Sandefjord

Sandefjord, a seaside resort with almost 65,000 inhabitants, ranks 11th among Norwegian cities in terms of population. Although the city rights were granted in 1838, the history of the city goes far back in the past. It is on the outskirts of Sandefjord that the best-preserved Viking boat was discovered in Gokstad, which can now be seen in one of the museums in Oslo. In the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the city was a thriving base for a fleet of whaling ships, gaining fame and wealth. In 1837, the Kurbadet health resort was opened in Sandefjord, which functioned until 1939, hosting patients not only from Norway but also from Germany, Great Britain and the United States. Kurbadet was famous for treating rheumatic diseases. Today, Sandefjord is considered the sunniest city in Norway and its charm cannot be denied, as the tourist infrastructure attracts many visitors. Located just outside the city, the Torp airport is served by low-cost airlines with several connections to Poland and other countries. Ferries connect to the port, which take you to Strömstad, Sweden, and the E18 highway on the outskirts connects Oslo with the southern part of the country.

I came to Sandefjord as part of the government’s pandemic program in 2021. Shortly after landing at the Torp airport, after arriving from Poland, I was sent to quarantine to the hotel in Sandfjord, where I was to stay in isolation for 10 days or until I tested negative for COVID-19. The test was not performed until a week later and that was the length of my adventure in sunny Sandefjord. Like many other absurd ideas implemented by governments trying to avoid the spread of the virus, this one with hotel quarantine in Norway allowed me to leave my room and go outside. The only limitation on my walks was the prohibition of going to shopping malls.

The next day after checking in, I went sightseeing. I hadn’t read a single mention of Sandefjord before and decided to just walk around a bit. But at the beginning I saw the hill towering over the wooden houses with a visible vantage point, and I already knew where to go. The hill is called Preståsen and is one of the most popular viewpoints in the city. The road to the top begins at Bjergatta, a historic street with charming wooden houses. Stone stairs lead to a green park on a hill.

Two days later, armed with the knowledge of the city’s history, I reached two more attractions in Sandefjord. The first was Midtåsen Hill, on top of which is the former residence of the whaling magnate Anders Jahre. Now, the villa serves as an exclusive hotel with a banquet hall and an offer of conference meetings. The terrace overlooks the city below, and in 2007, a concrete-glass pavilion with sculptures by Knut Steen was built between the trees.

The dripping rain did not prevent me from traveling a few extra kilometers and visiting Gokstad, the place where in 1880 a Viking boat dating back to the second half of the 9th century was found. The boat, buried under a mound, was the burial place of an unknown leader or significant warrior. The tomb was robbed several times over the centuries, the first time probably shortly after the burial. The boat from Gokstad was 23.5 meters long and 5.2 meters wide. It could accommodate two rows of rowers, 16 per side. It could reach speeds of 10 to 12 knots. Among the excavated remains, bones of at least 12 horses and 7 dogs of different breeds as well as two hawks and two peacocks were found, which clearly proves the status of the deceased.

The next day, I wandered around Hjertnesskogen Park, on the west side of the port, and looked at two of the most popular monuments in Sandefjord. The first is Hvalfangstmonumentet, a monument of whalers, a rotating bronze sculpture depicting a scene of a hunting for a large sea mammal. The monument is surrounded by gushing fountains imitating a rough sea. The whole thing is located on a roundabout paved in the shape of a compass rose in the heart of the city, right next to the port, makes an amazing impression. The monument was made by the above-mentioned Knut Steen and the work on its completion took 7 years. The result is amazing. A boat rising above a whale’s tail with sailors at the oars and a man standing in the bow with a harpoon in his hands are reminiscent of scenes from Moby Dick.

The second monument is about 200 meters to the west, right at the entrance to the Scandic Hotel where I was in my covid quarantine. These are the two bones of the blue whale’s jaw positioned vertically, forming a gate through which you can see the harbor.

The next day I went to the 100-meter-high Mokollen hill. The view from the summit overshadowed anything I had ever seen in Sandefjord. Maybe it was beacuse beautiful sunny weather that day. Mokollen is adjacent to the previously mentioned Midtåsen, and as it was on my way, so I visited this place again. Returning to the hotel, I hit another hill in the middle of the city, Mølleråsen. At the very top, there is a high sculpture supposed to represent a phoenix bird.

The last day, I had no ideas for hiking, but fortunately there are plenty of hills in Sandefjord. And so I found myself at the top of probably the highest peak in the last week. 106 m above sea level Varden is located on the southern edge of the city, on the Vesterøya peninsula.

Sandefjord is known as the whaling capital of the world. In the 19th century, it was the fastest growing industry in the area. The entire community lived off fishing (hunting) for these marine mammals. Many of the whalers sailing around the world have descended from Sandefjord. Entire fleets of whaling ships and equipment for killing sea creatures were built here. Between 1905 and 1914, 25 whaling companies were established in the city, and the total number of whaling vessels exceeded a hundred. In search of whales, ships ventured into the South Atlantic and Arctic waters. In the mid-1950s, the number of whales began to decline and fishing was finally stopped between 1967 and 1968. The whaling vessels were modernized and adapted to other tasks. However, the memory of that period of history is still alive. Sandefjord seems to be the only place in Europe with a whaling museum (Hvalfangstmuuseet). Inside, you can see, among other things, a 21-meter model of a blue whale suspended from the ceiling of the main hall. The Southern Actor whaler, built in 1950, is moored in the port and it can be visited as well. I have not had the opportunity to see both of these attractions, although they undoubtedly deserve attention. Perhaps one day I will visit Sandefjord again (hopefully not again for hotel quarantine) and then I will be able to visit the museum and have a bit more knowledge about the industry that made Sandefjord the richest city in Norway. For now, I am leaving this supposedly sunniest place in Norway. Thanks to frequent wandering around the city and its surroundings, my week-long quarantine has passed quite tolerably.