Tønsberg
Town/city in Eastern Norway, Norway / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Tønsberg (pronounced [ˈtœ̂nsbær(ɡ)] ⓘ), historically Tunsberg, is a city[1] in Tønsberg Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located about 102 kilometres (63 miles) south-southwest of the capital city of Oslo on the western coast of the Oslofjord near its mouth onto the Skagerrak. The city is the most populous metropolis in Vestfold county. Tønsberg also serves as the administrative centre for Vestfold county and the seat of the County Governor of Vestfold og Telemark.[4]
Tønsberg
Tunsberg (historic name) | |
---|---|
Nickname: Sagabyen (The Saga City) | |
Coordinates: 59.26753°N 10.40763°E / 59.26753; 10.40763 | |
Country | Norway |
Region | Eastern Norway |
County | Vestfold |
District | Jarlsberg |
Municipality | Tønsberg Municipality |
Established as | |
Kjøpstad | c. 871 |
Area | |
• Total | 26.31 km2 (10.16 sq mi) |
Elevation | 10 m (30 ft) |
Population (2023)[2] | |
• Total | 55,387 |
• Density | 2,105/km2 (5,450/sq mi) |
Demonyms | Tønsbergensar Tønsbergenser |
Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
Post Code | 3111 Tønsberg |
Tønsberg is generally regarded as the oldest city in Norway, founded in the 9th century.[5][6][7] Snorri Sturluson mentions the town in Harald Hårfagre's saga (written around 1220) before the battle at Hafrsfjord, which historians have traditionally dated to the year 872, therefore the town was in existence by 871 at the latest. This dating is again based on Are Frode's book, Íslendingabók. Using this information, Tønsberg celebrated its one-thousandth anniversary in 1871 and its 1100th anniversary in 1971. Archaeological findings confirm that there was a farm settlement in Tønsberg at the end of the 8th century, which likely developed into a town during the early 9th century.[4]
The 26.31-square-kilometre (6,500-acre) city has a population (2023) of 55,387 and a population density of 2,105 inhabitants per square kilometre (5,450/sq mi). The city has actually grown to the south onto the island of Nøtterøy, so 10.37-square-kilometre (4.00 sq mi) of the city and 17,979 residents are actually located in Færder Municipality.[2]
The city of Tønsberg was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt law). The rural Sem Municipality was merged with the city of Tønsberg on 1 January 1988, creating a much larger Tønsberg Municipality. The neighboring Re Municipality was merged into Tønsberg on 1 January 2020.[4]
The city is home to Tønsberg Fortress on Slottsfjellet ("Castle Mountain"), which includes ruins from Castrum Tunsbergis, Norway's largest castle in the 13th century. An outdoor music festival is held at Tønsberg Fortress every July.[8][9][5] Tønsberg is also home of Oseberg Mound, where the 9th-century Oseberg Ship was excavated.