Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Sandefjord Tourist Information Office
is
at Torvet (
&
33-46-05-90;
www.visitsandefjord.com/eng). In summer it's open
Monday to Friday 9am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 4:30pm, and Sunday 12:30
to 4:30pm. Off season it's open only Monday to Friday 8:30am to 4pm.
SEEING THE SIGHTS
Lying off Storgata,
Commander Christensen's Whaling Museum,
Museums-
gaten 39 (
&
33-48-46-50
), has a life-size replica of a mighty
blue whale
, its
tongue alone weighing 3
1
⁄
2
tons. The museum records the controversial whaling
industry that nearly drove this mammoth sea beast to extinction. In the heyday
of whaling, as you learn, Sandefjord sent out vast “floating factories” to process
the whale meat and its byproducts. Admission is 40NOK ($5.70) for adults,
20NOK ($2.85) for ages 7 to 17, and free for those 6 and under. It's open daily
10am to 5pm (Wed until 7pm).
The other museum of note here is also nautical and is open only by appoint-
ment through the tourist office (for information, check at the whaling museum,
above).
Sandefjords Sjøfartsmuseum (Sandefjord Maritime Museum)
docu-
ments Sandefjord's centuries-old link to the sea, on which the town once
depended for its survival. Especially intriguing are the sailing ships of the 1800s.
The admission price is the same as for the whaling museum. However, all par-
ticipants must hire a guide, costing 500NOK ($71) for everybody, plus the
admission charge of 30NOK ($4.25) adults and 15NOK ($2.15) children. The
cost can be shared.
Sandefjord preserves a slice of its past at
Øvre Myra Cotter's Farm,
Solvangveien 8 at Nyphen. In use since 1770, this is the last cotter's farm in the
area. A cotter, of course, was a hired hand who occupied a cottage in return for
services on the farm. Inquire at the tourist office (see above) about joining one
of the guided tours in summer to this homestead.
OUTDOOR PURSUITS
After all this maritime history, you too can head for the water if the day is fair.
The best beach,
Langeby,
lies 7km (4
1
⁄
4
miles) from the center, and buses from
Sandefjord go there hourly. You'll find dozens of other beaches along the 146km
(90-mile) coastline. Our favorite public beach—arm yourself with a map from
the tourist office—is at
Søllokka,
reached along RV 303 by following the direc-
tions north to Tønsberg. We also like
Granholmen,
reached along RV 303 fol-
lowing the directions south to Larvik, the latter the hometown of Thor
Heyerdahl, of
Kon-Tiki
fame.
The area is a popular site for scuba divers. The best outfitter is
Neptun
Dykkersenter,
Kilgaten (
&
33-46-14-90
), which will rent all the equipment
needed to qualified divers. There is no regular place to rent boats but you might
inquire here about rentals, or else check with the tourist office to see what might
be available if you'd like to go boating. Outdoor activities are a casual thing
at Sandefjord, a sort of do-it-yourself operation that changes from season to
season.
WHERE TO STAY
Comfort Home Hotel Atlantic
Built on the site of an older struc-
ture, this hotel respected its 1914 origins in its new design. The tasteful interior
takes a whaling theme as its motif. Bedrooms have sleek modern styling, and
each comes with a private bathroom with shower (six units also have a tub).
Suites have their own fireplaces and Jacuzzis, and three rooms are equipped for
persons with disabilities. Children under 16 stay free, but a rollaway bed is an
Kids
