Population 46,000 / 59.1 degrees north

Sandefjord, Norway

Sandefjord is a coastal community famous for its beaches and close proximity to some nice hikes – it is even nicknamed the ‘Summer City’ of Norway. The city also has a rich Viking history and its prosperous whaling industry made Sandefjord the richest city in Norway at one point.

Fun Facts About Sandefjord

Latitude: 59.1 degrees north

Population: 46,000

Hottest Month: July

Coldest Month: January

Wettest Month: October

Windiest Month: February

Sandefjord Municipality

Things to See & Do

Here’s an overview of some of the best things to see and do in Sandefjord

Gokstad Mound

The Gokstad Mound is a large burial mound at Gokstad Farm and is where the 9th century Gokstad ship was found.

Whaling Museum

The Whaling Museum is the only museum in Europe that specialises in whales and the history of whaling. One of the old whaling vessels is located in the harbour of Sandefjord.

Høyjord Stave Church

Located just out of Sandefjord is the Høyjord Stave Church, the only stave church left in Vestfold County. It is also Norway’s southernmost stave church.

Hikes, Day Trips & Experiences

Looking to go for a hike or take part in a unique experience? Here are our recommendations!

Beaches!

There are many beaches around Sandefjord for swimming. You can find a list of beaches on the VisitNorway website. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/beaches-in-sandefjord/7649/

Kur Sauna

The Kur Sauna is open all year and is by the sea, which you can jump into after.

Road-Trips

Follow our road-trip guides for scenic trips around Sandefjord

The E18 from Ørje to Kristiansand

The E18 is the main highway from Oslo down south to Kristiansand. Along the way are several important towns and villages that feature in Norway’s early history.

Self-Guided Walks

Sandefjord on YouTube

Watch our YouTube videos featuring Sandefjord

Uniquely Sandefjord

Here are some things that you must do and try in Sandefjord

The Dakota Norway

The Dakota Norway is Norway’s oldest airworthy passenger place and it can be booked for private flights from Sandefjord Airport.

http://www.dakotanorway.no/

Whale Catcher Southern Anchor

The Whale Catcher Southern Anchor is an old whaling ship. It is possible to visit it in the harbour of Sandefjord.

History of Sandefjord

Sandefjord has been inhabited for thousands of years, and excavations indicate people have been here for at least 3,000 years. Rock carvings found at Haugen Farm are the county’s largest petroglyph side.

The Vikings lived in Sandefjord and many Viking artifacts have been found. One of the most important remains from the Viking Age is the grave site Gokstad Mound, where the Gokstad ship was excavated and is now on display at the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo. A replica of the Gokstad Ship crossed the Atlantic Ocean from Bergen to be exhibited at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. The Viking settled in Sandefjord because of the close proximity to other places along the coast.

Sandefjord functioned as a seaport throughout the 17th and 18th century and was formally recognised as a market town by the King in 1845.

Throughout the 19th century Sandefjord became known as a health resort destination. Royalty and important people throughout Europe visited the town for its spas in the late 19th century. The Sandefjord Spa and Resort was one of the most visited baths in Europe until it closed in 1939.

Sandefjord is best known as a whaling community as the centre of the world’s modern whaling industry was located here. Locals from Sandefjord not only made up most of the crews on the Norwegian whaling fleet, but a large number of them also worked in the whaling industry in nearby countries. One man from Sandefjord, Hans Albert Grøn, established the firsst whaling station in the Faroe Islands in 1894. For over 50 years in the late 19th century, Sandefjord was the centre of the whaling industry. Besides leading the fleet, Sandefjord also manufactured equipment and vessels. At its peak, there were 25 whaling companies in Sandefjord. In the beginning of the 20th century, expeditions from Sandefjord went as far as Norwegian Bay in Australia, Stewart Island in New Zealand, Walvis Bay in Namibia, Chile, and isolated places such as South Georgia Island and Bouvet Island. In 1904, Carl Larsen from Sandefjord established a whaling community in South Georgia Island. The last whaling vessel from Sandefjord was sold to Japan in 1971.

During World War II, Sandefjord was occupied by Nazis. The Nazis took over the Sandefjord Spa by raising a Nazi flag on it, and all students in Sandefjord were given a book to learn the German language as well as a copy of Mein Kampf. Nazis constructed two fortresses in Sandefjord. Many locals were killed during the war, including a large number of seamen. After the war, Norway became a founding member of NATO and several air bases were constructed in Norway using NATO funds, including Sandefjord Airport, which was to be used by the United States Air Force in case of war.

Sandefjord Today

Sandefjord is one of the wealthiest municipalities in Norway. Important industries are IT, chemical production, tourism, navigation, ship building and fishing. The largest employer is Jotun, which was established in Sandefjord in 1926 and is now one of the world’s largest manufacturers of paints and coating products.

Sandefjord has Norway’s most expensive seaside vacation homes. The city is a popular place for Norwegians to visit in summer and has been nicknamed ‘the Bathing City’ due to the many beaches here.

Travel Information

Getting Here

Fly: Sandefjord Torp Airport is one of the largest airports in Norway and has a lot of budget-friendly flights. It’s often used as an alternative airport to Oslo Gardermoen. Major airlines using Sandefjord Airport include Widerøe, Ryanair and Wizz Air.

Drive: The E18 from Oslo to Kristiansand goes through Sandefjord.

Train: Sandefjord Station is on the Oslo-Skien train line.

Ferry: There are daily ferry connections to Sweden, while nearby Larvik has daily ferry connections to Denmark.

Getting Around

Downtown Sandefjord is very walkable and there is a bus network. If you want to enjoy the beaches, you will need a car.

Shops

Places to Eat

Cafes & Bakeries

Bakgården Café is in a nice wooden building.

Quick Bites

Reasonable Restaurants

Brygga 11 is a seafood restaurant by the waterfront.

High End & Unique Eats

Kokeriet restaurant is modelled after the city’s whaling history.

Places to Stay

Camping

Cabins & B&Bs

Chains & Mid-Range

Clarion Collection Hotel Atlantic has had a central position in Sandefjord’s history, and whaling and shipping has left a mark on the hotel’s development and decoration.

High End & Unique Properties

Hotel Kong Carl is the oldest hotel and was built in 1690.

All Posts About Sandefjord

Drive it Yourself: Oslo to Kristiansand on the E18

This drive goes from Oslo to Kristiansand in the south of Norway, following the E18.

January

Sunrise: 9:01am

Sunset: 3:56pm

Average Temperature: -1C (30F)

February

Sunrise: 7:55am

Sunset: 5:11pm

Average Temperature: -1C (30F)

March

Sunrise: 6:34am

Sunset: 6:22pm

Average Temperature: 2C (35F)

April

Sunrise: 6:04am

Sunset: 8:35pm

Average Temperature: 6C (43F)

May

Sunrise: 4:46am

Sunset: 9:45pm

Average Temperature: 11C (52F)

June

Sunrise: 4:04am

Sunset: 10:35pm

Average Temperature: 15C (58F)

July

Sunrise: 4:31am

Sunset: 10:17pm

Average Temperature: 17C (63F)

August

Sunrise: 5:38am

Sunset: 9:07pm

Average Temperature: 16C (61F)

September

Sunrise: 6:48am

Sunset: 7:38pm

Average Temperature: 12C (54F)

October

Sunrise: 7:57am

Sunset: 6:10pm

Average Temperature: 7C (45F)

November

Sunrise: 8:12am

Sunset: 3:54pm

Average Temperature: 3C (37F)

December

Sunrise: 9:08am

Sunset: 3:20pm

Average Temperature: 0C (31F)

Find our guides, road-trips and self-guided walks on our store! Click here