Åsgårdstrand

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Landeveien near Åsgårdstrand painted by Hans Heyerdahl in 1890

Åsgårdstrand is a town 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, 10km north of Tønsberg and 100km 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 old part of the town. In addition Åsgårdstrand has an elementary school, an old folks home and several kindergartens. There are also several clubs and sororoties with something to for people of every age. Things like football, sailing and so on.

The first or second weekend of June every year Åsgårdstrand is celebrating itself with a great town festival.

[edit] History

Åsgårdstrand was ladested (center of trade) from 1650 under 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.

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 Hirtshals 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.

January 1st 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

[edit] Famous persons from Åsgårdstrand

Hans Anton Apeness (1842–1930), lumber merchant born in Åsgårdstrand. A street in Calais 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), architect born in Åsgårdstrand
Hans Heyerdahl (1857–1913), art painter, lived in Åsgårdstrand
Jens Kristensen (1975–), illustrator born in Åsgårdstrand
Per Lasson Krohg (1889–1965), art painter born in Åsgårdstrand, son of Oda and Chr. Krohg
Ingerid Paulsen Kuiters (1939–), illustrator lives in Åsgårdstrand
Svein Døvle Larssen (1928–), tidligere redaktør i Tønsbergs Blad bosatt i Åsgårdstrand
Edvard Munch (1863–1944), maler med sommerhus i Åsgårdstrand
Nils Johan Semb (1959–), Norwegian national soccer team head coach, 1998-2003, living in Åsgårdstrand