Åsgårdstrand
Encyclopedia
Åsgårdstrand is a city in Vestfold
, Norway
. It is also the name of a former independent municipality and a center of trade. The town is situated 10 km south of Horten
, 10 km north of Tønsberg
and 100 km south of Oslo
by the west coast of the Oslofjord
.
From 2007, the town has had the classification of a Tourist Town, which gives the shop owners in the oldest part, closest to the sea, the right to keep open all days of the week. In order to become a Tourist Town the number of visitors needs to greatly exceed the number of residents throughout the year.
In this small, southern idyllic town you will find art gallerys, hotel, a couple of bakeries, a café, grocery stores, bank and a pub. There are also several summer open bars and restaurants around the older part of the town. In addition, Åsgårdstrand has an elementary school, an old folks home and several kindergartens.
In June every year, Åsgårdstrand celebrates Midsommer - the longest day of the year - with a large fire on the shorefront.
, from 1660 under Holmestrand. In 1752 the center of trade was given the rights of doing business with national goods.
From the beginning of the 19th century, Åsgårdstrand, was a lively export harbor for lumber, of which most was exported to the Netherlands
.
By the end of the sail ship era, the trade stagnated.
The town was increasingly known as an important center for artists and painters and since the 1880s a vast number of internationally famous painters has either visited or lived in the town. Painters like Edvard Munch
, Christian Krogh and Hans Heyerdahl.
The reason for this is the very special light which the best artists either went to Åsgårdstrand or Skagen
in Denmark
to experience.
The municipality was founded as Åsgårdstrand formannskapsdistrikt
in 1837. Merchant and ship owner Anders Riddervold was elected as the first mayor.
Since the 1920s Åsgårdstrand has been a popular vacation and recreational spot. Both the Dutch royal family, prominent guests from Oslo and other rich and famous travelled to the small town each summer and spent their holidays on one of the four hotels. Summer guests are still leaving their mark on the idyllic town.
On 1 January 1965 Åsgårdstrand and Borre
municipalities, plus a part of Sem was merged to the new municipality of Borre.
By the time of the merger Åsgårdstrand had 488 inhabitants and was the smallest municipality in Norway
Vestfold
is a county in Norway, bordering Buskerud and Telemark. The county administration is in Tønsberg.Vestfold is located west of the Oslofjord, as the name indicates. It includes many smaller, but well-known towns in Norway, such as Larvik, Sandefjord, Tønsberg and Horten. The river Numedalslågen runs...
, 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 also the name of a former independent municipality and a center of trade. The town is situated 10 km south of Horten
Horten
is a town and municipality in Vestfold county, Norway—located along the Oslofjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Horten. The municipality also includes the villages of Borre, Åsgårdstrand, Skoppum, and Nykirke....
, 10 km north of Tønsberg
Tønsberg
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, southern Norway, located around north-east of Sandefjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tønsberg....
and 100 km south of Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
by the west coast of the Oslofjord
Oslofjord
The Oslofjord is a bay in the south-east of Norway, stretching from an imaginary line between the Torbjørnskjær and Færder lighthouses and down to Langesund in the south to Oslo in the north....
.
From 2007, the town has had the classification of a Tourist Town, which gives the shop owners in the oldest part, closest to the sea, the right to keep open all days of the week. In order to become a Tourist Town the number of visitors needs to greatly exceed the number of residents throughout the year.
In this small, southern idyllic town you will find art gallerys, hotel, a couple of bakeries, a café, grocery stores, bank and a pub. There are also several summer open bars and restaurants around the older part of the town. In addition, Åsgårdstrand has an elementary school, an old folks home and several kindergartens.
In June every year, Åsgårdstrand celebrates Midsommer - the longest day of the year - with a large fire on the shorefront.
The name
The meaning of the name is the strand (beach, waterside) belonging to the farm Åsgård (Norse - Ásgarðr). The first element in the farm's name is´ás meaning 'mountain ridge' (the usage here referring to its position on Raet), the last element is garðr meaning 'farm'.History
Åsgårdstrand was ladested (center of trade) from 1650 under TønsbergTønsberg
is a city and municipality in Vestfold county, southern Norway, located around north-east of Sandefjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tønsberg....
, from 1660 under Holmestrand. In 1752 the center of trade was given the rights of doing business with national goods.
From the beginning of the 19th century, Åsgårdstrand, was a lively export harbor for lumber, of which most was exported to the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
By the end of the sail ship era, the trade stagnated.
The town was increasingly known as an important center for artists and painters and since the 1880s a vast number of internationally famous painters has either visited or lived in the town. Painters like Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, printmaker and an important forerunner of expressionist art. His best-known composition, The Scream, is part of a series The Frieze of Life, in which Munch explored the themes of love, fear, death, melancholia, and anxiety.- Childhood :Edvard Munch...
, Christian Krogh and Hans Heyerdahl.
The reason for this is the very special light which the best artists either went to Åsgårdstrand or Skagen
Skagen
Skagen is a projection of land and a town, with a population of 8,515 , in Region Nordjylland on the northernmost tip of Vendsyssel-Thy, a part of the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark...
in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
to experience.
The municipality was founded as Åsgårdstrand formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
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...
in 1837. Merchant and ship owner Anders Riddervold was elected as the first mayor.
Since the 1920s Åsgårdstrand has been a popular vacation and recreational spot. Both the Dutch royal family, prominent guests from Oslo and other rich and famous travelled to the small town each summer and spent their holidays on one of the four hotels. Summer guests are still leaving their mark on the idyllic town.
On 1 January 1965 Åsgårdstrand and Borre
Borre
Borre may refer to:* Borre, a former municipality and village in Norway* The Borre mound cemetery* Borre, a commune of the Nord département in France* Borre, Denmark, a village on the Danish island of Møn* Borre Golfbane, a golf course in Norway...
municipalities, plus a part of Sem was merged to the new municipality of Borre.
By the time of the merger Åsgårdstrand had 488 inhabitants and was the smallest municipality in Norway
Notable people from Åsgårdstrand
- Hans Anton Apeness (1842–1930), lumber merchant born in Åsgårdstrand. A street in CalaisCalaisCalais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
has been named after him. - Einar Thorstein Diesen (1894–1962), broadcaster from Åsgårdstrand
- Jahn Ekenæs (1847–1920), art painter, lived in Åsgårdstrand
- Øivin Holst Grimsgaard (1900–1989), architectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
born in Åsgårdstrand - Hans Heyerdahl (1857–1913), art painter, lived in Åsgårdstrand
- Jens Kristensen (1975–), illustratorIllustratorAn Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
born in Åsgårdstrand - Per Lasson Krohg (1889–1965), art painter born in Åsgårdstrand, son of OdaOda KrohgOda Krohg, born Othilia Pauline Christine Lasson , was a Norwegian painter, and the wife of her teacher and colleague Christian Krohg....
and Chr. Krohg - Ingerid Paulsen Kuiters (1939–), illustrator lives in Åsgårdstrand
- Svein Døvle LarssenSvein Døvle LarssenSvein Døvle Larssen is a Norwegian newspaper editor. He spent most of his career in the Conservative press in the county of Vestfold, and was also an elected politician for the Conservative Party. He also held a number of positions in Norwegian media organizations.-Career:He was born in Stokke,...
(1928–), former editor of Tønsbergs BladTønsbergs BladTønsbergs Blad is a local newspaper published in Tønsberg, Norway. The newspaper was founded by printer Hans Jørgen Magnus Hansen on 3 August 1870, with an initial circulation of 210 copies. By the turn of the century the circulation had grown to 2,600. In 1881 the newspaper was purchased by...
bosatt i Åsgårdstrand - Edvard MunchEdvard MunchEdvard Munch was a Norwegian Symbolist painter, printmaker and an important forerunner of expressionist art. His best-known composition, The Scream, is part of a series The Frieze of Life, in which Munch explored the themes of love, fear, death, melancholia, and anxiety.- Childhood :Edvard Munch...
(1863–1944), art painter with summer house in Åsgårdstrand - Ola Abrahamsson (1883–1980), art painter with summer house in Åsgårdstrand. A street in Åsgårdstrand has been named after him.
- Nils Johan SembNils Johan SembNils Johan Semb was the coach of the Norwegian national football team from 1998 to 2003, presiding over 68 matches.He led his team to the 2000 European Football Championship...
(1959–), Norwegian national soccer team head coach, 1998–2003, living in Åsgårdstrand