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Top Attractions in Vestfold

Stavern

Stavern is a small Norwegian town located in the municipality of Larvik, south of the city of Larvik in Vestfold. The port and naval base of Stavern was established as a municipality 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). Even though it was an important port it was first given its status as a town 1 July 1942. The small town and municipality of Stavern was merged with the larger town of Larvik 1 January 1988. The town was the site of an important Norwegian naval base, Fredriksvern, from 1677 to 2002. Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen, Norwegian-American author, was born at Fredriksvern. Stavern has probably been a harbor since ancient times. The name is found in written sources from the 11th century and the 12th century where it is referred to as a good fishing harbor. Besides being an important military harbour, Stavern in the 17th and 18th century was also an important port for civil ship traffic from Norway to Denmark and Sweden. Its name might stem from the name of the farm previously located there, Staurheim. It might also originate from merchants sailing from the Frisian town Stavoren. A final possible explanation is that it originates from an Old Norse name for steep cliffs or mountains, Staferni or Stafr, which accurately describes the landscape around the town. Its former and current name is Stavern, but from 1799 to 1930 even the civilian part of the town was titled Fredriksværn as its only function was as the site of that naval base. From 1942 the town was Norway's smallest until it merged with Larvik in 1988 and lost its town status. In 1996 Stavern was again elevated to town status. Currently there are around 3000 inhabitants in Stavern. It is a small town where tourism is one of the most important sources of income. During summer, the population increases to around 30,000-40,000 people, due to camping sites and cottages around the town center as well as boats visiting the harbour. During the 20th century, Stavern became a beloved site for artists and craftsmen. The poet Herman Wildenvey, the writer Jonas Lie as well as the painters Hans Gude and Christian Krohg all lived in Stavern at some point in their lives. Today, the town is well known in southern Norway for its many exhibitions and art galleries. Stavern is the site of the Norwegian national memorial to fallen sailors of World War I and World War II and a statue of the 18th century naval hero Peder Tordenskjold.

Staverns Fortress

The construction of Staverns Fortress began in 1677 when Ulrik Frederick Gyldenløve built a blockhouse with battery and palisades on a hill at Stavern, Norway as part of the overall development of Norwegian fortresses. The fort was first built on Karlsøy during the Gyldenløve War . The fortress was expanded in 1687 until 1689 to include three canon batteries and a blockhouse. The fortress served as an important base for Norwegian naval hero Tordenskiold and his fleet during the Great Northern War’s final Norwegian phase from 1709 until 1720 and as a central staging point for sea commerce from Denmark in this period. The fort was the homeport for the Danish–Norwegian Kattegat squadron. And not least, it served as a major chandelling and forwarding center for canon from the Norwegian ironworks and other equipment. Fredriksvern and Fredriksvern Verft was established as the headquarters for the Norwegian Fleet from 1750 until 1758 so that the older fortification became part of the naval base. The oldest constructed building, ‘’Krutttårnet’’, has a distinctive architecture and today is a well known tourist attraction.

Karljohansvern

Karjohansvern at Horten was the main base for the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1819 to 1963. In 1818, it was decided to establish a naval base in Horten. It was first called Hortens verft, and later Marinens Hovedværft until King Oscar I named it Carljohansværn værft in 1854 . The shipyards was begun in 1820 and the first launch, a frigate, was in 1828. In 1953, the Norwegian Parliament determined the Navys main base should be moved to Bergen. When the new headquarters at Haakonsvern was officially opened in 1963, a number of functions were transferred from Karljohansvern. In 1968, the National Government took over the shipyard and renamed it A/S Horten Verft. which was closed down in 1987. The Officer Candidate School for the Navy remained on site until 2005. The Naval District East based there was disbanded in 2002. The Royal Norwegian Navy Museum and the fortress Norske Løve on Vealøs remain. Only the island of Vealøs, which is connected to Horten with a bridge, is still owned by the Department of Defence. The whole island is still a military area, and the area is cordoned off with fencing, video surveillance and guard booths. The former shipyard has been converted into an industrial park, Horten Industripark. The Royal Norwegian Navy Museum and the Royal Norwegian Navy Band, a department of the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and some of the Navys school administration are still present. In 2001, Preus Museum moved to the former naval facility. As of 2006, the entire base including 73 buildings has been given protected heritage status by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage.

Fredriksvern

Fredriksvern, Frederiksværn, Fredriksværen and abbreviated Frsværn) was an important Norwegian naval base, just south of Larvik in Vestfold. The town of Stavern has in many ways come to be because of this naval base. Fredriksvern or Stavern has probably been a harbor since ancient times. The name is found in written sources the 11th century and in the 12th century it is referred to as a good fishing harbor. The military activities in Stavern began with building of Staverns Fortress, part of a major construction of Norwegian Fortresses which took place from 1675 to 1679 under Christian IV. Citadellet Fort was built in the 1680s by count Fredrik Gyldenløve and had an important role during the last Nordic war from 1709 to 1720. During the winter of 1748 1749 Fredrik V ordered construction of a shipyard and a drydock in Norway and in 1750 the first Norwegian naval command base was constructed. The king did so as a defensive measure in the event of a war with Sweden. A naval station in Norway could support land strength in the event of a Swedish invasion by cutting off naval transport of Swedish troops and supplies, reducing the risk of such an invasion. Fredriksværns Værft was finished in 1750 and a number of vessels were built there, including a frigate in 1775. Fredriksvern Church was finished in 1756 as the garrison church in a style with influences from both renaissance and baroque. The main base for the Common Fleet was at Copenhagen, but when Norway and Denmark split in 1814 Fredriksvern became the main base for the Royal Norwegian Navy. The Common fleet had been decimated by the British robbery in 1807 and the Norwegians got the lesser share of what was left when the union was ended. It soon became apparent that major expansion of the navy had to take place. Fredriksvern had one strategic flaw, it was difficult to defend from a land based attack. In addition its capacity was too small for the new expanded navy. Already in 1815 it was decided to look for a new location for the main naval base. But Norway was extremely poor and both the fleet expansion and the building of the new base was delayed. During the 1830s a new main naval base was constructed at Horten, but Fredriksvern continued to be an important naval base and remained active as an air force academy until 2002.

Norske Løve Fortress

Norske Løve is the name of a 19th-century fortress built from 1852 to 1859 to protect Karljohansvern naval station at Horten in Norway. Norske Løve is a reference to the lion on the Coat of Arms of Norway. The fort is still a military area, but is today only used as an administration building for the Norwegian naval officers training school. The fort was constructed by Baltazar Nicolai Garben. The primary construction material was limestone, reinforced with granite. The fortress structure was fitted with heavy artillery on several floors protected by casemates. It has a moat which can be filled with water and was originally fitted with a circular envelope with 22 open casemates each holding a 3 ton cannon. The fort originally had a complement of 500 men. The open casemates were walled up by the Germans during World War II, but otherwise the fort is largely in its original form.

Tønsberg Cathedral

Tønsberg Cathedral is a Lutheran church in the Church of Norway and is home to the Diocese of Tunsberg. It is located in Tønsberg, Norway. Originally a parish church, that was elevated to cathedral in 1948 when the Diocese of Tunsberg was created, detached from that of Oslo. The cathedral is built over the ruins of St. Laurentius Church, which was built in the first half of the 12th century and demolished in 1814. It is a brick Gothic church, originally designed by the architect Christian Heinrich Grosch and completed in 1858 on the ruins of an ancient church. It was remodeled in 1939. The altarpiece shows Jesus´struggle at Gethsemane. It was painted in 1760 by J. P. Lindegård. The pulpit, created by unknown local artisans, is from 1621. Two 16th Century Bibles, one from 1550 and one from 1589, are treasures that belongs to the Cathedral. The Cathedral is richly carved including the four evangelists and their personal symbols. The Cathedral has space for 550 seats.

Sandefjord Airport Station

Sandefjord Airport Station , also known as Torp Station , is on the Vestfold Line in Sandefjord, Norway. It is served with regional trains operated by the Norwegian State Railways . Located close to Sandefjord Airport, Torp, the station is served by a free four-minute shuttle bus service from the station to the airport. The trains operate northwards via towns in Vestfold to Drammen and Oslo and onwards via Oslo Airport, Gardermoen to towns in Hedmark and Oppland. Southwards, the trains serve Sandefjord, Larvik and Grenland. The station opened as Raastad, later Råstad, in 1881. It had a single building, designed by Balthazar Lange. It was upgraded with a passing loop in 1910, but this was removed in 1971, and the station was closed in 1978. In 2008, the station reopened to serve the airport. The station is owned by the Norwegian National Rail Administration.
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