula along the Langesundsfjorden near the Skaggerak coast. The town of Stathelle lies about to the northwest. The town was establi ...

links to Hirtshals,

through a ferry which is operated by Fjord Line.

Recreation areas

Recreation areas in Larvik include the beach Lydhusstranda at Naverfjorden. The river

is considered to be one of Norway's best

salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...

fishing rivers. Freshwater fishing is also common at the lake

, which lies on the

-Larvik border. Fish species in this lake include

Northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus ''Esox'' (pikes). They are commonly found in brackish water, moderately salty and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). T ...

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

, Ide,

Common dace The common dace (''Leuciscus leuciscus'') is a species of freshwater and brackish water ray-finned fish from the family Leuciscidae which is native to Europe but which has been introduced to other parts of the world. It is a quarry species for co ...

European eel The European eel (''Anguilla anguilla'') is a species of eel. Their life history was a mystery for thousands of years, and mating in the wild has not yet been observed. The five stages of their development were originally thought to be differe ...

Salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...

, and

Brown trout The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a species of salmonid ray-finned fish and the most widely distributed species of the genus ''Salmo'', endemic to most of Europe, West Asia and parts of North Africa, and has been widely introduced globally ...

. The lake is also used for ice-skating, canoeing, swimming, boating, and other recreational activities. The tall '' Trollfoss'' is the largest and tallest waterfall in Vestfold County. Hiking trails can be found throughout the municipality, including in the city forest ''

'', Norway's largest beech tree forest. This forest is home to various trails, starting at in length up to in length. Hiking trails can also be found at Mølen, which is an UNESCO GeoPark and home of Norway's largest stone beach. The Coastal Path (''Kyststien'') is a path through

to the town

. Additional hiking trails can be found by the lakes

and

. Farris Lake is the largest lake in Vestfold County. Due to the municipality's many rural areas, Larvik is known for its game hunting, and large forests are open for hunting. There are great stocks of

moose The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...

; Larvik has among Norway's highest number of moose. Between 700 and 800 moose are annually slaughtered in the county. Other important species of game are Roe deer,

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

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 species of Palearctic hare that is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. Evolution ...

European beaver The Eurasian beaver (''Castor fiber'') or European beaver is a species of beaver widespread across Eurasia, with a rapidly increasing population of at least 1.5 million in 2020. The Eurasian beaver was hunted to near-extinction for both its fur ...

, and Common wood pigeon.

Beaches

List of publicly-owned beaches in Larvik: * Farris * Rekkeviksbukta * Batteritomta * Gonstranda (Østre Halsen) * Hvittensand (Østre Halsen) * Corntin (

) * Blokkebukta (Naverfjord) * Anvikstranda (Naverfjord) * Stolpstadstranda (Naverfjord) * Lydhusstranda (Naverfjord) * Roppestad (Farris) * Skjærsjø ( Kvelde) * Ula (

) * Kjerringvik (Tjølling)

Culture

Larvik Museum

The Larvik Museum Society was founded in 1916. The museum is now associated with the Vestfold Museum (''Vestfoldmuseene''). Larvik Museum was established with the purpose of preserving, and restoring the city's collection of historic buildings.

The Treschow-Fritzøe Museum (''Verkensgården'') houses exhibitions from the former Treschow-Fritzøe ironworks. Verkensgården displays tools, equipment, drawings, and models illustrating the iron-production era in Larvik, which dated from 1670 to 1870. The exhibition shows various aspects; from the geological process of creation to production, and use of the stone larvikite, the area's main export product. The Iron Works was closed during 1868. Larvik Herregaarden

Manor House (''Herregården'') was built by Ulrik Fredrik Gyldenløve for his third wedding in 1677. It is a large wooden structure with well-preserved baroque interiors from the 1730s. Herregården manor house is a large

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

wooden building with classic elements. The interior design is mainly

and

Regency In a monarchy, a regent () is a person appointed to govern a state because the actual monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge their powers and duties, or the throne is vacant and a new monarch has not yet been dete ...

style. The house is filled with 17th- and 18th-century antiques. Herregården from 1677 is considered one of Norway's finest secular Baroque structures. It is one of few baroque architectural monuments representing nobility in Norway. Furthermore, it is one of Norway's largest wooden buildings from 17th century. The Larvik Maritime Museum (''Larvik Sjøfartsmuseum'') is housed in Larvik's oldest brick building, dating from 1730. Larvik Maritime Museum is located in the old

customs house A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting ...

, and is the residence of the local building inspector. This museum displays models of ships, paintings of sailing vessels, and other nautical artifacts to bring the port's maritime history alive. One section of the museum is devoted to the expeditions of Larvik-born

Fritzøehus

Fritzøehus is a private estate located in Larvik. The estate has traditionally been associated with various members of the Treschow family and is presently owned by Mille-Marie Treschow. It is Norway's largest privately owned estate.

Churches

The

Church of Norway The Church of Norway (, , , ) is an Lutheranism, evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. Christianity became the state religion of Norway around 1020, and was established a ...

has twelve parishes () within the municipality of Larvik. It is part of the Larvik prosti (

deanery A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of ...

) in the

Diocese of Tunsberg Tunsberg is a diocese of the Church of Norway. It includes all of the parishes located within the counties of Vestfold and Buskerud, with the cathedral located in the city of Tønsberg. The Diocese of Tunsberg consists of the cathedral deanery and ...

Points of interest

Notable points of interest include: * Istrehågan, ancient

burial ground A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many dead people are buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ) implies th ...

on the Larvik-

border *

, Norway's largest and the world's northernmost beech tree forest. * Larvik Maritime Museum, museum dedicated to Larvik's nautical history. It is home to several models by Colin Archer, and has its own exhibition dedicated to

. * Helgeroa and Nevlunghavn, adjacent coastal villages * Kaupang in Skiringssal, remains from the oldest Nordic town yet discovered. * Mølen, first UNESCO Global Geopark in the

. It is home to 230

cairn A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...

s dating to the Iron Age. * Farris Lake, largest lake in Vestfold County. *

, coastal town and former home of Norway's main naval base in Fredriksvern ** Hall of Remembrance, largest monument in Vestfold County. ** Citadel Island, fort which came to prominence during the Nordic War of 1709–1720. * Farris Bad, built next to Larvik's best sandy beach, Farris Bad is named amongst the best spas in Europe by ''

Lonely Planet Publications Lonely or The Lonely may refer to: *Loneliness, an emotional response to perceived isolation Music EPs * ''Lonely'' (Frente! EP) or the title song, 1994 * ''Lonely'' (Spica EP) or the title song, 2012 Songs * "Lonely" (2NE1 song), 2011 * "Lonely ...

''. * The Nesjar Monument, located in Helgeroa, made on the 1,000th anniversary for the Battle of Nesjar. First unveiled July 29, 2016. * Herregården, erected in 1677 and recognised as one of Norway's finest secular Baroque structures. * Larvik Church, erected in 1877 and situated at Tollerodden. Famous for its paintings. * Childhood home of

, located at Steingata 7 in Larvik proper. *

, third-largest lake in Vestfold County, located on the

-Larvik border. Used for swimming, fishing, kayaking, ice-skating, and skiing.

Gallery

File:Gravhaug.jpg, Burial mound in

. File:Kaupang, Vestfold view 22jun2005.jpg, Kaupang is the oldest town in Norway., alt=Kaupang is the oldest town in Norway.: 50–51 File:Larvik church, Larvik, Vestfold, Norway - panoramio.jpg, Larvik Church. File:Fredriksvern shipyard - panoramio.jpg, Fredriksvern in

. File:Larvik town hall.jpg, Former Larvik Town Hall. File:Larvik (14387497427).jpg, Widerøe aerial photo, 1964. File:Larvik torg.jpg, Larvik City Centre. File:Larvik museum.jpg, Larvik Maritime Museum. File:Citadelløya Stavern.jpg, Citadel Island. File:Cairns at Mølen.jpg, Mølen is Norway's longest stone beach. File:Istre Hågan.jpg, Rock settings at Istrehågan resemble a ship., alt=Rock settings at Istrehågan resemble a ship.: 28 File:Ulaflyfotojle2003.jpg, Ula, Norway.

Notable people

Honorary citizens

(1914–2002), an adventurer and ethnographer * Carl Nesjar (1920–2015), a painter, sculptor, and graphic artist who worked with Pablo Picasso * Antonio Bibalo (1922–2008), an Italian-Norwegian pianist who composed classical operas * Arne Nordheim (1931–2010), a composer *

Ingvar Ambjørnsen Ingvar Even Ambjørnsen-Haefs (born 20 May 1956) is a Norwegian writer. He is best known for his "Elling" tetralogy: ''Utsikt til paradiset'' (1993), ''Fugledansen'' (1995), ''Brødre i blodet'' (1996), and ''Elsk meg i morgen'' (1999). ''Brø ...

(born 1956), a writer

Explorers

* Johan Bryde (1858–1925), a ship-owner and whaler *

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 h ...

(1860–1924), an Antarctic explorer who discovered fossils *

Oscar Wisting Oscar Adolf Wisting (6 June 1871 – 5 December 1936) was a Norwegian Naval officer and polar explorer. Together with Roald Amundsen he was the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. Biography Oscar Wisting was born in ...

(1871–1936), a Norwegian Naval officer and polar explorer * Erik Hesselberg (1914-1972), a

Kon-Tiki The ''Kon-Tiki'' expedition was a 1947 journey by raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands, led by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl. The raft was named ''Kon-Tiki'' after the Inca god Viracocha, f ...

crew member, author, painter, and sculptor * Jarle Andhøy (born 1977), a controversial adventurer and sailing skipper Portrett av Jens Schou Fabricius - Oslo Museum - OB

Portrett av Jens Schou Fabricius - Oslo Museum - OB

Public Service & public thinking

Jens Schou Fabricius Vice-Admiral Jens Schou Fabricius (3 March 1758 – 6 April 1841) was a Norwegian naval officer who served as Minister of the Navy and Postal Affairs, Minister of the Navy from 1817 to 1818. He served as a representative for ''Søe-Deffensionen'' ...

(1758–1841), a

Vice-admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of vic ...

and Norwegian Minister of the Navy from 1817–1818 * Friderich Adolph von Schleppegrell (1792–1850), a Dano-Norwegian military officer * Johan Sverdrup (1816–1892), a politician who was

Prime Minister of Norway The prime minister of Norway (, which directly translates to "minister of state") is the head of government and chief executive of Norway. The prime minister and Cabinet of Norway, Cabinet (consisting of all the most senior government departme ...

from 1884-1889 *

Thomas Archer Thomas Archer (1668–1743) was an English Baroque architect. His buildings are important as the only ones by an English Baroque architect to show evidence of study of contemporary continental, namely Italian, architecture. It is said that hi ...

(1823-1905), an

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

n pastoralist and Agent General for Queensland * Colin Archer (1832–1921), a Norwegian naval architect and

shipbuilder Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

Sophus Bugge Elseus Sophus Bugge (5 January 1833 – 8 July 1907) was a Norwegian philologist and linguist. His scholarly work was directed to the study of runic inscriptions and Norse philology. Bugge is best known for his theories and his work on the runi ...

(1833–1907) a philologist and linguist * Karl Gether Bomhoff (1842–1925), a pharmacist, politician, and Governor of

Norges Bank Norges Bank (, , ) is the central bank of Norway. It is responsible for managing the Government Pension Fund of Norway, which is the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, as well as the bank's own foreign exchange reserves. History The histor ...

* Bertrand Narvesen (1860–1939), a businessman who founded '' Narvesen'' * Bernt Berntsen (1863–1933), a Norwegian-American Protestant Christian missionary to China * Anna Hvoslef (1866–1954), a journalist, politician, and feminist * Adolf Fonahn (1873–1940), a physician, medical historian, and orientalist * Niels Christian Ditleff (1881–1956), a diplomat and architect of

White Buses White Buses was a Swedish humanitarian operation with the objective of freeing Scandinavians in German concentration camps in Nazi Germany during the final stages of World War II. Although the White Buses operation was envisioned to rescue Sc ...

operation * Erling Utnem (1920–2006), a theologian, priest, and Bishop of Agder from 1973-1983 * Herman Sachnowitz (1921-1978), one of the few

Norwegian Jews The history of Jews in Norway dates back to the 1400s. Although there were very likely Jewish merchants, sailors and others who entered Norway during the Middle Ages, no efforts were made to establish a Jewish community. Through the early mod ...

who survived deportation to a concentration camp *

Knut Helle Knut Helle (19 December 1930 – 27 June 2015) was a Norwegian historian. A professor at the University of Bergen from 1973 to 2000, he specialized in the late medieval history of Norway. He has contributed to several large works. Early life, ...

(1930–2015), a historian and academic * Mille-Marie Treschow (born 1954–2018), a landlord and businessperson *

Lars Gule Lars Gule (born 24 June 1955) is a Norwegian philosopher. He has graduated with a doctorate in philosophy, and is an associate professor (at Oslo Metropolitan University). From 2000 to 2005 he was secretary general of the Norwegian Humanist Asso ...

(born 1955), a philosopher and commentator on extremism and terrorism *

Anders Anundsen Anders Anundsen (born 17 November 1975) is a Norwegian politician for the Progress Party who served as Minister of Justice from 2013 to 2016. He was also a member of the Norwegian parliament, representing Vestfold from 2005 to 2017. A jurist ...

(born 1975), a politician who was

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

from 2013-2016 * Hassan Abdi Dhuhulow (1990–2013), a Norwegian-Somalian Islamist terrorist

The arts

* Cecil Aagaard (1916–1984), a jazz vocalist and band leader * Absolute Steel (formed in 1999), a heavy metal band * Mari Bjørgan (1950–2014), an actress and variety show comedian * Birgitte Einarsen (born in 1975), a singer and musical theatre artist from Helgeroa *

Terje Gewelt Terje Gewelt (born 8 June 1960) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass). Career Gewelt was born in Oslo and raised in Larvik, a small town on the southeastern coast of Norway. He started playing guitar at the age of 10, switched to elect ...

(born 1960), a jazz musician who plays the upright bass who was raised in Larvik * Hans Holmen (1878–1958), a painter and sculptor *

Anne Holt Anne Holt (born 16 November 1958) is a Norwegian author, lawyer and former Minister of Justice and the Police (Norway), Minister of Justice. Early life She was born in Larvik, grew up in Lillestrøm and Tromsø, and moved to Oslo in 1978. Holt g ...

(born 1958), a crime writer, lawyer, and former minister of justice * Louis Jacoby (born 1942), a singer and writer * Ruth Lagesen (1914–2005), a pianist and conductor * Bjørn Lynne (born 1966), a sound engineer and music composer * Carl Nesjar (1920–2015), a painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and fabricator for

Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...

* Arne Nordheim (1931–2010), a composer * Arthur Omre (1887–1967), a novelist, liquor smuggler, swindler, and thief *

Gunnar Reiss-Andersen Gunnar Reiss-Andersen (21 August 1896 – 29 July 1964) was a Norwegian lyric poet and writer. Biography He was born at Larvik in Vestfold, Norway. Reiss-Andersen went to sea at 17 years of age, sailing the Baltic and North Seas for a year in t ...

(1896–1964), a lyric poet and author * Jonas Kilmork Vemøy (born 1986), a jazz trumpeter and composer who was raised in Larvik * Herman Wildenvey (1885–1959), a poet

Sport

* Sverre Hansen (1913–1974), a footballer who was a team bronze medallist at the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...

* Gunnar Thoresen (1920-2017), a famous footballer who had 261 caps for Larvik Turn and 64 for

* Anette Bøe (born 1957), a cross-country skier who was a team bronze medallist at the

1980 Winter Olympics The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lake Placid 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States. Lake Placid was elected ...

* Hallvar Thoresen (born 1957), a footballer with 320 club caps and 50 for

* Tom Erik Oxholm (born 1959), a speed skater and twice bronze medallist at the

* Tom Sundby (born 1960), a footballer with 39 caps for

* Bjørg Eva Jensen (born 1960), a speed skater and gold medallist at the

* Gunnar Halle (born 1965), a football manager and player with 509 club caps and 64 for

* Espen Hoff (born 1981), a retired professional footballer with 427 club caps * Alexander Hvaal (born 1992), a professional rallycross driver

Sports teams

Larvik HK Larvik Håndballklubb, is a professional women's handball club from Larvik, Norway. The club has won 36 titles total in both the Eliteserien (women's handball), Norwegian League and the Norwegian Women's Handball Cup, Norwegian Cup, and won the ...

(

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...

) * Larvik TIF *

IF Fram Larvik Idrettsforeningen Fram, better known as Fram Larvik to distinguish it from other sport clubs, is a sports club from Torstrand in Larvik, Norway. It has sections for association football, Athletics (sport), athletics, team handball, handball and ...

Twin towns – sister cities

Larvik has

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

agreements with the following places: *

Borlänge Borlänge () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality in Dalarna County, Sweden, with 44,898 inhabitants as of 2020. It is the seat of the Borlänge Municipality which as of 2017 had a total population of 51,604 inhabitants. History Originally Bor ...

, Sweden *

Frederikshavn Frederikshavn () is a Danish town in Frederikshavn municipality, Region Nordjylland, on the northeast coast on the North Jutlandic Island in northern Denmark. Its name translates to "Frederik's harbor". It was originally named Fladstrand. The ...

, Denmark

References

External links

Municipal fact sheet
from

Statistics Norway Statistics Norway (, abbreviated to ''SSB'') is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876. Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All rele ...

opplevlarvik.no Tourist information
* *
iBrunlanes.no

Live Camera - 10 cameras from Larvik

Larvik Museum website Vestfoldmuseene website
{{use dmy dates, date=November 2023 Municipalities of Vestfold 1838 establishments in Norway

General information

Etymology

Coat of arms

History

Government

Municipal council

Mayors

Demographics

Economy

Tourism

Geography

Villages

Transportation

Recreation areas

Beaches

Culture

Larvik Museum

Fritzøehus

Churches

Points of interest

Gallery

Notable people

Honorary citizens

Explorers

Public Service & public thinking

The arts

Sport

Sports teams

Twin towns – sister cities

See also

References

External links