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Maritime museum

The maritime museum has the exhibition proud ships on world’s oceans which shows pictures and models of ships. With these pictures and models of ships you can see the different techniques, the dramatic and glorified illustrations of both sailboats and steamboats. There is a lot of exciting and dramatic stories about the ships and their destiny and the captains and their merits, that you can explore.

On the first floor the exhibition discoverers and adventurers take place. The exhibition displays 8 Larvikings that have challenged the ocean and the forces of nature more than most people. Their expeditions have had different purposes; some to prove a theory or to reach a goal, others for the pure excitement of an adventure. All of them have helped Larvik and Norway to get recognised. In the exhibition you will get to know Oscar Wisting, Thor Heyerdahl and Carl Anton Larsen.

Family-activities: Activity room for the kids during the summer season.

The Maritime Museum is open during the summer. Outside the summer season, it is open for events and by appointment.

Otherwise during the year, you can experience concerts and lectures with a maritime backdrop with a view of Larvik’s oldest public dock, Skottebrygga.

For guided tours off season, call 48 10 66 00.

See also Herregården and Larvik museum.
You can visit all three museums on the same ticket. If you are going to visit Herregården, you must pay the price listed there.

Baltzer Restaurant

Baltzer Restaurant gets its name from Baltzer Rustad, who operated a guest house and ferry service between Horten and Moss at the beginning of the 19th century.

For table reservations or other questions, call tel. 33 08 33 80.

Free parking in the backyard of the hotel.

Peppes Pizza Larvik

At Peppes Pizza you can enjoy delicious pizzas and other food from an exciting and varied menu.

For meetings and private parties, there is also a secluded section with a projector. Free WLAN.

For ordering pizza to your home! Call 22 22 55 55 for delivery or pickup.

Sti for øye – Path for the eye

An art project that, in close collaboration with nature, affects everyone who visits the trail to give the senses free space. The path STI FOR ØYE is almost two kilometers long, available all year round.

The light designer Erik Selmer makes sure that the trail, nature and art are lit in an exciting and adventurous way. The lighting is automatically turned on every night at dusk and turned off at midnight.

The trail is made by the landscape architect Rainer Stange.

The path is covered in red rombeporfyr, "the red carpet", which is hardly anywhere else than in Stokke. The forest on both sides of the trail has Norway's richest incidence of laurel species. Each spring wood anemone cover the forest like a carpet. The area is also rich in birdlife, and each fall the chanterelle shows up in fine yellow bunches on the forest ground.

12 artists from 8 European countries were chosen to create their stories about the nature. The project started in 2001, and officially opened September 30, 2010.

The path is almost two kilometers long and winds its way towards Himmeltrappen (The Sky Stairs). From there, hikers have a clear view of Slottsfjellet in Tønsberg.

GROUP TOURS

Do you want a guided tour? STI FOR ØYE offers guided tours of one to two hours, or lectures followed by guided tours for groups of min. 10 people. Food and drink can also be offered. Get in touch for enquiries.

Færder National Park

Færder National Park comprises 340 square kilometres of mainland, islands, reefs and seabed in Færder municipality. It stretches from Ormøy in the north to Færder lighthouse in the south. The islands south of Hvasser, Verdens Ende and Moutmarka are part of the national park. In the middle of the Oslo Fjord, Færder National Park borders Ytre Hvaler National Park.

Færder National Park is an important area for coastal outdoor life, and large areas are secured as publicly owned outdoor areas. Boating, kayaking, hiking and swimming are popular activities here, in addition to being an important local area for permanent residents and cottage owners. The proximity to Tønsberg city and the densely populated Oslo area means that Færder National Park is much used.

Færder National Park is a distinctive archipelago landscape that is the result of the work carried out by the enormous ice masses from the Ice Age.

The sea areas in the national park are very varied, from groundwater areas in the skerries to the deep sea areas further from land. In the shallow areas, there are large kelp forests and lush eelgrass beds that are important breeding areas for fish. At the depths, we find exciting seabed landscapes with large mountain gorges and flat soft bottom areas, and this variation provides a basis for a diverse animal and plant life on the seabed.

Several important nesting areas for seabirds are included in the national park. It is also home to a diverse black plant flora and insect fauna. Particularly important areas are Sandø, Bolærne, Østre Bustein and Moutmarka.

VISIT THE NATIONAL PARK

Færder National Park is easily accessible by boat, car and public transport. At the End of the World, you can drive a private car all the way to the border of the national park.

Dinner with a view – Verdens Ende Spiseriet is a restaurant at the End of the World, and open all year.

YOU CAN…

Tents are allowed for up to two days minimum 150 meters from houses and cottages. Tents are not allowed in the seabird areas, Ruseodden on Østre Bolæren, Sandø, Østre Bustein and Moutmarka. See map of tenting areas.

Barbecue is prohibited directly on the surface.

Bonfires are not allowed from 15th of October to 15th of April. Bonfires are not allowed directly on the mountains and rocks all year round.

Bathing is of course allowed. The same applies to the clearing of landed seaweed and kelp at widely used bathing sites.

Fishing of cod is forbidden. Fishing of other fish is perfectly fine, as long as you stay within the rules set by the fishing authorities.

Berries and edible mushrooms can be picked for your own use.

Flowers and ordinary plants can also be picked for own use, except in the former plant protection area in Kjøkkenbukta on Østre Bolæren.

BUT REMEMBER THAT …

The speed limit at sea is 5 knots within 100 meters of land, and otherwise 30 knots within the outermost islands. The speed must always be adapted to the conditions, so that there are no accidents or injuries.

Film and photo with drone is not allowed.

Water scooter is prohibited. The same applies to unnecessary noise when using motorized model aircraft and the like.

Motor traffic on land is not allowed, with some exceptions for agriculture and some other purposes.

Pollution and littering of all types is of course not allowed.

There is a leash requirement for dogs in the entire national park in the period 1 April to 15 October. In the seabird areas (zone B), the restraining order applies throughout the year. The bird life in the seabird areas must not be disturbed. In these areas, traffic on land and up to 50 meters from land is not permitted during the breeding period 15.04 – 15.07. Hi, nests, nesting, breeding and spawning grounds are protected against damage and unnecessary disturbance.

Release of animals on land and in water is prohibited.

Cultural monuments must be treated with respect and protected from damage and destruction. Loose cultural monuments must not be moved or removed.

Midtåsen

It was the home of Anders and Bess Jahre until his death in 1982, and Bess continued to live there until her death in the summer of 2006. The estate, which has a unique sculpturespark and fantastic views over Sandefjord, is open to the general public.

Sculpture park:
A sculpture park of Knut Steen is open all year (free entrance).

Guided tours of the villa:
There are guided tours of the villa one or twice a month (in Norwegian) during the summer season. Guided tours for groups on other days is possible. Contact person for booking and price is Morten Christensen, mobile +47 917 28 243.

Free parking happens on the left before the gate at the top of the villa.

Visitor Center Færder National Park

On the southern tip of Tjøme, World's End is the Visitor Center for Færder National park. The center was opened June 26 2015 by H. M. Queen Sonja. The rotunda provides panoramic views of Færder national park.

At the visitor center there are exhibitions, a drawing corner, books and games with free entrance. On the upper floor of the center you will find a shop with ice cream, coffee and cinnamon rolls, as well as locally produced items and souvernirs. Throughout the year, a number of lectures, family events and guided tours are offered. Chech out the facebook site; Besøkssenter Færder nasjonalpark.

In the same building you will also find the restaurant "Spiseriet Verdens Ende" and down by the guest harbor is the kiosk "Handleriet". These have their own opening hours.

Parking in designated places for the disabled.

The childhood home of Thor Heyerdahl

Thor Heyerdahl's childhood home
Thor Heyerdahl was a scientist and explorer, and became world famous for his expeditions with Kon-Tiki, Ra and Tigris. Heyerdahl grew up in Steingata 7 and from his room he had an inspiring view to the sea.

Guided tours available to the public
The house is open to the public from mid June to mid August for guided tours. This is arranged by Larvik Historielag.

Larvik city council made Thor Heyerdahl honorary citizen of the town Larvik in 1971, and for his 75th birthday a monument of stone specie "Larvikite", was made. You can view the statue at idyllic Tollerodden. In 2007, five years after Thor Heyerdahl passed away, Larvik city council bought his family home in Steingata 7.

Famous adventurer
Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002) was an archaeologist, an author and an adventurer. He is regarded the most famous person ever to come from Larvik. Already as a youngster he was interested in nature, animals and science. He developed a passion for Polynesia when he got in touch with a friend in Oslo, who had lots of literature on this Pacific island.

He studied zoology at the university of Oslo, but he also took major interest in related subjects like biology and anthropology and other topics that had to do with the Pacific region.

Thor Heyerdahl was originally buried on the family estate in Italy in 2002. In the summer of 2024, the urn was transported home to his new burial place at Larvik church.

Thor Heyerdah had three major expeditions:

The Kon-Tiki expedtion in 1947 tried to prove Heyerdahl's theory about Polynesia having been settled from South America in contrast to from Asia. He pointed to vegetation, ocean currents and tropical winds as his argumention, and he meant local oral tradition supported this views.

The Ra expeditions in 1969 and 1970 tried to link the South America Indian tribes together with old African and Middle East civilzations.

The Tigris expedition in 1977. Through the expedtion with Tigris, Thor Heyerdahl wanted to test eventual coummunication between pre-historic civilizations either side of the continents. The reason for travelling to the Bay of Persia and the Indian Ocean was to show the Egpt and Mesopotamia could have had inter-continental business relations several thoursand years ago.

Thor Heyerdahl writings
Thor Heyerdahl wrote quite a few books and articles, and he led several archaeological excavations in Peru, in the Maldives and at the island of Tenerife.

Thor Heyerdahl documentaries
Heyerdahl is the producer of documentaries Kon-Tiki (1950), Galapagos (1955), Aku-Aku (1960) and Ra (1972).

Kon-Tiki the movie
The Oscar nominatd movie Kon-Tiki (2012) gave new awareness to Thor Heyerdahl's adventures and discoveries.

The house can be booked
Stavern and Larvik Event organizes meetings and dinner for groups all year.
The house enebles events up to 30 people. Happenings with concerts and barbeque may be arranged in the wonderful garden for up to 70 persons. There are three lovely bedrooms in the house.

Mølen

Mølen is Norway's largest beach of pebbles, and it is a part of Vestfoldraet: the terrain left behind after the end of the most recent Ice Age 10.000 years ago.

The cultural landscape of Mølen, with its total of 230 cairns from the Iron Age, is one of the most majestic landscapes in Norway. The area has 16 large cairns, many up to 35 metres in diameter, with almost 200 small cairns in rows parallel to the shoreline. The cairns probably served as "sea markers" along the shipping lanes between different trading centres. This, combined with its striking natural beauty and position on the edge of the sea, makes it a must-see when visiting the area.

You can enjoy a lovely view of the sea at Mølen, and also study the beautiful type of stone called larvikite, a speciality for the Larvik area. There are actually more than 100 different types of rock at Mølen, and a total of 316 different bird species has also been found.
The arrival and departure of the migratory birds is a real treat for visitors. Twice a year the migrants visit wonderful Mølen, heading north in springtime and eventually heading back south when autumn looms.

In the summer of 2008 Mølen was officially made into an UNESCO Geopark Area.

If you want to get to Mølen by walking, the coastal path is easily accessible from either Helgeroa or Nevlunghavn.

Welcome to Mølen!

The Kjærra Waterfalls Park

The Kjærra Waterfalls Park is situated in one of the most spectacular sceneries of Lågendalen you find the Kjærra Waterfalls Park. The Park, covering both sides of the river Lågen, derives its name from the famous Kjærra Waterfalls. Here, the river splits into two separate courses: The Eastern Falls and The Western Falls. The waterfall park is famous for its salmon and the historical fishing methods used are well documented.

In the waterpark you have the opportunity to go for a nice hike, admire the birds singing, go fishing or just find peace in the beauty of Kjærra Waterfalls Park. The park offers benches to sit and eat your lunch, as well as bonfires around the area.

The industry of fishing at Kjærra waterfalls park can be documented all the way back to the 1300, and lasted towards the end of 1958. After a while the plant was restored and opened for tourism in 1992. This brought tourists from all over the country to experience the Kjærra waterfalls, salmon fishing and summer concerts. It is also quite popular to visit Kjærra with kayaks.

The salmon trap is opened every Thursday during the season. There's usually a lot of fish and if you're lucky you get to buy a wild salmon on the spot. The fishing season for salmon is 10.06 – 26.08. Fishing license is bought online.

The Kjærra-bridge extend over Lågen with its 132 meters. The bridge is an architectural masterpiece surrounded by the outstanding natural beauty of the forest, waterfalls and leaping salmon. This project started in the fall of 2000 and was opened by county governor Mona Røkke July 5th, 2001.

The exhibitions around the park makes it interesting and creates a unique experience when walking around. In the park you will find 5 different spots that displays 5 photographs of Kjærra waterfalls park during winter time. The placement of the pictures is aligned so that the photographs shows the same landscape as behind the photographs. The photographer is Kjell Harangen. When walking around the park you’ll also find sculptures within the nature, by the artist Trond Fredriksen.

The Anagama kiln is both an art piece and a ceramic oven. The oven is inspired originally from Japan and it can hold up to 500 figures. This project is a cooperation between Stiftelsen Kjærra Fossepark, sculptor Trond Frederiksen, ceramist Ole Krongaard and the college of Telemark.

Toilets and drinking water are available on site for the visitors. If your looking for more excitement, speed and climbing its perfect to combine it with Høyt og Lavt Climbing Park.