Larvik, County of Vestfold og Telemark, Norway

🇳🇴 Larvik is a town and municipality in Vestfold in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Larvik. The municipality of Larvik has a 110 km coastline, only shorter than that of neighbouring Sandefjord. Other main population centres in the municipality include the town of Stavern and the villages of Gjone, Helgeroa, Hem, Kjose, Kvelde, Nevlunghavn, Skinmo, Svarstad, Ula, Verningen, and Tjøllingvollen.

The 813-square-kilometre (314 sq mi) municipality is the 140th largest by area out of the 356 municipalities in Norway. Larvik is the 21st most populous municipality in Norway. The municipality's population density is 62.5 inhabitants per square kilometre (162/sq mi) and its population has increased by 5.9% over the previous 10-year period.

The city of Larvik achieved market town status in 1671, but it did not become a self-governing municipality until 1 January 1838. Larvik is known as the hometown of Thor Heyerdahl. It is also home to Bøkeskogen, the northernmost beech tree forest in the world. Larvik is the home of Norway's only natural mineral water spring, Farriskilden. Farris Bad, located in Larvik, has been described as one of the best spas in Europe. It has the largest spa department in Scandinavia.

General information The town of Larvik was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. On 1 January 1875, a small area of Brunlanes Municipality (population: 4) and a different area of Hedrum Municipality (population: 46) were both transferred into the town of Larvik. In 1937, another area of Hedrum Municipality (population: 69) was transferred into Larvik. In 1948, an area of Hedrum Municipality (population: 296) was transferred into Larvik. On 1 January 1974, the unpopulated Tagtvedt area of Hedrum was transferred to Larvik. On 1 January 1986, part of the Åsveien 3 property in Hedrum was transferred to the neighboring town of Larvik.

On 1 January 1988, the city of Larvik was part of a major municipal merger which consolidated the municipalities of Brunlanes (population: 8,138), Hedrum (population: 10,449), and Tjølling (population: 7,878) with the towns of Larvik (population: 8,045) and Stavern (population: 2,538) to create a new, much larger Larvik Municipality with a population of 37,048 people.

On 1 January 2018, Lardal Municipality was merged the neighboring Larvik Municipality as part of a nationwide municipal reform. After merging, Larvik was the largest municipality in Vestfold by area and the second-most populous municipality in Vestfold.

Etymology The municipality (originally the town of Larvik) is named after the small cove at the end of the Larviksfjorden, which was historically called Lagarvík in Old Norse. The first element is the genitive case of lǫgr 'water, river' (here referring to the Numedalslågen River). The last element is vík 'cove, inlet'. Thus, the meaning of the name is 'cove at the mouth of a river'. Prior to 1889, the name was written Laurvik or Laurvig.

History Various remains from the Stone Age have been discovered throughout the municipality of Larvik, for instance by Torpevannet near the village of Helgeroa. Raet goes through all of Vestfold County before peaking out of the ocean in Mølen in Larvik. Ancient peoples have carried rocks from Raet and constructed vast numbers of burial mounds at Mølen. During the Roman Iron Age, ancient peoples erected a stone monument resembling a ship at Istrehågan, one of Norway's greatest remains (oldtidsminne) from prehistoric times.

About 4 km (2.5 mi) south-east of the town is Skiringssal, an archaeological site where archaeologists first discovered burial mounds and an ancient Viking hall, and later uncovered the nearby remains of an ancient town, Kaupang. This is now known as the oldest known merchant town in Norway. There was international trade from this area, over 1,200 years ago. Skiringssal has remains from the oldest town yet discovered in the Nordic countries, and it was one of Scandinavia's earliest urban sites.

Larvik (which historically used the Danish spelling: Laurvig) was an old coastal village. In 1671, the village received kjøpstad (market town) status in 1671 when Ulrik Fredrik Gyldenløve bought the Fritsø estate. He later became the first Count of Laurvig. The count built a new residence in 1674, "Herregården", which can still be visited today. The whole Larvik area was owned by a Danish Count (grevskap) until 1817. Since the rest of Norway had come under Swedish rule in 1814, the county was purchased by four local businessmen in 1817. Then in 1821, it became part of the newly created Jarslberg og Laurvigs amt (county).

Larvik is also the site of the Treschow estate, "Fritzøehus", which is currently owned by the heirs of Mille-Marie Treschow, reportedly "Norway's richest woman". The Treschow estate was created in 1835 when Willum Frederik Treschow bought the county from the Danish crown, who in turn had bought the county from the local consortium "grevlingene", four local entrepreneurs who proved unable to manage the ownership financially (the consortium had bought the county from the Danish crown in 1817 originally, the crown taking over the county when the last of the counts had to sell it because of debt).

Larvik, along with neighbouring cities of Sandefjord and Tønsberg, were the three dominant whaling cities of Norway in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Government Larvik Municipality is responsible for primary education (through 10th grade), outpatient health services, senior citizen services, welfare and other social services, zoning, economic development, and municipal roads and utilities. The municipality is governed by a municipal council of directly elected representatives. The mayor is indirectly elected by a vote of the municipal council. The municipality is under the jurisdiction of the Vestfold District Court and the Agder Court of Appeal.

Demographics Larvik's population is primarily centred along the coast. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Larvik, is one of two cities in the municipality; the other one being Stavern. The city's residential areas are first and foremost in the hills between the fjord and Bøkeskogen.

The municipality had a total population of 48,396 as of 2023, with 4,159 of them being immigrants to Norway from other countries. Figures from a census held at the beginning of the 19th century indicate that Larvik's population has quadrupled in approximately 200 years. Its population however is spread through the municipality, and about 50% of the people reside in the city of Larvik. The majority of the population is found along and around the Larviksfjorden, from Stavern in the west to Gon in the east. The population sometimes doubles during summer weeks due to tourism. Larvik is home to 4,886 vacation homes as of 2023.

Economy Larvik is the most important agricultural municipality in Vestfold county. Besides grains, other crops grown include potatoes and vegetables. It has the county's largest production of cucumbers and tomatoes. Important industries are commerce, hotel management, and restaurant management. The fishing industry in Larvik is the second-largest in Vestfold, only smaller than the fishing industry in Færder Municipality. Important fishing harbours include Stavern, Helgeroa, and Nevlunghavn. Furthermore, Larvik has the biggest logging industry in the county. Norway Spruce is the most important tree species. The mined mineral Larvikite is exported from Larvik to countries in Europe and to the United States.

Economy: Tourist Industry Larvik is first and foremost known as a summer vacation community. Due to its stable climate and one of Norway's highest median temperatures, Larvik experiences significant summer tourism. Larvik's climate is among the mildest in Norway, with one of the nation's highest number of annual sunshine days. It is home to nearly 5,000 holiday homes.

The coastal town of Stavern and picturesque villages of Helgeroa and Nevlunghavn receive large numbers of tourists during summer months. Stavern is known as a summer community, and its population more than doubles during summers. Tourist attractions in Stavern include Hall of Remembrance, Fredriksvern, and Citadellet. Citadel Island is home of Staverns Fortress which dates to the 1680s. The island is a current refuge for artists.

Kaupang has been described as the "chief attraction" for visitors in Larvik. Kapuang is also known as Norway's most important monument from the Viking Age. Another source describes Mølen Geopark as Larvik's most visited tourist attraction. Other attractions include the Maritime Museum, Fritzøehus, Herregården, the home of Thor Heyerdahl, and Bøkeskogen. Larvik is also home to Farris Bad, the largest spa in the Nordic countries, which has been described as one of Europe's best spa facilities.

Geography Larvik occupies the south-western corner of Vestfold county, between Sandefjord Municipality in the east and the Langesundsfjorden in the west. The coastline of Larvik stretches from the entrance to the Sandefjordsfjord and to the Langesundsfjord, with the Larviksfjorden in the middle. The coastline consists of various beaches, bays, islets, and skerries. The land is relatively flat along the coast and by the many bays, while the interior parts consist of large and hilly woodlands. Larger mountains are found along the border with Telemark County in the west. The municipality has a 110 km (68 mi) coastline, a listtle shorter than that of neighbouring Sandefjord Municipality.

The municipality is located approximately 105 km (65 mi) south-west of the Norwegian capital, Oslo. The municipality covers an area of 813 square km (314 sq mi), making it the largest municipality in Vestfold county. By population, however, Larvik is the third-most populous municipality, only smaller than neighbouring Tønsberg and Sandefjord municipalities. Larvik has its own fjord which connects to the Lågen River.

Larvik borders Kongsberg Municipality in the north (in Buskerud county), Sandefjord Municipality in the east, and Porsgrunn Municipality and Siljan Municipality (both in Telemark county) in the west. The southernmost point in the municipality is Tvistein Lighthouse in the sea south of Hummerbakken in Brunlanes. On the mainland, its southernmost point is found in Oddane, between Mølen and Nevlunghavn. The westernmost point is Geiterøya Island in the Langesundsfjord, and the easternmost point is one of the Rauer islets. The highest point is the 622-metre (2,041 ft) tall mountain Vindfjell which lies on the western border with Siljan Municipality in Telemark county.

Notable geographical features include the lake Farris and the river Numedalslågen, locally called Lågen, which terminates at the Larviksfjorden at the town of Larvik. Other bodies of water include the lakes Farris, Goksjø, and Hallevatnet.

Larvik is also noted for its natural springs of mineral water, Farriskildene, which have been commercially exploited under the brand name Farris. At Kaupang in Tjølling lies the remains of the medieval Skiringssal trading outpost. Larvik is also home to the world's northernmost natural occurrence of Fagus sylvatica forests (European Beech tree), known as Bøkeskogen ("The Beech Tree Forest").

The municipality is home to two cities and seven larger urban villages: • Larvik (city);; • Stavern (city);; • Tveteneåsen;; • Hem;; • Helgeroa and Nevlunghavn;; • Kvelde;; • Verningen;; • Svarstad;; Himberg is an exclave which is part of Sandefjord Municipality, although it is completely surrounded by Larvik Municipality in all directions. Attempts at annexing Himberg into Larvik Municipality have largely been met with protests from Himberg residents. A 1995 attempt at annexing Himberg was cancelled due to protests from local residents. There are only four such enclaves in Norway, and Himberg is the most populous enclave in Norway, with a population of approximately 40 people. Himberg is 1.4 square km (0.54 sq mi).

Transport Larvik is served by Sandefjord Airport Torp, its nearest international airport. The European route E18 highway traverses the municipality and is one of Norway's most important main highways. Larvik Station is the city's main railway station along the Vestfoldbanen railway line. Daily ferries to Hirtshals, Denmark depart from the city harbour and are operated by Color Line. The neighbouring city of Sandefjord has several ferry links with daily departures to Strömstad, Sweden and, further south, the town of Langesund links to Hirtshals, Denmark through a ferry which is operated by Fjord Line.

Recreation areas Recreation areas in Larvik include the beach Lydhusstranda at Naverfjorden.

The river Numedalslågen is considered to be one of Norway's best salmon fishing rivers. Freshwater fishing is also common at the lake Goksjø, which lies on the Sandefjord-Larvik border. Fish species in this lake include Northern pike, European perch, Ide, Common dace, European eel, Salmon, and Brown trout. The lake is also used for ice-skating, canoeing, swimming, boating, and other recreational activities.

The 12-metre (39 ft) tall Trollfoss is the largest and tallest waterfall in Vestfold County.

Hiking trails can be found throughout the municipality, including in the city forest Bøkeskogen, Norway's largest beech tree forest. This forest is home to various trails, starting at 2.6 km (1.6 mi) in length up to 10 km (6.2 mi) in length. Hiking trails can also be found at Mølen, which is an UNESCO GeoPark and home of Norway's largest stone beach. The Coastal Path (Kyststien) is a 35-kilometre (22 mi) path through Brunlanes to the town Stavern. Additional hiking trails can be found by the lakes Goksjø and Farris. Farris Lake is the largest lake in Vestfold County.

Due to the municipality's many rural areas, Larvik is known for its game hunting, and large forests are open for hunting. There are great stocks of moose; Larvik has among Norway's highest number of moose. Between 700-800 moose are annually slaughtered in the county. Other important species of game are Roe deer, Red deer, Mountain hare, European beaver, and Common wood pigeon.

Beaches List of publicly-owned beaches in Larvik: • Farris • Rekkeviksbukta • Batteritomta • Gonstranda (Østre Halsen) • Hvittensand (Østre Halsen) • Corntin (Stavern) • Blokkebukta (Naverfjord) • Anvikstranda (Naverfjord) • Stolpstadstranda (Naverfjord) • Lydhusstranda (Naverfjord) • Roppestad (Farris) • Skjærsjø (Kvelde) • Ula (Tjølling) • Kjerringvik (Tjølling).

Larvik Museum The Larvik Museum Society was founded in 1916. The museum is now associated with the Vestfold Museum (Vestfoldmuseene). Larvik Museum was established with the purpose of preserving, and restoring the city's collection of historic buildings.

The Treschow-Fritzøe Museum (Verkensgården) houses exhibitions from the former Treschow-Fritzøe ironworks. Verkensgarorden displays tools, equipment, drawings, and models illustrating the iron-production era in Larvik, which dated from 1670 to 1870. The exhibition shows various aspects; from the geological process of creation to production, and use of the stone larvikite, the area's main export product. The Iron Works was closed during 1868.

Manor House (Herregården) was built by Ulrik Fredrik Gyldenløve for his third wedding in 1677. It is a large wooden structure with well-preserved baroque interiors from the 1730s. Herregården manor house is a large Baroque wooden building with classic elements. The interior design is mainly Baroque and Regency style. The house is filled with 17th- and 18th-century antiques. Herregården from 1677 is considered one of Norway's finest secular Baroque structures. It is one of few baroque architectural monuments representing nobility in Norway. Furthermore, it is one of Norway's largest wooden buildings from 17th century.

The Larvik Maritime Museum (Larvik Sjøfartsmuseum) is housed in Larvik's oldest brick building, dating from 1730. Larvik Maritime Museum is located in the old customs house, and is the residence of the local building inspector. This museum displays models of ships, paintings of sailing vessels, and other nautical artifacts to bring the port's maritime history alive. One section of the museum is devoted to the expeditions of Larvik-born Thor Heyerdahl.

Fritzøehus Fritzøehus is a private estate located in Larvik. The estate has traditionally been associated with various members of the Treschow family and is presently owned by Mille-Marie Treschow. It is Norway's largest privately owned estate.

Churches The Church of Norway has twelve parishes (sokn) within the municipality of Larvik. It is part of the Larvik prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Tunsberg.

Points of interest Notable points of interest include: • Istrehågan, ancient burial ground on the Larvik-Sandefjord border • Bøkeskogen, Norway's largest and the world's northernmost beech tree forest. • Larvik Maritime Museum, museum dedicated to Larvik's nautical history. It is home to several models by Colin Archer, and has its own exhibition dedicated to Thor Heyerdahl. • Helgeroa and Nevlunghavn, adjacent coastal villages • Kaupang in Skiringssal, remains from the oldest Nordic town yet discovered. • Mølen, first UNESCO Global Geopark in the Nordic countries. It is home to 230 cairns dating to the Iron Age. • Farris Lake, largest lake in Vestfold County. • Stavern, coastal town and former home of Norway's main naval base in Fredriksvern ◦ Hall of Remembrance, largest monument in Vestfold County. ◦ Citadel Island, fort which came to prominence during the Nordic War of 1709–1720. • Farris Bad, built next to Larvik's best sandy beach, Farris Bad is named amongst the best spas in Europe by Lonely Planet Publications. • The Nesjar Monument, located in Helgeroa, made on the 1,000th anniversary for the Battle of Nesjar. First unveiled July 29, 2016. • Herregården, erected in 1677 and recognised as one of Norway's finest secular Baroque structures. • Larvik Church, erected in 1877 and situated at Tollerodden. Famous for its paintings. • Childhood home of Thor Heyerdahl, located at Steingata 7 in Larvik proper. • Goksjø, third-largest lake in Vestfold County, located on the Sandefjord-Larvik border. Used for swimming, fishing, kayaking, ice-skating, and skiing.