Tvedestrand
Encyclopedia
is a town and municipality in Aust-Agder
county
, Norway
. It is located in the traditional district
of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Tvedestrand.
The town has a picturesque, white-painted town center with irregular streets climbing steep hills around the harbor
. The natural beauty of the area makes it a popular tourist destination. The municipality includes numerous islands, which makes it a very popular place in the summer for boat
ers, who can easily find an island or an inlet for themselves which provides peace and quiet. The number of people in the county at least double in the summer, due to vacationers. There are approximately 1,700 summer cottages ("hytter") around the fjord
. Tvedestrand has over 2,000 buildings that are more than 100 years old.
). On 1 January 1960, the rural municipalities of Dypvåg
(population: 1,805) and Holt (population: 3,759) were merged with Tvedestrand (population: 868) to form a new municipality named Tvedestrand.
On 1 January 1962, the Strengereid area (population: 375) of Tvedestrand was transferred to neighboring Moland
municipality. Then on 1 January 1964, the Holtegården area (population: 5) was transferred from Moland to Tvedestrand. The uninhabited Folevatnet area in Tvedestrand was transferred to the municipality of Risør on 1 January 1984.
of the name of the old Tveite farm (Old Norse
: Þveitar) and the last element is strond which means "strand" or "beach
". The name of the farm is the plural form of þveit which means "small farm".
is from modern times. They were granted on 4 April 1986. The arms show a tern
, a typical seabird, which was chosen as the village is dependent on the sea
for its economy
.
. The interior was decorated by Torsten Hoff.
Around 1600 Tvedestrand was mainly a harbour for the Berge and Tveite farms’ boats, hence the name Tvedestrand (strand means beach or coast in Norwegian).
Lyngør was the site of the Battle of Lyngør
between English and Dano-Norwegian
forces during the Napoleonic Wars
resulting in the sinking of the frigate of the Dano-Norwegian forces, Najaden
by the British ship-of-the-line Dictator in 1812.
The town as it now exists was built in the 19th century as a harbour for Norway's longest existing iron works, Næs jernverk. Lying in the parish of Holt, Næs jernverk has one of the largest and most significant of the surviving mansions in Sørlandet, built by Ulrich Schnell. Schnell bought up various iron works in the neighborhood and set up several sawmills in the district. He obtained a special license
to export timber directly from Tvedestrand, establishing the basis for an international harbor.
to the west and Risør
to the east. The municipality also borders on Froland
, Åmli
and Vegårshei
. The municipality assumed its present borders in 1960 with the consolidation of Dypvåg and Holt municipalities and the port at Tvedestrand.
Tvedestrand belongs to the geographical region of Sørlandet. The town itself lies at the end of a picturesque fjord, Oksefjorden (originally Ufsefjorden, meaning the fjord with steep, rocky sides), while the municipality also encompasses the lovely islands Borøy
and Sandøy
as well as the unique village of Lyngør
. Lyngør was acclaimed "Europe's best preserved village" by Europa Nostra
in 1991.
The Storelva, one of the Southern Coast's best salmon and sea trout rivers, flows past Nes Ironworks, in Tvedestrand. Tvedestrand municipality includes 162 islands, with a collected coastline of 214 kilometres (133 mi).
, Västra Götaland County
, Sweden
Aust-Agder
is a county in Norway, bordering Telemark, Rogaland, and Vest-Agder. In 2002, there were 102,945 inhabitants, which is 2.2% of the total population in Norway. Its area is . The administrative center of the county is in Arendal....
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. It is located in the traditional district
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Tvedestrand.
The town has a picturesque, white-painted town center with irregular streets climbing steep hills around the harbor
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
. The natural beauty of the area makes it a popular tourist destination. The municipality includes numerous islands, which makes it a very popular place in the summer for boat
Boat
A boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
ers, who can easily find an island or an inlet for themselves which provides peace and quiet. The number of people in the county at least double in the summer, due to vacationers. There are approximately 1,700 summer cottages ("hytter") around the fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
. Tvedestrand has over 2,000 buildings that are more than 100 years old.
General information
The town of Tvedestrand was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). On 1 January 1960, the rural municipalities of Dypvåg
Dypvåg
Dypvåg is a former municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is currently located within the municipality of Tvedestrand in the traditional region of Sørlandet about east of the village of Tvedestrand.-Name:...
(population: 1,805) and Holt (population: 3,759) were merged with Tvedestrand (population: 868) to form a new municipality named Tvedestrand.
On 1 January 1962, the Strengereid area (population: 375) of Tvedestrand was transferred to neighboring Moland
Moland
Moland is a former municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Arendal in the Sørlandet region. Eydehavn was the centre of the municipality, which had a population of 6,011 in 1967 and 8,148 in 1992.-Name:...
municipality. Then on 1 January 1964, the Holtegården area (population: 5) was transferred from Moland to Tvedestrand. The uninhabited Folevatnet area in Tvedestrand was transferred to the municipality of Risør on 1 January 1984.
Name
The first element is the genitive caseGenitive case
In grammar, genitive is the grammatical case that marks a noun as modifying another noun...
of the name of the old Tveite farm (Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Þveitar) and the last element is strond which means "strand" or "beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
". The name of the farm is the plural form of þveit which means "small farm".
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is from modern times. They were granted on 4 April 1986. The arms show a tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
, a typical seabird, which was chosen as the village is dependent on the sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
for its economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
.
History
The church at Holt probably dates from the twelfth century and has an ancient baptismal fontBaptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
. The interior was decorated by Torsten Hoff.
Around 1600 Tvedestrand was mainly a harbour for the Berge and Tveite farms’ boats, hence the name Tvedestrand (strand means beach or coast in Norwegian).
Lyngør was the site of the Battle of Lyngør
Battle of Lyngør
The Battle of Lyngør was a naval battle fought between Denmark-Norway and Britain in 1812 on the southern coast of Norway, effectively concluding the Gunboat War in Britain's favour and putting Denmark-Norway out of the war.-Background:...
between English and Dano-Norwegian
Denmark–Norway
Denmark–Norway is the historiographical name for a former political entity consisting of the kingdoms of Denmark and Norway, including the originally Norwegian dependencies of Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands...
forces during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
resulting in the sinking of the frigate of the Dano-Norwegian forces, Najaden
HDMS Najaden (1811)
HDMS Najaden was a frigate in the Royal Danish-Norwegian Navy. She was commissioned in 1811 and originally carried 36 guns, later being upgraded to 42. She served briefly during the Gunboat War only seeing action once, when on 6 July 1812 the British ship of the line and the sank her during the...
by the British ship-of-the-line Dictator in 1812.
The town as it now exists was built in the 19th century as a harbour for Norway's longest existing iron works, Næs jernverk. Lying in the parish of Holt, Næs jernverk has one of the largest and most significant of the surviving mansions in Sørlandet, built by Ulrich Schnell. Schnell bought up various iron works in the neighborhood and set up several sawmills in the district. He obtained a special license
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
to export timber directly from Tvedestrand, establishing the basis for an international harbor.
Geography
Tvedestrand is a town and municipality that lies between ArendalArendal
is a town and municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. Arendal belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet.The town of Arendal is the administrative center the municipality and also of Aust-Agder county...
to the west and Risør
Risør
is a city and municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. The city belongs to the traditional region of Sørlandet. It is a popular tourist place. The surrounding area includes many small lakes and hills, and is known for its beautiful coastline as well....
to the east. The municipality also borders on Froland
Froland
Froland is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Blakstad, which along with Osedalen form the main population center of the municipality....
, Åmli
Åmli
Åmli is a municipality in the county of Aust-Agder, Norway. It is located in the traditional region of Sørlandet. The main population centre and administrative center is the village of Åmli which lies along the river Nidelva.-Name:...
and Vegårshei
Vegårshei
Vegårshei is a municipality in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sørlandet. The administrative center is the village of Myra.-General information:...
. The municipality assumed its present borders in 1960 with the consolidation of Dypvåg and Holt municipalities and the port at Tvedestrand.
Tvedestrand belongs to the geographical region of Sørlandet. The town itself lies at the end of a picturesque fjord, Oksefjorden (originally Ufsefjorden, meaning the fjord with steep, rocky sides), while the municipality also encompasses the lovely islands Borøy
Borøy
Borøy is a island in the municipality of Tvedestrand in Aust-Agder county, Norway. Some of the villages on the island include Sandvika, Borøkilen, Utgårdstrand, and Snarsund.Borøy is known for the spectacular reefs and for many boat and bath possibilities....
and Sandøy
Sandøya, Aust-Agder
Sandøya is an island along the southern coast of Norway. It has roughly 230 permanent residents , and shares its local administration with the surrounding communities and the nearby town Tvedestrand. The island has no bridge to the mainland, and the inhabitants rely on boats for transportation....
as well as the unique village of Lyngør
Lyngør
Lyngør is a village area on a group of small islands in the municipality of Tvedestrand in Aust-Agder county, off the southeast coast of Norway...
. Lyngør was acclaimed "Europe's best preserved village" by Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, is the representative platform of 250 heritage NGOs active in 45 countries across Europe...
in 1991.
The Storelva, one of the Southern Coast's best salmon and sea trout rivers, flows past Nes Ironworks, in Tvedestrand. Tvedestrand municipality includes 162 islands, with a collected coastline of 214 kilometres (133 mi).
Geology
A number of rare minerals are found in Tvedestrand:- SunstoneSunstoneSunstone is a plagioclase feldspar, which when viewed from certain directions exhibits a brilliant spangled appearance; this has led to its use as a gemstone. It has been found in Southern Norway, and in some United States localities...
, a rare feldsparFeldsparFeldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
exhibiting in certain directions a brilliant spangled appearanceAventurescenceIn gemology, aventurescence is an optical reflectance effect seen in certain gems. The effect amounts to a metallic glitter, arising from minute, preferentially oriented mineral platelets within the material. These platelets are so numerous that they also influence the material's body colour...
, which has led to its use as a gemstoneGemstoneA gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
. - A rare yttriumYttriumYttrium is a chemical element with symbol Y and atomic number 39. It is a silvery-metallic transition metal chemically similar to the lanthanides and it has often been classified as a "rare earth element". Yttrium is almost always found combined with the lanthanides in rare earth minerals and is...
phosphatePhosphateA phosphate, an inorganic chemical, is a salt of phosphoric acid. In organic chemistry, a phosphate, or organophosphate, is an ester of phosphoric acid. Organic phosphates are important in biochemistry and biogeochemistry or ecology. Inorganic phosphates are mined to obtain phosphorus for use in...
mineralMineralA mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
XenotimeXenotimeXenotime is a rare earth phosphate mineral, whose major component is yttrium orthophosphate . It forms a solid solution series with chernovite- and therefore may contain trace impurities of arsenic, as well as silicon dioxide and calcium...
. - ThuliteThuliteThulite is an opaque, massive pink manganese-bearing variety of the mineral zoisite. Manganese substitutes for calcium in the structure with up to two percent Mn2+. Thulite is often mottled with white calcite and occurs as veins and fracture fillings transecting many types of rock...
(also called rosaline), an opaque, massive pink variety of the mineral zoisiteZoisiteZoisite is a calcium aluminium hydroxy sorosilicate belonging to the epidote group of minerals. Its chemical formula is Ca2Al3O...
.
Attractions
- The 18th century Nes Iron Works are 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the town center.
- Tvedestrand is recognized as a book townBook townA book town is a town or village with a large number of second-hand or antiquarian book shops. These shops, and sometimes also literary festivals, attract bibliophile tourists to them...
, a small village with a large number of second-hand or antiquarian book shopBooksellingBookselling is the commercial trading of books, the retail and distribution end of the publishing process. People who engage in bookselling are called booksellers or bookmen.-Bookstores today:...
s. - Interesting Places in Tvedestrand municipality:
- Lyngør, a cluster of offshore islands which have been described as the 'SkagerrakSkagerrakThe Skagerrak is a strait running between Norway and the southwest coast of Sweden and the Jutland peninsula of Denmark, connecting the North Sea and the Kattegat sea area, which leads to the Baltic Sea.-Name:...
Venice' and proclaimed by the European Commission to be “Europe’s best preserved village.” - SagesundSagesundSagesund is a small village in the municipality of Tvedestrand in Aust-Agder county, Norway. It is located in the middle of Oksefjorden. Sagesund is located from Tvedestrand on county road 411. There is also bus service from Tvedestrand....
village - SandøyaSandøya, Aust-AgderSandøya is an island along the southern coast of Norway. It has roughly 230 permanent residents , and shares its local administration with the surrounding communities and the nearby town Tvedestrand. The island has no bridge to the mainland, and the inhabitants rely on boats for transportation....
island, including the villages of KilenKilen, Aust-AgderKilen is a village in the municipality of Tvedestrand in Aust-Agder, Norway. It is located on the island Sandøya, midway between the popular tourist destinations Kilsund and Lyngør. The village is about southeast of the town of Tvedestrand....
and KlåholmenKlåholmenKlåholmen is a village in the municipality of Tvedestrand in Aust-Agder, Norway. It is located on the island Sandøya, midway between the popular tourist destinations Kilsund and Lyngør. The village is located about southeast of the town of Tvedestrand.... - BorøyBorøyBorøy is a island in the municipality of Tvedestrand in Aust-Agder county, Norway. Some of the villages on the island include Sandvika, Borøkilen, Utgårdstrand, and Snarsund.Borøy is known for the spectacular reefs and for many boat and bath possibilities....
island
- Lyngør, a cluster of offshore islands which have been described as the 'Skagerrak
Notable residents
- Arne GarborgArne GarborgArne Garborg, born Aadne Eivindsson Garborg was a Norwegian writer.Garborg championed the use of Landsmål , as a literary language; he translated the Odyssey into it...
(1851–1924), authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. In 1872, he founded and was editor of the Tvedestrandsposten newspaperNewspaperA newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
(still published in 2008) - Knud Knudsen (1812–1895), linguisticsLinguisticsLinguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguistics can be broadly broken into three categories or subfields of study: language form, language meaning, and language in context....
scholar
Twin towns — Sister cities
The following cities are twinned with Tvedestrand: LysekilLysekil Municipality
Lysekil Municipality is a municipality in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. Its seat is located in the city of Lysekil....
, Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County
Västra Götaland County is a county or län on the western coast of Sweden.The county is the second largest of Sweden's counties and it is subdivided into 49 municipalities . Its population of 1,550,000 amounts to 17% of Sweden's population...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
- Tvedestrand municipality site
- A UK site on Tvedestrand municipality
- Information on minerals in Tvedestrand
- A map of Tvedestrand municipality
- The museum at Næs Jernverks
- Map of Aust-Agder including Tvedestrand municipality
- The island of Borøya
- Culture
- The newspaper Garborg founded