Etymology

The name Sandefjord was first mentioned in chapter 169 of Sverris saga from the year 1200. It was then referring to the fjord which is now known as Sandefjordsfjord.^[21]: 353 The municipality (originally the city of Sandefjord) is named after the local fjord, now called Sandefjordsfjorden since the city of Sandefjord grew up at the head of the fjord. The first element of the name comes from the old Sande farm (Old Norse: Sandar). The old farm name is the plural form of sandr which means "sand" or "sandbanks". The last element comes from the word fjǫrðr which means "fjord".^{[22][23]: 6 [24]}

Coat of arms

Coat of arms (1914-2017)

Coat of arms (since 2017)

Sandefjord has had two coats of arms over the course of its history.

The original coat of arms was granted on 9 May 1914 and they were in use until 1 January 2017.^[21]: 256 The official blazon is "Or, a Viking ship sable with a sail paly gules and argent under a whale embowed". This means the arms have a field (background) has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The arms usually showed a mural crown over the shield. The charge is a Viking ship with a red and white striped sail with an arched whale over the top. The Viking ship symbolizes the famous Gokstad ship, which was found in Sandefjord in 1880, one of the best preserved Viking ships known. The whale symbolizes that in the late 19th and early 20th century, Sandefjord was a main home port for whalers operating in the southern oceans. The arms were designed by Andreas Bloch. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.^[25][26][27]

The current coat of arms was approved for use starting on 1 January 2017, after the merger of Andebu, Stokke, and Sandefjord.^[28] The official blazon is "Or, a whaler with raised harpoon on a boat issuant from the base sable" (Norwegian: I gull i en oppvoksende båt en hvalfanger med hevet harpun, alt i svart). This means the arms have a field (background) has a tincture of Or which means it is commonly colored yellow, but if it is made out of metal, then gold is used. The charge is a whaler with a harpoon standing on a boat that is coming out of the base of the shield. The arms show part of a local whale hunting monument to symbolize the historical importance of whaling. The arms were designed by Erik Raastad from Sandefjord who called the design "courage and strength". There were also minor modification done by the heraldic expert Jan Eide from Oslo. The municipal flag has the same design as the coat of arms.^{[25][26][29][30]}

Viking history

The 9th century Gokstad Ship was discovered in Sandefjord.

Sandefjord has been inhabited for thousands of years.^[23]: 6 Excavations indicate that people have inhabited Sandefjord for around 3,000 years. Rock carvings at Haugen farm by Istrehågan in Jåberg are dated to 1,500–500 BCE.^[31] Haugen farm is home to Vestfold county's largest petroglyph site.^[32]: 38 In 1961-1962, 78 rock carvings were discovered at the site. They consist of ships, spiral figures, circular hollows, and much more.^[33]: 88

The Vikings lived in Sandefjord and surrounding areas about 1,000 years ago, and numerous Viking artifacts and monuments can be found in Sandefjord.^[34] One of the most important remains from the Viking Age was found at the grave site Gokstadhaugen (Gokstad Mound) in Sandefjord. The Gokstad ship was excavated by Nicolay Nicolaysen and is now in the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. The Viking, an exact replica of the Gokstad ship, crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Bergen to be exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. A replica of the Gokstad ship, called Gaia, currently has Sandefjord as home port.^{[35]: 277 [31]} Other known replicas include the Munin, (a half scale replica) located in Vancouver, Canada.

The Gokstad Ship, Norway's largest preserved Viking ship, was discovered during an excavation at Gokstad Mound in 1880. The Vikings first settled here due to its speedy route from Sandefjord and along the coast.^[36] Viking settlements and grave sites have been discovered in Sandefjord.^[37]: 397

Sandefjord functioned as a seaport defined by the twin industries of shipping and shipbuilding throughout the 1600s and 1700s. It was formally recognized as a market town (kjøpstad) by King Oscar in 1845. Its population at the time was 749 residents.^[36]

Health resort

Kurbadet is housed in one of the largest wooden buildings in the Nordics.^[38]

The city of Sandefjord became known as a world-renowned health resort destination between 1837 and 1939. Royalty and Prime Ministers from throughout Europe visited the town for its spas in the late 1800s.^[39] It gained its reputation as a health and pleasure community when Sandefjord sulfur spa and resort (Sandefjord Kurbad) was established in 1837. It was the first spa in town and functioned as a medical institution focusing on the treatment of symptoms for rheumatic diseases. The original bathhouse has been restored and is now a culture house by the city center.^[36] It was one of Europe's most visited baths until its closure in 1939.^[40]: 36

Around 50,000 people, mostly Norwegians, visited the bath from 1837 to 1939. A majority of spa visitors were from Norway, but international guests from Germany, Britain, and the United States also visited the spas of Sandefjord.^[31] Today the bath's building, Kurbadet, has been restored and hosts cultural events and various annual activities.^[41]

Town fires

Sandefjord has experienced numerous town fires, including a town fire in 1800 which led to most of the town burning down and subsequently having to be rebuilt.^[41] An additional fire in 1900 destroyed 56 houses and caused major damage.^[31] Sandefjord's ships and the shipping industry remained untouched from the major fire of March 1900.^[42]: 200 The fire, which started on the night before 16 March 1900, led to the entire city center burning down, including important business offices. Both newspapers in town, Sandefjords Blad and Vestfold, saw their offices burnt down. Six jewelry stores, three watchmakers, eight grocery stores, and a variety of other shops were destroyed. The fire started in the factory Nordmannen. The fire caused the loss of 51 buildings for a total value of 1.5 million kr in addition to 1 million kr in loss of store items.^{[43]: 7–9} Sandefjord Church (built in 1872) also burnt down during the town fire of 1900.^[21]: 330

A new town fire on 27–28 March 1915 led to the death of two people and destroyed seven farms. Large parts of the street Storgata were also destroyed.^{[43]: 74 [42]: 299}

Whaling and ships

Whaler's Monument is made in style of a compass, and it rotates slowly.^{[35]: 349 [44]}

Sandefjord is perhaps best known as a whaling community.^[45] The centre of the world's modern whaling industry was located in town, and local residents not only made up practically all the crew on the Norwegian whaling fleet, but substantial numbers of them also worked within the whaling industry in nearby countries. For over fifty years in the late 1800s, Sandefjord functioned as the world center for the whaling industry, including the manufacture and equipment of whaling vessels, floating factories, and whale-catchers.^[46]: 25 Sandefjord has also been named the "whaling capital of the world."^{[10][11][12][13]} There were 25 whaling companies that were established in Sandefjord between 1905 and 1914.^[47]: 170 During the 1911-1912 season, Sandefjord had 27 whaling companies with a total of 115 vessels. This made up over 30 percent of the world's whaling firms.^[42]: 218

Southern Actor, museum ship at Museum's Wharf

Christian Radich, full-rigged ship built in Sandefjord

Starting in 1850, a number of ships from Sandefjord were whaling and sealing in the Arctic Ocean and along the coast of Finnmark. The first whaling expedition from Sandefjord to the Antarctic Ocean was sent in 1905. Towards the end of the 1920s, Sandefjord had a fleet of 15 factory ships and more than 90 whalers. In 1954, more than 2,800 men from the district were hired as crew on the whalers, but from the mid-1950s whaling was gradually reduced. The number of southbound expeditions rapidly decreased during the 1960s, and the 1967-1968 season became the last for Sandefjord.^[47]: 170 In 1971, Sandefjord's last whale processing vessel was sold to Japan.^[33]: 28 The shipping industry was gradually readjusted from whaling to other ship types during this period. The local Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted and Jotun Group Private Ltd. had major roles in this business.

Today, the memories of this important period of Sandefjord's history are kept alive at the Whaling Museum (Hvalfangstmuseet). This museum is the only museum in Europe specializing in whales and the history of whaling.^[34][48] The history of the whalers can also be explored at the Museum's Wharf with a visit aboard the whale-catcher Southern Actor. Whaling is considered to be the industry which made Sandefjord the richest city in Norway.^[6]

Sandefjord also has shipping traditions of tall sailing ships and steam ships. The full-rigged sailing ship Christian Radich, three-masted barquentine Endurance, whale catcher Jason and Viking ship replica Viking were some of the many ships built by Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted.

Hans Albert Grøn of Sandefjord established the first whaling station in the Faroe Islands in 1894, which was located at Gjánoyri on the island of Streymoy.^{[49][46]: 84} As of 1903, half of all whaling companies in the Faroe Islands were operated out of Sandefjord.^[42]: 205 Furthermore, Sandefjord was the headquarters of the South African Whaling Company (SAWC), which was established in 1908 and managed by shipowner Johan Bryde of Sandefjord.^[50] Sandefjordian whaling firms were also established on the coast of Africa, in Portugal, Mexico, Western Australia, among other places.^[42]: 327

Antarctic expeditions

The Norwegian flag was raised at Framnæsodden in Sandefjord Cove on Antarctica's Peter I Island in 1929.^[51]

Norway achieved sovereignty of Bouvet Island during Nils Larsen's Antarctic expeditions.

Towards the beginning of World War I, Norwegian whaling spread throughout the world, most and foremost from Sandefjord. Expeditions from Sandefjord went as far as Norwegian Bay in Australia, Stewart Island in New Zealand, Walvis Bay in Namibia, Corral, Chile, and also isolated places such as Kerguelen Islands, South Georgia Island, Bouvet Island, and the Southern Ocean.^{[52]: 618–619}

In the 1910s, affluent resident August F. Christensen was given a grant to practice whaling outside Peru and Ecuador. He was also appointed Ecuador's consul to Norway. He achieved an agreement with Ecuadorian government officials which allowed Norwegians to inhabit the Galápagos Islands, and also receive 200 hectares (490 acres) of land, pay no taxes for ten years, and be allowed to keep their Norwegian citizenship.^{[52]: 665–666 [53]} Christensen created huge local interest of Galápagos, and the local company La Colonia de Floreana A/S was established on 21 March 1925. Its main goal was to exploit the Norwegian fishing rights at the Galápagos Islands. A ship named Floreana departed from Sandefjord on 15 May 1925, equipped with enough men and goods to establish a colony.^{[52]: 666–667}

Model of Whalers Church in Grytviken, exhibit at Sandefjord Museum.

On 16 November 1904, Carl Anton Larsen of Sandefjord established the whaling community of Grytviken, the largest settlement in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.^[54][55] South Georgia Island lies a few thousand kilometers east of Cape Horn.^[52]: 619

Nils Larsen (1900–1976) was a sea captain from Sandefjord, famous for his expeditions of Antarctica in the early 20th century. It was under his expeditions that Norway achieved annexation of Bouvet Island in 1927 and Peter I Island two years after. A cove on Antarctica's Peter I Island is named Sandefjord Cove in honor of Larsen's hometown.^[56][57] Sandefjord Ice Bay in continental Antarctica is also named after Sandefjord.^[58] Mount Nils Larsen in Queen Maud Land, Mount Nils in Enderby Land and Nils Larsen Glacier are examples of many geographical names given in honor of Nils Larsen.^[59]

World War II

German fortresses were constructed on both West- and East Island.

A week after Operation Weserübung, German forces entered Sandefjord on 16 April 1940. About 30-40 men arrived in semi-trucks from Horten under the leadership of Erik von Drydalski. After handing their directives to Sandefjord police chief Kjartan Bruun Hansen, the men left for Hotel Atlantic, where they established their headquarters in Sandefjord. German troops in Sandefjord soon rose to 200.^[60] At the beginning of the German occupation of Norway, a German Hafenkapitän (harbormaster) was placed at Tollboden, and a representative for Admiral Norwegen was placed in an office building at Framnes verft. German soldiers could be seen marching throughout the city. At the beginning of the occupation, over 2,000 German officers visited Socitetsbygningen (today's Park Hotel), which belonged to Sandefjord Spa. The Nazi flag was waving over the building during the visit. Norwegian students were told to learn the German language, and handed out a book, Deutsche Fibel. They were also given a copy of Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf translated into the Norwegian language.^{[61]: 116–117}

Albert Skålsvik of Krokemoa is honored at Minnehallen.

German forces constructed two coastal forts in Sandefjord, located at the southern tips of two local peninsulas: Vesterøya and Østerøya. The largest German construction in Sandefjord took place at Folehavna, where a fortress was erected in the spring of 1941. Four cannons with a target range of 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) were installed at the site, along with a 120-metre (390 ft) tunnel. The four 15-centimetre (5.9 in) cannons were installed in concrete gun pits on the sloping rocks. German construction also took place by the lake Goksjø, and also at Jernbaneallén, where a former garage structure was turned into a prison camp.^{[61]: 121–122 [62]: 114}

Many local residents were killed during World War II, including a number of seamen. Håkon Andersen of Framnes was killed onboard Arcturus when the ship was attacked by British Beaufighters. Albert K. J. Skålsvik (1921–1944) of Krokemoa, a member of the Norwegian Homefleet ("Hjemmeflåten"), was 18 years when the war broke out. Skålsvik was killed, along with the captain, when the ship DS Kong Bjørn was attacked by allied warplanes by Ryvingen Lighthouse in 1944. He is now commemorated at the Hall of Remembrance in the town of Stavern in neighborin Larvik Municipality. Skålsvik's younger brother, Bernard, was also a part of the Homefleet and was killed at age 17 in 1945.^{[61]: 192 [63]}

Radios were illegal, and people of Sandefjord such as Henry Melby of Gokstad was arrested for having a radio in 1942. He was incarcerated at the tanker Inger Johanne, which was attacked by allied warplanes in 1944, killing 15 people, including Henry Melby.^[61]: 192

In the fall of 1941, German occupation forces replaced Sandefjord's city manager Finn Sandberg with NS-member Frithjof Holtedahl who was soon appointed mayor. The neighboring Sandar Municipality received its NS mayor in November 1941, Ole Kristian Holtan.^[62]: 119 Olaf Bøe from Nasjonal Samling was appointed editor for Sandefjords Presse by Anders Beggerud in 1944.^[62]: 119

Following World War II, Norway became one of the founding members of NATO and several air bases were constructed in Norway using NATO funds. One of these was Sandefjord Airport Torp, which was to be used by the United States Air Force in case of war. Construction began in 1953 and was completed in July 1956.

SAS merge

Rural municipalities of Andebu and Stokke merged into Sandefjord in 2017.

The municipalities of Sandefjord (S), Andebu (A) and Stokke (S) merged on 1 January 2017. The merge was the first of numerous nationwide merges following a municipal reform by the Solberg Cabinet.^{[64][65]: 8} The "new" municipality became the most populous in Vestfold county.^{[65]: 13, 171} Proposed names for the "new" municipality were Gokstad, Sandar, and Torp, however, the name Sandefjord was ultimately kept.^[65]: 116

A poll conducted by the Sandefjords Blad newspaper in January 2015 called 600 residents in Andebu, 750 in Stokke, and 1,000 in Sandefjord. All were given the question "Do you think Stokke, Andebu, and Sandefjord should establish one single municipality?". About 69% of Sandefjord residents answered "yes", while 64% (Andebu) and 61% (Stokke) answered "yes" in Stokke and Andebu.^[65]: 136

Few Stokke residents read Sandefjords Blad, the main newspaper of Sandefjord, and relatively few residents commute to the city of Sandefjord for work. Despite this, Stokke residents voted to merge with Sandefjord due to two key features: its wealth and the nearby international airport.^[65]: 72 About 78 percent of Stokke residents ultimately voted to merge into Sandefjord during the September 2015 elections.^[65]: 165

Population growth

The municipality experienced a 98.6 percent population growth from 1875 to 1900. Even not including the boundary adjustments between the municipalities of Sandar and Sandefjord in 1888, this population increase was substantially higher than most Norwegian cities. Sandar experienced the largest population growth of any Norwegian town, and over twice the growth of other towns in Vestfold County.^[42]: 111

From 1875 to 1900, the disposable income of people from Sandefjord increased by over 200 percent.^[42]: 80 Total assets in local banks also increased, and in 1895–1900, total assets went from NOK 0.6 to 1.9 million in Aktiekreditbanken and from NOK 1.1 million to 1.3 million in Sandefjords Sparebank.^[42]: 85 Even after whaling lost its importance, Sandefjord remained Norway's richest city, and from 1913 to 1917, the median income increased by over 350 percent.^[42]: 295

• 
  Postcard of Sandefjord − about 1970
• 
  Ommestadkollen
• 
  Sandefjord in 1947

Climate

Bytunet in Byparken (City Park), spring 2008.

Sandefjord during winter.

Tangen Beach during summer.

The climate of the entirety of Norway is extremely affected by the Gulf Stream. Were it not for the warming effects of the Gulf Stream, coastal cities along the Oslo Fjord would be up to 4 °C (39 °F) colder.^[71] This means that the climate, the summers especially, are warmer than in other regions at the same latitude, i.e. the State of Alaska or Siberia.^[72] Sandefjord has a higher latitude than Juneau, Alaska; Sandefjord is at 59°08′N, while the capital of Alaska is at 58°18′N. Sandefjord experiences more sun than any other Norwegian municipality during the summer months.^[73]

Warm breezes from the Skagerrak cause a mild climate, and Sandefjord experiences the highest annual number of cloud-free days in Norway.^[13]: 4 The climate is relatively mild for its latitude. Fields become green in early May, but the air remains slightly cold. The summer seldom begins before the end of May, when temperatures often rapidly increase. The whole month of June and most of July experience little darkness during night and songbirds are silent for only 2–3 hours at most.^[74]: 6 July is the warmest month of the year in Sandefjord when temperatures often rise above 20 °C (68 °F).

Sandefjord has a relatively humid continental climate (Dfb) with warm summers, no dry season, and relatively much precipitation year long. During the colder season, which is from the end of November until early March, there is a 56 percent average chance that precipitation will be observed during a given day. The likelihood of snow falling is highest in late January and the season in which it is likely to snowfall spans from early November until early April. The coldest day of the year in Sandefjord is 4 February, with an average low temperature of −6 °C (21 °F) and average high of only −1 °C (30 °F).^[75]

Villages

Høyjord Stave Church is the only stave church left in Vestfold County.^[67]

Sandefjord Municipality includes several larger urban areas in addition to the city of Sandefjord (population: 45,816):^[67]

• Stokke (2022 pop. 4,221)
• Andebu (pop. 2,532)
• Melsomvik (pop. 2,067)
• Kodal (pop. 1,059)
• Fossnes (pop. 650)
• Høyjord (pop. 381)

A small part of Sandefjord, the Himberg farm, is an exclave inside the borders of the neighboring Larvik Municipality.^{[21]: 139 [65]: 13} All efforts at annexing Himberg into surrounding Larvik have been met with massive protests from local residents. A 1995 annexation attempt was ultimately canceled due to large protests from Himberg residents. Himberg is a rural agricultural community consisting of no more than ten households.^{[40]: 114–117} There are only four similar exclaves in Norway, and Himberg is the most populous exclave in the nation, with a population of around 40. It is 1.4 square kilometres (0.54 sq mi).^[78]

Mayors

Municipal council

The municipal council (Kommunestyre) of Sandefjord is made up of 45 representatives that are elected to four year terms. The tables below show the current and historical composition of the council by political party.

Politics

With assets of nearly half a billion kroner, Bjørn Ole Gleditsch (H) is the richest mayor in Norway.^[106]

Sandefjord is a stronghold for the Conservative Party.^[107] In the Norwegian local elections of 2011, 47.9% of voters voted for the Conservative Party. The right-wing parties received a total of 70.4% of the vote in Sandefjord, compared to 51.2% nationwide.^{[108][109][110][111]} The current mayor, Bjørn Ole Gleditsch, was elected in 2004 with the support of the Progress Party. Gleditsch is the wealthiest mayor to ever be elected in Norway.^[112][113] Cathrine Andersen from the Progress Party has been deputy mayor since 2015.^[114]

Tourism

Sandefjord is dubbed a resort area due to its many summer visitors.^[14] Sandefjord is also nicknamed the "Bathing City" due to its many beaches, islands and minor archipelagos. Beaches such as Vøra and nearby Langeby on Vesterøya attract summer visitors from Oslo and other larger Norwegian cities.^[12] Sandefjord became a bathing destination when sulphur was discovered in waters and gyttja in 1837.^{[67][74]: 18}

Sandefjord is home to over two thousand vacation homes, most of which are built along the seaside.^[67] Sandefjord had Norway's most expensive vacation homes as of 2012; the mean vacation home price was NOK 7.1 million in 2012.^[130]

Vøra attracts tourists from all of Norway, and can be crowded during summer.^{[23]: 70 [13]: 36}

Sandefjord may be best known for its bathing and many beaches.^{[37]: 398 [12]: 74} The city of Sandefjord is in the southern part of the municipality and it lies on a low, slightly inclined strand, protected on three sides by hills, and only open towards the south where the Sandefjordsfjord is located. It is known for its great bathing and pure sea water quality. It has a country-like appearance with clean streets and quaint roads. The area is dependent on the beaches during the summer season when many tourists arrive in Sandefjord.^[74]: 6 The bathing season in Sandefjord generally begins on the first of June and runs through the last day of August.^[74]: 11

Visitors to Sandefjord Spa in the 19th century were the first tourists to the area, and this made Sandefjord into a popular holiday destination.^[128]: 140 Sandefjord's fame as a seaside mecca dates back to 1837, when sulphur springs first were discovered in town.^[13]: 51 Sandefjord has been nicknamed "Eastern Norway's vacation paradise." A majority of current tourists and vacation homeowners are from the capital of Oslo.^[13]: 4

Sandefjord is home to four hotels: Scandic Park Hotel, Hotel Kong Carl, Torp Hotel, and Clarion Collection Hotel Atlantic.^[131][132]

Skjellvika Beach

Art

The Sculpture pavilion at Midtåsen Sculpture Park.

Sandefjord is the city in Norway with the most sculptures per inhabitant. There are around 100 sculptures from over 50 artists and sculptors including Ørnulf Bast, Nils Aas, Dagfin Werenskiold, Knut Steen, Per Krogh, and others. Notable sculptures include the Whaler's Monument and the Sea Queen (Havdronningen) by Arnold Haukeland, which is located outside Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center.^[142] Midtåsen Sculpture Park contains a collection of bronze and marble works by Knut Steen in a park and villa designed by Arnstein Arneberg. Poseidon Sculpture Park, which is located in Badeparken, features Greek mythology sculptures by Nina Sundbye. Arne Durban's sculpture "Mother and Child" is located in the City Park (“Byparken”), while a sculpture of priest Magnus Brostrup Landstad made by Hans Holmen can be seen at Landstads plass by Sandar Church. A polar bear sculpture by Skule Waksvik is located outside Sandefjord Museum, while a whale jawbone arch is placed outside Scandic Park Hotel. A memorial to fallen sailors (Sjømannsminnesmerket) was placed outside Sandefjord Church in 1920 and was made by sculptor Gustav Lærum.^[143]

The fountain at Christopher Hvidts Plass, the Thaulow fountain, was donated to the city in 1875 by Heinrich Arnold Thaulow, the city's first physician and founder of Sandefjord Spa. It is the city's oldest sculpture and its first donation.^[35]: 335

In 2017, the NGO Art for All in the World conducted a project where seven mural artists contributed. A mural by Eduardo Kobra, “Peace between nations”, can be seen behind Peter Grøns gate 2B. Street art by graffiti artist Victor Ash can be seen at Stockfeldsgate 6-8.^[144]: 108

Museums

Sandefjord is home to Europe's only museum dedicated to whaling, which is located in the city center.^[34][138] The museum was one of the first original museums in Norway when established in 1917. Today it boasts over 150,000 photographs as well as exhibits of marine animals, a restored whale catcher, and more.^[48][145] A whale catcher named Southern Actor is docked at Museum's Wharf and is a part of the Maritime Museum. It is the only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. It was constructed by Sevilla Whaling Co. in 1950 and brought to Sandefjord in 1989.^{[62]: 395 [146]} Museum's Wharf ("Museumsbrygga") was established in 1995 and both the Gaia ship and Southern Actor were placed at the wharf.^[62]: 394

There are six protected buildings in Sandefjord as of 2008: City Museum (Bymuseet), Maritime Museum (Sjøfartsmuséet), and the three farms Elverhøy, Nordby, and Auve farms. The city's oldest house, which is located at Skippergaten 6 and was built in 1667, is also one of the city's protected structures.^[21]: 258 The City Museum and Maritime Museum, along with Sandefjord Museum, are the three museums found in Sandefjord. Sandefjord Museum is among the world's largest whaling museums.^{[128]: 104 [23]: 140} It was established in 1917 and was a gift to the city from Lars Christensen.^{[42]: 314–315}

Public transit

Only Bergen- and Oslo Airports have more international flights than Torp Airport.^[160]

Sandefjord Station is the central train station and is served by regional trains operated by Vy. The main bus station is also located by Sandefjord Station. Fast and frequent express buses from Sandefjord shuttle along the European route E18 highway, connecting to Kristiansand and linking key resorts in Southern Norway. Trains and buses for Sandefjord leave Oslo Central Station (Oslo S) every 30 minutes, and the journey takes two hours.^[161] The public transportation system in Sandefjord is known as Vestfold Kollektivtrafikk (VKT).^[162]

Besides Sandefjord Station, additional railway stations include Sandefjord Airport Station and Stokke Station. Torp Express Bus Service operates buses from Sandefjord Airport to Oslo. There are free shuttle buses between Sandefjord Airport Station and Sandefjord Airport.^[163]

Sandefjord Airport Torp is one of Norway's largest airports.^[150]

Professional sports

Sandefjord Fotball is a professional football club which plays in Tippeligaen/Eliteserien (Norwegian Premier League). The team previously played home games at Storstadion, but has played at Komplett Arena since its opening in 2007. The club reached the Norwegian First Division in 1999, the year after its foundation.

Sandefjord is noted for its strong performance in professional handball. Sandefjord is home to two top league handball teams: Sandefjord TIF and IL Runar.^[33]: 166 From 1991 to 2008 Sandefjord TIF won nine Men's Premier League and another local team, Runar Håndball, won four.^[166] Sandefjord TIF Handball won the Men's Premier League again in 2005–2006.

In professional ice skating, Sandefjord has been the location of Norwegian Allround Championships in 1928, 1958, and 1961.^[167]

Beaches

Langeby Beach attracts thousands of visitors every summer.^[13]: 36

Camping at Langeby Beach, 1966

Sandefjord's 146 kilometres (91 mi) of coastline is home to various beaches:^{[193][194][195]}

• Asnes (West Island): Campground, convenience store, public restrooms, diving boards, sloping rocks.
• Flautangen (East Island): Firepits, fishing, public restrooms.
• Folehavna (West Island): Hiking trails, fishing, sloping rocks. Ruins from a German fortress built in 1941.^{[47]: 173–175 [35]: 71}
• Fruvika (West Island): Firepits, benches, public restrooms.
• Granholmen (islet): Campground, convenience store, public restrooms, pier, boat rentals, playground.
• Grubesand (West Island): 100-meter beach with hiking trails, firepits, sloping rocks, picnic tables, fishing, and public restrooms.
• Langeby (West Island): Campground, convenience store, fishing, boat pier, restrooms, sloping rocks, floating platform, diving boards, showers, volleyball court, soccer field, playground.
• Sandtangen (Goksjø Lake): Freshwater beach with pier and floating platform.
• Skjellvika (Østerøya): Oceanside pier, diving boards, hiking trails, floating platform, sloping rocks.
• Strømbadet (city center): floating jetty for swimming in the Sandefjord Harbor. Access from Hjertnesstranda.
• Tangen (Vesterøya): Diving boards, floating platform, soccer field, playground, volleyball court, benches, toilets.
• Truber and Yxnøy (East Island): Sloping rocks, public restrooms, hiking trails, picnic tables.
• Vøra (Vesterøya): Campground, convenience store, volleyball court, public restroom, playground, soccer field, floating platform.

Goksjø Lake is used for ice-skating, swimming, kayaking, and fishing.

Between 116^{[21]: 3 [40]: 38}-124^[67] islands and minor islets are within city limits.

Additional beaches include Bogen (Nallberg), Brunstad, Kleivern, Korsvik, Kulerødvannet, Sandbånn and Rossnesodden (Melsomvik), Storevar, Stålerødvannet, Ertsvika, Strandvika, Albertstranda, Ormestadvika, Trollsvann, and Vårnes.^[196]

Several islands with beaches are only accessible by boat, including Gokstadholmen, Lindholmen, Gåsø, Furuholmen, Gåsøkalven, Ravnø, Buerøya and Hellesøya.^[194][197]

The lake Goksjø is home to beaches such as Gubbetangen and Sandtangen.^[198]

In the early 1940s, Sandefjord's mayor Frithjof Holtedahl acquired the beaches of Asnes on Vesterøya and Skjellvika on Østerøya. Mayor Holtedahl was also instrumental in acquiring the beach Vøra in 1943.^[62]: 132

Nature preserves

The early 1980s saw the establishment of several nature preserves in Sandefjord, including at Fokserød, Strandvika, Hemskilen, and Vøra.^[62]: 397

Sandefjord is home to 16 nature preserves as of 2017:^[67][199]

• Dalaåsen (beech forest)
• Flisefyr-Hidalen (forest)
• Storås and Spirås (forest)
• Veggermyra og Nordre Skarsholttjønn (marsh)
• Langø and Bokemoa (protected landscape)
• Robergvannet (wetland)
• Melsom (plant- and wildlife preserve)
• Napperødtjern (riparian forest)
• Fokserød (beech forest)
• Holtan (plant preserve)
• Strandvika (riparian forest)
• Hemskilen (wetland)
• Vøra (geological area)
• Akersvannet (marsh)

Public parks

Public parks in Sandefjord include:^[200]

Poseidon Sculpture Park

Byparken

• Bugårdsparken ("the Bugårds Park"), 60-acre park that is home to Storstadion, a 20-acre duck pond, public pools, ice-skating rink, and a sports facilities.
• Byparken ("the Town Park"), built after the town fire of 1900. Home of the statue Mother and Child by Arne Durban.^{[13]: 60–61} The decision to establish a city park was made by the city council on 28 June 1901. In 1906, enough funds had been received to secure the land. The park has a cubic stone pedestal gifted to the city in May 1995 from Sandefjord Rotary. On this pedestal is where the "sculpture of the month" has been placed every month since 1995.^[201][202]
• Badeparken ("the bathing park"), 15-acre city park with fitness trail, an amphitheater, and playground, adjacent to Scandic Park Hotel and Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center
  • Poseidon Sculpture Park, sculpture park by Nina Sundbye established in 1995
• Andebuparken, park in the center of Andebu
• Sandefjord Hundepark (Sandefjord Dog Park), dog park near Sandefjord Upper Secondary School managed by Sandefjord hundeklubb
• Midtåsen Sculpture Park, 15-acre park at Anders Jahre's former villa, sculptures and views of the Sandefjordsfjord. The park was dedicated to artist Knut Steen.^[35]: 265
• Hjertnesstranda ("the Hjertnes Beach"), park at the harbor-front with barbecue grills, sand volleyball fields, benches, public toilets.
  • Sandefjord Skatepark
• Kirkeparken ("the church park"), park immediately west of Sandefjord Church.^[21]: 330
• Preståsen, park and recreation area situated on a 44-metre (144 ft) high hill overlooking the city. Preståsen has various hiking trails, benches, a playground, barbecue sites, a water fountain, and Brydedammen, which is a large pond. It has two access points from Bjerggata in the city center.^{[33]: 14–15}

Fauna

Eurasian lynx is rare but occasionally observed in Sandefjord.^[203][204]

Wildlife includes the Mountain hare, European badger, European beaver, Roe deer, Red deer, Moose, Red fox, European hedgehog, European pine marten, and Norway lemming. More rare but occasionally encountered are the Gray wolf, Eurasian lynx, Wolverine and Brown bear.

Wolves are extremely rare in Sandefjord, although they have been observed on numerous occasions.^[205][206] A wolf shot in neighboring Lardal in 2013 was the first wolf killed in Vestfold County in over 100 years.^[207]

Common European Viper is the only venomous snake found in Norway.^[208] There are an additional two non-venomous snake species found in Vestfold County: European grass snake and European smooth snake. The Slowworm is considered a lizard.^[70]: 22

Business & Public Service

Lars Christensen, 1934

Bjørn Ole Gleditsch, 2010

• Christen Christensen (1845–1923), a Norwegian shipyard and ship-owner
• Johan Bryde (1858–1925), a ship owner and whaler, set up a whaling station in South Africa
• Carl Anton Larsen (1860–1924), an Antarctic explorer, set up the Antarctic whaling industry and the settlement at Grytviken on South Georgia
• Olaf Alfred Hoffstad (1865–1943), a botanist, school principal and Mayor of Sandefjord, 1911/1934
• Christian Theodore Pedersen (1876–1969), a Norwegian American seaman, whaling captain, and fur trader in Alaska, Canada, and the northern Pacific
• Lars Christensen (1884–1965), a Norwegian shipowner and whaling magnate
• Ole Aanderud Larsen (1884–1964), a ship designer and co-founder of the paint company Jotun
• Ingrid Christensen (1891–1976), a polar explorer who was the first woman to set foot on Antarctica
• Anders Jahre (1891–1982), a shipping magnate
• Odd Gleditsch, Sr. (1895–1990), a business entrepreneur and co-founder of the paint company Jotun
• Theodore Theodorsen (1897–1978), a Norwegian American theoretical aerodynamicist
• Anton Fredrik Klaveness (1903–1981), a Norwegian equestrian and ship-owner
• Karenanne Gussgard (born 1940), a retired justice of the Supreme Court of Norway 1990/2010
• Bjørn Ole Gleditsch (born 1963), an heir to paint company Jotun; Mayor of Sandefjord since 2003
• Marie Benedicte Bjørnland (born 1965), the head of the Norwegian Police Security Service from 2012-2019
• Frederic Hauge (born 1965), an environmental activist who founded and runs Bellona Foundation

The Arts

Dag Solstad, 2010

Ina Wroldsen, 2016

• Ole Windingstad (1886–1959), a Norwegian conductor, pianist and composer
• Eline Nygaard Riisnæs (1913–2011), a pianist and musicologist at UiO
• Teddy Nelson (1939–1992), a country music singer, sang with Skeeter Davis
• Dag Solstad (born 1941), a Norwegian novelist, short-story writer and dramatist
• Lorene Yarnell (1944–2010), a dancer and actress, one of an American mime duo
• Karin Fossum (born 1954), a Norwegian author of crime fiction; the "Norwegian queen of crime"
• Bent Hamer (born 1956, a film director, writer and producer^[209]
• Nils Mathisen (born 1959), a musician and composer who plays keyboards, violin, guitar and bass
• Anita Hegerland (born 1961), a singer^[210]
• Finn Gjerdrum (born 1961), a Norwegian film producer^[211]
• Ole Mathisen (born 1965), a saxophone and clarinet musician and composer
• Hans Mathisen (born 1967), a guitarist
• Petter Wettre (born 1967), a jazz musician (Saxophone) and composer
• Per Mathisen (born 1969), a bassist and composer
• Thomas Numme (born 1970), a television host
• Espen Sandberg (born 1971), a Norwegian film director and advertising producer^[212]
• Joachim Rønning (born 1972), a film director^[213]
• Ina Wroldsen (born 1984), a Norwegian singer and songwriter
• Per Fredrik Åsly (born 1986) known as PelleK, an actor, composer, singer, and YouTuber^[214]
• Tor Eckhoff (1964-2021), an adventurer and YouTuber
• Lukas Zabulionis (born 1992), a saxophonist and composer who lives in Sandefjord

Sport

Ronny Johnsen, 2017

• Thorbjørn Svenssen (1924–2011), a footballer with a then record of 104 caps for Norway
• Solfrid Johansen (born 1956), a sport rower, came 4th & 5th at 1976 & 1984 Summer Olympics
• Erik Bjørkum (born 1965), a sailor and team silver medallist at the 1988 Summer Olympics
• Ronny Johnsen (born 1969), a footballer with 384 club caps and 62 for Norway
• Morten Fevang (born 1975), a football midfielder with 400 club caps
• Geir Ludvig Fevang (born 1980), a retired football midfielder with 390 club caps