Vestfold is located west of theOslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such asHolmestrand,Horten,Åsgårdstrand,Tønsberg,Sandefjord,Larvik andStavern; these towns run from Oslo in an almost constant belt of urban areas along the coast, ending inGrenland in neighbouring county Telemark. The riverNumedalslågen runs through the county. Many islands are located at the coast. Vestfold is mostly dominated by lowland and is among the best agricultural areas of Norway. Winters last about three months, while pleasant summer temperatures last from May to September, with a July average high of 17 °C (63 °F).[8]
Vestfold is traditionally known for shipping and sailing.Sandefjord was formerly a headquarters for the Norwegian whaling fleet, andHorten used to be Norway's mainnaval port. The coastal towns of Vestfold now engage in fishing and shipbuilding. Some lumbering is carried on in the interior. The area also includes some of the best farmland in Norway.
Vestfold was until 2019 the only county in which all municipalities had declaredBokmål to be their sole officialwritten form of theNorwegian language.[9] From its re-establishment in 2024, Vestfold is the only county in Norway to have Bokmål as the official written form.
Vestfold merged with neighboringTelemark County on 1 January 2020 as part of a nationwide municipal reform. The new county name wasVestfold og Telemark.[10][11] Vestfold county was re-established on 1 January 2024, following a vote of the county council of Vestfold og Telemark on 15 February 2022 to split the newly established county into its respective counties that existed before the merger took place; Telemark and Vestfold.
Vestfold is the old name of the region which was revived in modern times.Fold was the old name of theOslofjord, and the meaning of the nameVestfold is the region west of the Fold (see alsoØstfold). Before 1919, the county was calledJarlsberg og Larvik Amt. Theamt was created in 1821, consisting of the two old counties ofJarlsberg andLarvik.[12] In the Viking Age, Vestfold also referred toEiker,Drammen,Kongsberg,Lier, now inBuskerud.[13][14][15]
Vestfold is mentioned for the first time in a written source in 813, when Danish kings were in Vestfold to quell an uprising amongst theFürsts[vague].[20] There may have been as many as six political centers in Vestfold. At that time Kaupang, which was located inTjølling near Larvik, had been functioning for decades and had a chieftain.Kaupang, which dates from theViking Age, is believed to be the first town in Norway, althoughTønsberg (which dates from ca. 900) is the oldest town in Norway still in existence. AtBorre, there was a site for another chieftain. That site held chieftains for more than one hundred years prior to 813.[21]
An English source from around 890 retells the voyage ofOttar (Ottar fra Hålogaland) "from the farthest North, alongNorvegr via Kaupang andHedeby to England", where Ottar places Kaupang in the land of theDane -danenes land.[22] Bjørn Brandlien says that "To the degree thatHarald Hårfagre gathered a kingdom after theBattle of Hafrsfjord at the end of the 9th century - that especially is connected toAvaldsnes - it does not seem to have made such a great impression on Ottar".[22]Kaupang is mentioned under the name ofSkiringssal (Kaupangen i Skiringssal) in Ottar's tales.[23][24]
By the 10th century, the local kings had established themselves. The king or his ombudsman resided in the old Royal Court atSæheim i Sem, today theJarlsberg Estate (Jarlsberg Hovedgård) inTønsberg. The farmHaugar (fromOld Norsehaugr meaning hill or mound) became the seat forHaugating, theThing for Vestfold and one of Norway's most important place for the proclamation of kings.[25][26]The family ofHarald Fairhair, who was most likely the first king of Norway, is said to have come from this area.
The Danish kings seem to have been weak in Vestfold from around the middle of the 9th century until the middle of the 10th century, but their rule was strengthened there at the end of the 10th century.[22] The Danish kings seem to have tried to control the region until the 13th century.[22]
Whaling was an important 19th century industry in coastal cities such asLarvik,Tønsberg, andSandefjord, which was the world centre for the world's modern whaling industry. Not only did men from Vestfold County make up practically all the crew on the Norwegian whaling fleet, but many were also involved in the whaling industry in other nations.[30] As an example, the first phase of modern Australian whaling was almost entirely based on workers from Larvik.[31] While the first whaling station in theFaroe Islands was established by Sandefjordians,[32] Larvik played a similar role for theShetland Islands. Tønsberg initiated much of the whaling industry inIceland and theHebrides.[33]
Vestfold is Norway's smallest county, with the exception of the city-county ofOslo. It lies on the western shore of theOslofjord. Vestfold borders withBuskerud County in the north and withTelemark County in the west. It is bordered bySkagerrak in theNorth Sea to both the south and east. The county has a total area of 2,157 square kilometres (833 sq mi) and has a 980 kilometres (610 mi) coastline.Vestfjellet at 634.04 metres (2,080.2 ft) is the tallest peak in the county. It is also home to 1,407 islands.[10]Nøtterøy (60 square kilometres (23 sq mi)) is the largest island in Vestfold, whileTjøme (39 square kilometres (15 sq mi)) is the second-largest island.[49][50]
There is a total of 634 freshwater lakes in Vestfold, with a total area of 79 square kilometers. Large lakes includeFarris,Eikeren,Goksjø,Hallevannet,Akersvannet, and others. Vestfold makes up 0.7 percent of Norway's total land area. Ten Norwegian municipalities are larger in size than Vestfold County.[50] As an example,Kautokeino Municipality inFinnmark County is over four times larger than Vestfold County. Finnmark county is 22 times larger than Vestfold county.
The county's soft soil is composed of varieties of moraine and sedimentary soils. TheIce Age left large parts of Vestfold below sea level, and the most cultivated soil can be found on the marine terraces. Marine clay and sand cover most of the lower lying country in the south-west and north. The Vestfold moraine, a continuation of the Østfold moraine at Moss, is an ice-formed formation which stretches as a cohesive gravel ridge through the county, fromHorten in the east toMølen in the south.[50]
Færder National Park was the county's first national park when the decision was formalized byKing Harald V on 23 August 2013.[10][51] The visitor center is atWorld's End, and was officially opened byQueen Sonja on 26 June 2015.[52][53] The national park lies inNøtterøy- andTjøme municipalities, and is made up of 325 square kilometres (125 sq mi) of ocean and 15 square kilometres (5.8 sq mi) of land. It stretches fromOrmøy in the north toFærder Lighthouse in the south.[53] It is one of two marine national parks in Norway, and is made up of coast, skerries, islands and sea bed.[54]
Mølen inLarvik is home to Norway's largest stone beach[55] and is an ancient burial site consisting of 230 cairns, some exceeding 35 metres (115 ft) in diameter. Excavations have dated the rock piles to about 250 A.D.[56][57] It was the firstUNESCO Global Geopark in theNordics when established in 2008.[58][59] Mølen is one of Larvik's most popular tourist attractions. It is home to over a hundred species of rock, including Norway's national stone,Larvikite, which is named from the area. It is a crucially important seabird habitat, where over 316 species of bird have been recorded.[60][61]
Vestfold has experienced a large reduction in number of municipalities. As of 1949, the county was home to 19 rural municipalities and 7 city municipalities. There were 14 municipalities as of 2016, but the number decreased to 6 as of 2024. Vestfold has the least amount of municipalities of any county in Norway.
According toStatistics Norway, Vestfold County was home to 244,967 residents as of 1 January 2016.[66] Immigrants made up 11.9 percent of the population in 2017.[67] Most immigrants were from Poland (4,287 people), followed by Lithuania (2,794) and Iraq (1,549).[67] Despite its small size, Vestfold had the third-highestpopulation density in Norway.[10] However, the population density may still have been considered low; as an example, the population density of theNetherlands was four times higher than that of Vestfold County in 1998.[50]
Sandefjord was the most populous city of Vestfold County;[38] one in four people from Vestfold were from Sandefjord, or 25.2 percent of the county population.[68]
Jotun is one of the world's largest manufacturers of paints and coating products.[69][70][71]
Traditional industries in Vestfold have includedwhaling andship building. For over 50 years in the 19th century,Sandefjord and partiallyTønsberg functioned as the world centre for the whaling industry.[30] However, whaling ended in the 1960s and the ship building industry has gradually reduced since the 1980s.Information technology is currently a growing industry, and the county is home to large web shops such asKomplett, MPX.no and netshop.no. 18.9 percent of the county's total area is used for agriculture, the highest percentage of any county in Norway. 70% of agricultural lands are used for the cultivation of grains.[10] Vestfold's farming area makes up five percent of Norway's cultivated areas. However, by area, Vestfold only makes up 0.7 percent of Norway's land area.[50]
Vestfold has Norway's most expensive vacation homes. Sandefjord had Norway's most expensive vacation homes in 2012, whileTjøme had the most expensive homes as of 2010.[72][73] General property values appreciated 28.3 percent between 2010 and 2015.[74]
Summer tourism is an important industry in Vestfold, particularly in coastal communities such asSandefjord,Tjøme andStavern. Coastal cities also have large numbers of vacation homes. There were 534,724 hotel stays in 2015, where the purpose was vacationing for 236,895. Most international tourists were from theUnited Kingdom,Sweden, andDenmark. There were 781,459 stays at rental cabins or campgrounds in 2015.[10] Consequentially, the population increases drastically during summer months in municipalities such as Sandefjord,[77] Tjøme, and elsewhere. The population at Tjøme goes from 4,500 to around 50,000 each summer.[78] The population of islands such as Tjøme often quadruple during summer,[79] while summer communities asStavern often sees a doubling or tripling.[80]Tjøme Island is home to nearly as many vacation homes as residential homes.[81]
While Tjøme has the nicknameSommerøya ("the Summer Island"),[82][83] Sandefjord is nicknamedBadebyen ("the Bathing City") due to its many beaches and former spas.[84] Sandefjord is known for its many great beaches,[85][86] and it is primarily known as a summer resort community.[87][88] It first became a bathing destination whensulphur was discovered in 1837.[89][38] The city gained further recognition whenSandefjord Sulfur Spa and Resort (Kurbadet) was established in 1837. The bath was one of the most visited in Europe during the late 19th century.[90]
Vestfold is home to 21 churches dating tomedieval times. It is also home to one stave church,Høyjord Stave Church inAndebu (Sandefjord). Nearby Andebu Church also has Norway's oldest parish register, dating to 1623.[38] The city of Sandefjord proper is home to Europe's only museum dedicated to whaling,Sandefjord Museum in the city centre.[96][97][98] This museum also ownsSouthern Actor, a whale-catcher turnedmuseum ship. Southern Actor is the only whale-catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order.[39][40] Also at Sandefjord Harbor is the Harbour Chapel (Bryggekapellet), which is the only floating church in Norway[99] and most likely Europe,[100] perhaps the only floating church in the world.[101]
The city ofTønsberg is Norway's oldest city, most likely founded in year 871.[102][79][103][104] Tønsberg is home toTønsberg Fortress, which is Scandinavia's largest ruin site. It includes ruins fromCastrum Tunsbergis, Norway's largest castle in the 13th century. An outdoor music festival is held at Tønsberg Fortress every July.[105][79] Ruins of a Germanfortress can be seen atFolehavna Fort onWest Island, Sandefjord.[106]
TheVestfold Line is a railway line that runs fromDrammen, through a number of towns in Vestfold and ending in the town of Skien inTelemark.European route E18 runs through the county roughly parallel to the railway.[50]
There are two international ferry connections, both operated byColor Line.Larvik is connected to the Danish townHirtshals, the other route is betweenSandefjord andStrømstad in Sweden.Fjord Line is also a ferry operator between Sandefjord and Strømstad. In addition there is a domestic route connectingHorten andMoss.
Kaupang, home to remains for the oldestNordic town yet discovered. The remains are from one ofScandinavia's earliest urban sites, established in year 800 A.D.[118][119]
Istrehågan is an ancient burial ground which dates to theRoman Iron Age around 1500-500 BCE.[18] It is located at Jåberg inTjølling, on the border betweenSandefjord andLarvik.[134][131] The rock settings at Istrehågan resemble a ship. It is 24 metres (79 ft) long, and 9 metres (30 ft) meters broad. Archaeological excavations made in 1959-61 uncoveredremains of bones, bear claws, pottery shards, a brooch, and more.[135] At Haugen farm on the Sandefjord side is Vestfold County's largest collection ofpetroglyphs.[136]
Borre mound cemetery most likely contains graves belonging to kings of theYngling dynasty. It is mentioned in the poemYnglingatal as the burial site of one of two kings belonging to the royal dynasty of the Ynglingas.[138]
Kaupang inSkiringssal (Larvik) is home to remains from the oldestNordic town yet discovered.[119] It was a trade centre established around year 800, making it one ofScandinavia's earliest urban sites. The settlement was abandoned in the mid-10th century.[118] It is located in Kaupang Bay in Viksfjord,Larvik. Archeological finds include melting pots, jewelry parts, casting moulds and casting models.[139] Most of Kaupang remains not excavated.[140] There are replicas of Viking homes at Kaupang today, giving insight to how homes were constructed during theViking Age.[141][142]
Oseberg Mound is located inTønsberg and is where theOseberg Ship was discovered. The ship, which dates to 834 A.D., had a length of 22 metres (72 ft). Two female skeletons were found in the ship's burial chamber.[143]
Gulli, outsideTønsberg, was the site of an archaeological excavation during the period from 2003 to 2004, prior to asphalt being laid for constructing the newE18 (road).[144] There were 60 graves - 20 of those were preserved to a degree that [authorities decided] permitted examinations.[144] "Perhaps the most spectacular [item] was ahøvre" - used with a horse's harness. "There are few of those in Norway - one inTrøndelag and a gilded one found inBorre".[144]The artifacts are on display at the Midgard Historical Centre in Borre.[145][146]
19th century archeologists were struck by the many burial mounds and artifacts discovered at Fevang nearTorp Airport inSandefjord. Local farmers had discovered various artifacts in the 19th- and early 20th centuries. ArcheologistNicolay Nicolaysen traveled to Fevang and concluded that Fevang was home to an array of ancientburial mounds. Nicolaysen further discovered that Fevang had been an active graveyard for over 1,000 years - since year 0 A.D. until the first Christian cemeteries were established. Among the artifacts discovered were a gold jewel namedBerlokk, which was retrieved in a woman's grave along with two gold beads, two blue glass beads, a hairpin, ceramic, burnt bones, and two clips of bronze. Her tomb is dated to the OldIron Age, around 0-400 A.D.[147][148]
The ship, which is the largest found in Norway, is currently located at theViking Ship Museum in Oslo. The 23.8 metres (78 ft) ship was buried along with numerous gifts, including weapons, jewels, a gaming board, fish-hooks, 64 shields, six beds, three smaller boats and kitchen utensils. Twelve horses, eight dogs, two goshawks and two peacocks were also discovered in the grave.[152][153]
Interpretive signs have been put up at the mound andGaia, an exact replica of the Gokstad Ship, can be seen on Museum's Wharf at Sandefjord Harbor.[154]
TheOld Norse wordMol translates tocairns, a site often used by ancient peoples to mark a burial site.Mølen, which is Norway's largest stone beach, is home to 230 cairns, which have been built over ages. Some cairns have been dated to 250 A.D.[56][61] Theisthmus of Mølen is home to stone piles, grave mounds, and stone settings, which are all part of a protected historic site. The last Ice Age pushed large amounts of gravel and stones ahead of it, and deposited it as amoraine through all of Vestfold, known asVestfoldraet.Raet meets the ocean at Mølen, where the moraine sinks into the sea. Its encounter with theSkagerrak ocean waves has uncovered and polished the huge round stone floor for centuries.[155]
Besides being the largestbeech tree forest inNorway, and the most northernmost beech tree forest in the world,[116] Bøkeskogen is also an important archeological area. 83-90 burial mounds have been discovered in the forest. Some of these include the largest burial grounds from thePre-Roman Iron Age in Vestfold County.[156]
At least 238 kilometers of coastal hiking trails can be found in Vestfold County, fromLarvik in the south toSvelvik in the north.[157] Hiking trails are found throughout the county, including atWorld's End inFærder National Park. Furthermore, there is a 35 km (22 mi.) marked trail between the towns ofStavern andHelgeroa.Mølen,Kjærrafossen andBøkeskogen are also home to various trails.Tønsberg Barrel, an old beacon dated toSverris saga in theMiddle Ages,[158] sits atYxnøy on Sandefjord'sEast Island.West Island is home to Folehavna Fort and additional trails.[159] Combined, the trails on Sandefjord's East- and West Islands are 45 km (28 mi.), and a part of the internationalNorth Sea Trail.[160][161] Bøkeskogen inLarvik is home to various trails, varying from 2.6 km (1.6 mi.) to 10 km (6.2 mi.) in length.[162]
Saltstein is part of a protected habitat for birds.[178] From 2014surfing was permitted off Saltstein.[178]
Besides being anUNESCO Global Geopark,Mølen inLarvik is a habitat for a variety of rare bird species.[179] Mølen became a protected sanctuary for birds in 1970.[59] 320 species of birds have been recorded at Mølen, more species than at any other site in Norway.[177][180]
Wildlife preserves include Melsom- andHemskilen Wildlife Preserves. Hemskilen Wildlife Preserve lies on theLarvik-Sandefjord border and is an important habitat forshorebirds,geese, andPasserines.[181] Melsom Plant- and Wildlife Preserve in Sandefjord is home to various older oaks, some of them home to as many as 1,500 different species of insects.[182] Marøyskjæra Bird Preserve consists of two skerries west ofNatholmen Island, which have been important nesting areas forCommon tern andCommon gull since the 1980s. Over 500 seagulls hatched on the islets in the 1990s.[183][184]
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![Høyjord Stave Church, only stave church left in Vestfold[38][199]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aH%25C3%25B8yjord_stavkirke%2c_MIS.jpg)
![Trollfoss in Larvik, the tallest waterfall in Vestfold.[200][201][202]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aTrollfoss.jpg)
