Sandefjord was once the richest town in Norway, and the money came from whaling. In the early 1900s, Sandefjord's ship owners controlled a huge share of the global whaling fleet, sending factory ships and catchers to the Antarctic to hunt blue whales, fin whales, and humpbacks. The wealth funded mansions, parks, and public buildings that still define the town centre. The Hvalfangstmuseet, the world's only dedicated whaling museum, tells this complicated story in full. Down at the Museumsbrygga, the Southern Actor, the last fully operational whaling vessel from the industrial era, is moored as a floating exhibit.
Whaling collapsed in the 1960s, but Sandefjord reinvented itself. Today it is a pleasant seaside town with nearly 150 kilometres of coastline, sheltered coves, and sandy beaches. It also holds the curious distinction of having more sculptures per capita than any other town in Norway: around 100 works from over 50 artists are scattered through the streets and parks, including the Midtasen Skulpturpark overlooking the fjord.
Sandefjord is also where the Gokstad Viking ship was found in 1880, in a burial mound on a farm just outside town. The ship is now in Oslo, but the mound at Gokstadhaugen can still be visited.
Whaling collapsed in the 1960s, but Sandefjord reinvented itself. Today it is a pleasant seaside town with nearly 150 kilometres of coastline, sheltered coves, and sandy beaches. It also holds the curious distinction of having more sculptures per capita than any other town in Norway: around 100 works from over 50 artists are scattered through the streets and parks, including the Midtasen Skulpturpark overlooking the fjord.
Sandefjord is also where the Gokstad Viking ship was found in 1880, in a burial mound on a farm just outside town. The ship is now in Oslo, but the mound at Gokstadhaugen can still be visited.
