He undertook three major expeditions: the Kon-Tiki Expedition, the Ra Expeditions and the Tiger Expedition.
The Kon-Tiki Expedition (1947) – Thor Heyerdahl attempted to prove his theory that Polynesia could be populated from South America and not Asia. He pointed to plant life, the winds and ocean currents as good arguments, and believed local oral tradition suggested the same.
The Ra Expeditions (1969 and 1970) – Heyerdahl tried to link the South American Indians with the ancient civilizations of Africa and the Middle East.
The Tigris Expedition (1977) – Heyerdahl wanted to test his theories about contacts across the ocean between prehistoric civilizations. The aim of the journey around the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean was to show that Mesopotamia and Egypt could have had trade links across the sea several thousand years ago.
Thor Heyerdahl was appointed honorary citizen of Larvik city in 1971, and for his 75th birthday in 1989, a monument made of Larvikite was erected.
The monument stands on Tollerodden.
Vestfold Event have long operated and developed the Vestfold paintball arena, where, in addition to paintball, they have a number of different activities such as relays, tug-of-war, clay pigeon shooting, quizzes, brain teasers and more exciting activities. 3-5 and 7 matches will be set up.
Vestfold Event has now taken over operations at Noatun event park on Østerøya in Sandefjord. Here they have various yard activities such as ax throwing, air pistol shooting, arrow and archery, various cooperative exercises and much more. 5-7 or 9 matches are set up for you, regardless of whether it concerns a company, team, association, happening, event, Christmas party, birthday or stag party. Vestfold Event offers food service for up to 100 people, various entertainment and a liquor license with a full bar.
Vestfold Event tailors and organizes everything for your event!
Open for booking all days.
Ada Madssen (1917 – 2009) was a sculptor who made the monument «Søstrene Backer».
The Backer sisters, Harriet and Agathe, were the daughters of consul, shipowner and businessman Nils Backer (1815 – 1877) and Sofie Smith Petersen (1819 – 1882).
Harriet Backer was born on 21 January 1845 in Holmestrand and died on 25 March 1932 in Oslo. She was one of the foremost painters of her generation. Harriet had a painting school where she trained new artists, and she was recognized as a great artist in Norway from the 1880s.
Harriet has been given a place in the new national art museum, and is regarded as one of the most important artists of her time. She is best known for "blått interiør (blue interior)", which shows the play of sunlight in the interior.
Agathe Backer Grøndahl was born in 1847 in Holmestrand and died in 1907 in Kristiania. Agathe was a world-class pianist and Norway's first important female composer, and had a central role in Norway's musical life where she was particularly known for her romances. Agathe was also a personal friend of Edvard Grieg – and performed three times as a soloist with Grieg himself as conductor.
Entrepreneur Stars
The Entrepreneur Stars are Sandefjord's own Walk of Fame, honouring entrepreneurs whose vision, innovation and commitment have helped shape the city. The bronze stars in the city centre celebrate their lasting contribution to Sandefjord's business community and local society.
2026
Johan Bryde (1858–1925) – Shipping owner and whaling pioneer who expanded Norwegian whaling internationally and developed the industry from catch to processing.
Odd Gleditsch Jr. (1929–2017) – Transformed Jotun into one of the world's leading paint and coatings companies while keeping its headquarters in Sandefjord.
Leiv Wilhelm Eriksen (b. 1939) – Serial entrepreneur who built successful construction companies and contributed significantly to business development and local sports.
2025
Anders Børresen Hasle (b. 1868) – Founder of Sandefjord Shoe Factory, creating one of Norway's largest shoe manufacturers and hundreds of jobs.
Odd Andersen (b. 1933) – Entrepreneur, employer and community builder who created jobs and inspired those around him.
Gunnar Bjønness (b. 1956) – Technology entrepreneur who helped establish Sandefjord as a leading IT hub.
Helge Krossøy (b. 1968) – IT entrepreneur who built successful technology companies while making a major contribution to local sports and volunteer work.
2024
Thorbjørn Hansen (b. 1942) – Construction entrepreneur and property developer behind one of the region's leading building companies.
Hans Freddy Henriksen (b. 1945) – Food industry entrepreneur behind Skjeggerød Slakteri and Matbørsen, recognised for inclusive leadership.
Heidi Marie Pettersen (b. 1958) – Engineering entrepreneur and business leader who built successful companies in a male-dominated industry.
Yngvar Hasås (b. 1956) – Timber industry entrepreneur who developed the Hasås family business through innovation and continuous improvement.
2023
Øystein Seim (b. 1974) – Founder of several construction companies and a strong advocate for employment and social inclusion.
Øivind Allum (b. 1947) – Engineering entrepreneur who helped build Sandefjord's internationally recognised maritime engineering cluster.
Dorothea von der Lippe Christensen (b. 1847) – Pioneer of education and women's rights who established Norway's first school kitchen.
Carl Christian Fon (b. 1963) – Construction entrepreneur and philanthropist who has contributed significantly to Sandefjord's development.
Guttorm Gran Sr. (b. 1908) – Brewery entrepreneur who developed Grans Brewery into one of Norway's few remaining independent breweries.
Olga Kulms (b. 1895) – Hotel entrepreneur behind Hotel Atlantic and a generous supporter of Sandefjord's cultural life.
2022
Christen Christensen (1845–1923) – Shipbuilder and whaling pioneer whose innovations laid the foundation for Sandefjord's prosperity.
Thor Dahl (1862–1920) – Shipping magnate, investor and philanthropist who built one of Norway's leading whaling companies.
Heinrich Arnold Thaulow (1808–1894) – Physician and founder of Sandefjord Spa, establishing the town as an internationally known spa destination.
Eric Sandtrø (b. 1972) – E-commerce pioneer behind Norek and Komplett, helping shape Norway's online retail industry.
Anders August Jahre (1891–1982) – Shipping entrepreneur and philanthropist who built an international shipping and whaling empire.
Odd Gleditsch (1894–1990) – Founder of Jotun and one of Sandefjord's most influential industrial entrepreneurs.
Beautiful sturdy canoes with room for 3 people.
Rented with vest and oars. NOK 350 for a full day and NOK 200 for a half day.
Call +47 909 30 062 for booking, or email roge-soe@online.no.
Daytrip by boat to Svenner!
The boat trip from Stavern to Svenner lighthouse takes approx. 0,5 hours. You can choose whether you take the trip as a round trip, or you can stay on the islands until the next departure.
Daily route from 29 June to 9 August
The boat will depart from Dampskipskaia in Stavern 3 times a day, at 10.00, 12.00 and kl. 15.00 every day.
Note: The route has been extended through 10 – 16 August with an additional round trip departing daily at 12:00. Passengers will have the opportunity for a short visit to Svenner Lighthouse before the boat departs Svenner at 13:00 for the return journey. A separate round-trip fare applies – use booking code AUGUST.
Timetables 2026
Departure Stavern at 10.00. Arrival Svenner lighthouse at 10.40.
Departure Stavern at 12.00. Arrival Svenner lighthouse at 12.40.
Departure Stavern at 15.00 Arrival Svenner lighthouse at 15.40.
Advance booking by BookSpot
The boat has capacity of 48 passengers.
You can choose whether you take the trip as a round trip, or want to stay on the islands until the next departure.
Departure from Svenner lighthouse at 10.30 Arrival Stavern at 11.10.
Departure Svenner lighthouse at 12.30. Arrival Stavern at 13.10.
Departure Svenner lighthouse at 15.30 Arrival Stavern at 16.10.
Charter and Stavern-Svenner May to September
Charterboat from medio May – August outside the route.
The route boat is operated by Bolærnebåtene AS.
Orders on the day are taken directly with the boat by phone: +47 919 24 001
Kayak
Enjoy a wonderful experience of the sea and the archipelago in a kayak. In kayaking you have the opportunity to paddle into narrow straits and discover special places. In addition, it is good training to paddle in a kayak.
Age: Must be over 16 years old or accompanied by an adult. Having a wet cards is highly recommended.
Place: You can pick up the kayak at entrance at Fredriksvern Verft. From there it is only 100 meters to the water.
SUP
Paddling on a Stand Up Paddleboard is a great way to get out on the water. Enjoy the freedom of movement and relaxation you get from paddling on a SUP, while you get good training in the core muscle. The boards are stable, so you do not have to be afraid to play on the board,
Age: Must be over 16 years old or accompanied by an adult.
Place: The boards can be picked up and paddled straight out from Galeien at Fredriksvern Verft.
Festiviteten is centrally located on Storgata in Larvik and can offer great meeting rooms from 2 to 130 people. The premises have modern technical equipment. Ellings serves you everything you want and Festiviteten will be happy to make suggestions for you to tailor a great meeting. You choose whether you want to eat in the café or in the banquet hall. The festival has day packages and evening packages that include everything you need for a successful day.
The banquet hall
The venerable banquet hall has been painstakingly recreated from the splendor of the past. There are many possibilities here. In the banquet hall there is plenty of space for meetings, conferences and events.
Office and meeting room
Do you want to rent office space? Festiviteten also offers the rental of modern office space with a historic buzz. With its own host, Festiviteten ensures that you can concentrate on your work and spend less time on other things.
Ellings
In the café you can enjoy a good lunch, barista coffee or something else good in your glass. See Elling's for more information and opening times.
Festivitetshagen
In Festivitetshagen you can enjoy good food and drink in tropical surroundings. Here there is seating for 150 people, a separate outdoor bar, outdoor kitchen and pergola. On the plateau "Usikten" you can enjoy a view of Larviksfjorden and the evening sun until it sets.
About Festiviteten
The original building has a history dating back to 1793 as a private residence, and after almost 100 years it was rebuilt and inaugurated as a party and assembly hall in 1874. After nearly 140 years as a party and assembly hall, theater, town hall and room for numerous cultural events, it has with impressive work given new life as Gjenbrukshuset Festiviteten, rehabilitated as much as possible with recycled materials and furniture.
One of Larvik's honorary citizens Ingvar Ambjørnsen grew up on the slopes behind Festiviteten, and the cafe "Ellings" is named after one of the novel characters Elling in one of Ambjørnsen's books.
Festiviteten, as it appears today, was officially opened for Larvik's 350th city anniversary in September 2021.
The summer boat "Fyrglimt" to Langøya
The boat runs from Thursday to Sunday, with departures every hour. The first departure is at 10:00, the last at 18:00.
After 17:00 there is only a return from Langøya until all passengers have disembarked in Holmestrand.
Langøya is not staffed, so bring enough food, water, sunscreen and anything else you will need for an island trip.
The boat is accessible for manual wheelchairs and prams. Dogs are also welcome on board!
There are two paddling huts where you can seek shelter or spend the night. NB! Remember that there is no water or electricity in the area, so bring everything you need if you want to stay overnight. All waste must be taken back to land. It should look like it did before you arrived.
Read more about Langøya at noah.no
Daytrip by boat to Svenner!
The boat trip from Stavern to Svenner lighthouse takes approx. 0,5 hours. You can choose whether you take the trip as a round trip, or you can stay on the islands until the next departure.
Daily route from 20 June to 9 August
The boat will depart from Dampskipskaia in Stavern 3 times a day, at 10.00, 12.00 and kl. 15.00 every day.
Note: The route has been extended through 10 – 16 August with an additional round trip departing daily at 12:00. Passengers will have the opportunity for a short visit to Svenner Lighthouse before the boat departs Svenner at 13:00 for the return journey. A separate round-trip fare applies – use booking code AUGUST.
Check the capacity and book until 30 minutes before departure at BookSpot
The boat has capacity of 48 passengers.
Timetables 2026
Departure Stavern at 10.00. Arrival Svenner lighthouse at 10.30.
Departure Stavern at 12.00. Arrival Svenner lighthouse at 12.30.
Departure Stavern at 15.00 Arrival Svenner lighthouse at 15.30.
You can choose whether you take the trip as a round trip, or want to stay on the islands until the next departure.
Departure from Svenner lighthouse at 10.30 Arrival Stavern at 11.00.
Departure Svenner lighthouse at 12.30. Arrival Stavern at 13.00.
Departure Svenner lighthouse at 15.30 Arrival Stavern at 16.00.
Charterboat from May to August
From medio May to late August the route can be booked for larger groups up to 48 passengers.
You can reach the boat by phone +47 919 24 001
