The fortifications at Stavern date back to the 1680s, when Citadellet was built to guard this stretch of coast. During the Great Northern War in the early 1700s, the harbour served as a base for the legendary naval commander Tordenskiold and his fleet. It was from here he launched the raid that made him famous: on 8 July 1716, Tordenskiold sailed across the Skagerrak into the Dynekilen fjord on the Swedish coast near Strömstad, with just seven ships, and destroyed or captured around 30 Swedish transport vessels, cutting off the supply line for the Swedish siege of Fredrikshald.
The battle, known as Dynekilslaget, is still celebrated in Stavern rather than at the actual battle site in Sweden: the fortress was Tordenskiold's home port, and the association Tordenskiolds Soldater, based here since 1991, stages a full reenactment of the battle every other year using the harbour and fortifications as a stand-in for the Swedish fjord. In 1750, King Fredrik V ordered the construction of Fredriksvern, Norway's first purpose-built naval shipyard, and over the next century more than fifty warships were launched from its slipways.
After the Navy moved its main base to Horten in the 1830s, Fredriksvern continued in various military roles: it served as an air force academy until 2002. Today the well-preserved 18th-century buildings house museums, galleries, and educational institutions including the national police and fire academies. The old garrison church from 1756 still stands.
After the Navy moved its main base to Horten in the 1830s, Fredriksvern continued in various military roles: it served as an air force academy until 2002. Today the well-preserved 18th-century buildings house museums, galleries, and educational institutions including the national police and fire academies. The old garrison church from 1756 still stands.