What to See in Sandefjord - Top Sights and Attractions

Whaler's Monument, also known as The Whaling Monument, is a rotating bronze memorial statue situated by the harbor in Sandefjord, Norway. It is located at the end of Jernbanealleen, which is the main street in town.

The monument was created by Norwegian sculptor Knut Steen for which he won a competition in which more than one hundred sculptors had competed. A commission was granted to Knut Steen in 1953. The work took seven years to complete. It was first unveiled in 1960 and has become one of his most widely recognized works of sculpture.

It features an elegant, fishing boat raised by a whale fin. It depicts four stylized figures of whalers with oars in an open boat, with harpoons ready and water spraying. It is made in the style of a compass rose and rotates slowly. Central parts are made of bronze and weighs 26 tons. The dramatic effect is enhanced by the water columns in the fountain that are regulated at different heights. The pool has 128 underwater lights. Around the fountain are stylized reliefs in granite from modern whaling.

The costs associated with the design and construction of the sculpture were donated to the city by shipowner and whaling magnate, Lars Christensen. Earlier Consul Christensen had also funded the costs associated with the construction and development of the Sandefjord Museum.^[1]

Museum in Sandefjord, Norway. Sandefjordmuseene is a museum located in Sandefjord, Norway. It is dedicated to the whaling industry and is the only specialized museum on the subject of whales and whaling in Europe. Since 2009, the museum has been associated with the Vestfold Museum. It is one of the largest whaling museums in the world, and Europe's only museum dedicated to the whaling industry.

Sandefjord Whaling Museum houses a full-size recreation of a 21-meter Blue whale, which hangs from the ceiling in one of its galleries. Southern Actor is based on Museum's Wharf and is a part of the museum. It is the only whale-catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still in its original working order.

The museum was visited by over one million people from its opening until 1994.^[2]

Movie theater in Norway. Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center is a series of municipal buildings in Sandefjord, Norway, which houses the City Hall, city library and a movie theater. It is situated next-door to Scandic Park Hotel at Sandefjordsveien in the city center. It has three auditoriums and an outdoor amphitheater. Hjertnes also presents concerts, live theater, operas and other cultural events.

The city hall was dedicated by shipping magnate Anders Jahre (1891–1982) on June 21, 1975. A bronze statue of Anders Jahre by sculptor Joseph Grimeland (1916–2002) sits by the City Hall's main entrance. The sculpture was unveiled on June 21, 1975. A large stainless steel sculpture, the sea queen (Havdronningen), was made by Arnold Haukeland and is located outside the building. The sculpture was unveiled on April 7, 1976, and it is nearly ten meters tall. It was a gift to the city from Lars Christensen Jr. AS Thor Dahl, and Framnæs Mekaniske Værksted.

Hjertnes Civic and Theater Center was designed by architects Trond Eliassen and Birger Lambertz-Nilsen.^[4]

Church in Sandefjord, Norway. Sandar Church is the oldest church in Sandefjord, Norway in Vestfold og Telemark. The church was erected at the ruins of a mediaeval stone church from the 13th century. The current church was built in 1792 in the style of Louis XV of France. Sandar Church originally had a half-circle dome top, but the roofing was changed to the current spire in 1868.

Sandar Church was first mentioned in a written document in 1345. This Medieval church was later replaced with the current church, which was built between 1790 and 1792. The new church was inaugurated by bishop Christen Schmidt and was named Friedrich Church in honor of King Frederick VI. Outside is a sculpture depicting priest and poet Magnus Brostrup Landstad. The Landstad sculpture is Norway's first statue made of hard rock. It was unveiled on May 17, 1928, and was made by sculptor Hans Holmen.

It was the main church of Sandeherred municipality, later known as Sandar. After the merge of 1968, Sandar Church became recognized as a Sandefjord city church. It is located in the city centre, just 300 meters from Sandefjord Church. The church was dedicated on August 15, 1792.

It is only open in connection with advertised church events. It has seating capacity for 800 persons.^[5]

Whale catcher. Southern Actor is a former whale catcher, currently a museum ship based in Sandefjord, Norway and owned by Sandefjord Museum. It is the only whale catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order. Over 100,000 hours have been spent on restoring the vessel.

Southern Actor was built in 1950 at Smiths Dock, Middlesbrough, England, for the whaling company Christian Salvesen Ltd in Leith, Scotland. Many of Salvesen's employees were Norwegian mostly from Vestfold. The ship was in Norway for maintenance in the summer.

In 1995, Southern Actor was fully restored, as authentically as possible in relation to the way the boat was originally constructed. That same year she was declared worthy of preservation by Riksantikvaren, the Norwegian Directorate of Cultural Heritage. Southern Actor is in working order and can be chartered for excursions.^[6]

Bugårdsparken is a 60-acre park and the main sports center in Sandefjord, Norway. It is also home to a 20-acre duck pond, Bugårdsdammen, as well as designated picnic areas and hiking trails. The park is organized for 18 different sports, including ice skating, ice hockey, soccer, swimming, archery, rollerskating, golf, badminton, and more. Besides an indoor 2,500 m.2 public pool, other buildings include Jotunhallen, which is used for handball, and Pingvinhallen, which houses tennis courts. Storstadion is also located here, current home of Sandefjord BK and former home of Sandefjord Fotball.

The sports park was established in 1946 and the idea of such a park came from former Sandefjord Ballklubb player Sigurd B. Gade. In 1961, the Norwegian Championship (NM) in ice skating was held in the park. It attracted 10,300 spectators.

In the mid-1940s, the sports park was, with the exception of Ekebergsletta in Oslo, the largest such sports facility in Norway. The sports facilities in the park were built from 1952-59 when ice skating rinks, swimming pools, tennis courts, an ice-hockey field, and roads were constructed. Work on the park began in 1948, but its official opening ceremony took place on 22 June 1972, 25 years after the park's opening. The 1972 opening ceremony took place after the new stadium was completed with changing rooms and bleachers. The swimming pool was completed in 1982 and had over 100,000 annual visitors in its first years.

The park received Rolf Hofmo’s Award as Norway’s best sports park in 1989.^[7]

Building in Norway. Sandefjord Spa, was a spa in Sandefjord, Norway, established by Heinrich Arnold Thaulow in 1837. The main building from 1899 is one of the largest wooden buildings in Norway and in the Nordic countries overall. Kurbadet was one of Europe's most visited baths in the late 1800s. Royalty and Prime Ministers from throughout Europe visited the spa in the late 1800s. It was the first spa in Sandefjord and functioned as a medical institution focusing on the treatment of symptoms for rheumatic diseases. A majority of spa visitors were from Norway, but international guests from Germany, Britain and the United States also visited Kurbadet.

The spa was open from 1837 until 1939, when it became a municipal property. The buildings are now housing a café, bar, gallery, and a host of local associations. The bath's original building from 1899 is made in style of a dragon and is located in the city centre. Tours of Kurbadet can be scheduled.

Badeparken, or "the Bathing Park", is located nearby and was established by the spa in 1902.^[8]