Sandefjord

Sister cities

• Varberg Municipality

History

Sandefjord has been inhabited for thousands of years. Haugen farm is home to Vestfold county's largest petroglyph site. In 1961–1962, 78 rock carvings were discovered at the site. They consist of ships, spiral figures, circular hollows, and much more. The Vikings lived in Sandefjord and surrounding areas about 1,000 years ago, and numerous Viking artifacts and monuments can be found in Sandefjord. 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. Viking settlements and grave sites have been discovered in Sandefjord. Sandefjord functioned as a seaport defined by the 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. It gained its reputation as a health and pleasure community when Sandefjord sulfur spa and resort () 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. 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. Sandefjord has…

Geography

From late May through July, the twilight at midnight is bright enough that the horizon and many objects remain visible, but details are difficult to spot clearly. However, flashlights are unnecessary for basic navigation. These nights also feature continuous birdsong. The UV index peaks at 0 to 1 during the winter, while climbing to 5 to 6 in June.

Most-observed species

• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  10,134
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  9,660
• Graylag Goose

  Anser anser (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9,492
• Eurasian Blue Tit

  Cyanistes caeruleus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9,460
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  9,441
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  8,779
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  8,295
• Herring Gull

  Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763 · Aves
  8,277

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2005-01-29
  7 km NNE of Hvittingfoss, Norway
• M 2.6 — 2004-12-29
  10 km WNW of Flateby, Norway