Horten facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Horten kommune
Municipality
Coat of arms Vestfold within Norway
Horten within Vestfold
Country	Norway
County	Vestfold
District	Jarlsberg
Established	1 Jan 1858
Administrative centre	Horten
Area
• Total	70.96 km2 (27.40 sq mi)
• Land	69.11 km2 (26.68 sq mi)
• Water	1.84 km2 (0.71 sq mi)  2.6%
Area rank	#340 in Norway
Population  (2023)
• Total	27,682
• Rank	#42 in Norway
• Density	400.5/km2 (1,037/sq mi)
• Change (10 years)	4.1%
Demonyms	Hortenser Hortensar
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
ISO 3166 code	NO-3901
Official language form	Bokmål
Preceded by	Borre Municipality
Data from Statistics Norway

Horten is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. A municipality is like a local government area. It is part of the traditional district called Jarlsberg. The main town and administrative centre of Horten is the town of Horten.

Other important places in Horten Municipality include the town of Åsgårdstrand and the villages of Nykirke, Skoppum, and Borre. The municipality is located on a piece of land that sticks out into the water, along the Ytre Oslofjord.

Horten covers about 71 square kilometers (27 square miles). This makes it the 340th largest municipality in Norway. With a population of 27,682 people, Horten is the 42nd most populated municipality. The number of people living here has grown by 4.1% in the last 10 years.

Borre National Park is in Horten. It has the biggest known burial site in Scandinavia. It also holds the largest collection of ancient king's graves in Scandinavia.

The local newspaper in Horten is called Gjengangeren. It mainly shares news about the local area. Bastøy Prison is on the island of Bastøy. This island is in the Ytre Oslofjord and is part of Horten municipality.

About Horten

Edvard Munch's house in Åsgårdstrand

The small port town of Horten became its own municipality on 1 January 1858. Before this, it was part of Borre Municipality. Horten became a separate town because it was named a ladested, which meant it had to be its own urban area. When it first became a municipality, about 4,636 people lived there. Over the years, some areas from Borre Municipality joined Horten.

In the 1960s, many municipalities in Norway merged. On 1 January 1965, the town of Åsgårdstrand and part of Sem Municipality joined Borre Municipality. Later, on 1 January 1988, the larger Borre Municipality merged with Horten Municipality. After this merger, the municipality became much bigger than just the town of Horten. For a while, the new municipality was called Borre.

However, on 1 June 2002, the name was changed back to Horten. This change happened after people voted on it during the 2001 parliamentary election. The vote was very close!

What Does "Horten" Mean?

The municipality is named after an old farm called Horten. The town was built where this farm used to be. The meaning of the name is not fully clear. It might come from a local word hort. This word means the "outer, knotty bark on older trees." It could also come from an old Norse word meaning "something uneven" or "wrinkled."

Another idea is that it comes from an old Norse word meaning "rocky ground" or "place of refuge." Some hills and mountains in Norway are also named Horten. So, the name might refer to the Brårudåsen hill in the middle of the town.

Horten's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Horten was approved on 19 November 1907. This was soon after Horten was given special town privileges (called a kjøpstad). The design on the coat of arms is split by a diagonal line.

• Below the line, you can see a naval fort and a boat on the water. This shows how important the Karljohansvern naval base and the sea were to Horten.
• Above the line, there is a red rose on a white or silver background. This represents the city's gardens.

A special crown, called a mural crown, sits on top of the shield. This crown means that the municipality includes a city. The artist Andreas Bloch designed the arms. Horten's municipal flag is white with this coat of arms in the middle.

Churches in Horten

The Church of Norway has four local church areas (called sokn) in Horten municipality. These churches are part of the Nord-Jarlsberg prosti (a larger church district) in the Diocese of Tunsberg.

Horten's Geography

Horten Municipality is on the western side of the Ytre Oslofjord in Vestfold County. It shares borders with Tønsberg Municipality to the south and west. To the north, it borders Holmestrand Municipality. Other nearby towns are Tønsberg to the south and Holmestrand to the north.

About half of Horten's land is covered by forests. A little less than a third is used for farming. The main town, Horten, is located along the coast. The smaller town of Åsgårdstrand is also on the coast, in the southern part of the municipality. The villages of Skoppum, Borre, and Nykirke are located more inland.

Nature Preserves

Horten has several special areas set aside to protect nature. These include Vealøs, Adalstjern, Frebergsvik, and Falkensten. There are also nature preserves near the lake Borrevannet and on the islands of Løvøya and Bastøy. You can find another preserve in Åsgårdstrand.

Falkenstendammen is a wildlife preserve. It is home to many species that are nationally threatened. The Reverompa Plant Reserve was created in 2006. This was to protect the nationally endangered crested cow-wheat plant. Tordenskjoldeika is a very old oak tree by the harbor, about 700 years old, and it is protected. Borre National Park is along the coast, but it is mainly a historical park.

Horten's Economy

Karljohansvern was the main base for the Royal Norwegian Navy from 1819 to 1963.

Many people in Horten work in different areas. In 2014, about 21.7% worked in industry. Health and social services employed 18.1% of people. Education was another big sector, with 12.1% of jobs. Commerce and car repair made up 12.7% of jobs.

The Royal Norwegian Navy used to be a very important industry in Horten. However, the Navy moved its main base to Bergen in the mid-1900s. This caused a big change in Horten's economy. The company Horten Verft also went out of business in 1987. Today, one of the most important industries is electrical engineering. Companies like Kongsberg Maritime, Kongsberg Norcontrol, Simrad Horten, and GE Vingmed Ultrasound are examples of this.

Culture in Horten

Åsgårdstrand has been a popular place for vacations and swimming since the 1920s. Even before that, it became a place where artists liked to gather. Famous painters like Edvard Munch and Fritz Thaulow visited there. Edvard Munch spent seven summers at his vacation home in Åsgårdstrand. This house is known as Munchs Lille Hus ("Munch's Little House"). Today, the house is a museum. You can find it on Munch's Street (Munchsgate 25).

Borre Mounds: A Glimpse into the Past

A burial mound at Borre National Park, Norway's first national park.

Borrehaugene is Norway's first national park. The name comes from the village of Borre and the Old Norse word haugr, which means mound. Borre National Park is located between the towns of Horten and Åsgårdstrand. This park gives us important information about history. It shows that there was a powerful center here during the Viking Age.

Digging at the site also uncovered amazing old crafts. Many of these items are now on display in Oslo at the Viking Ship Museum. The style of these crafts is now known as "Borre style." It is famous for its animal and knot designs, often used to decorate horse harnesses. The discoveries also confirmed that a Viking ship was buried at Borrehaugene.

The Borre mound cemetery within Borre National Park holds graves of kings from the ancient Migration Period. The park covers about 45 acres (18 hectares). It has the largest collection of king's graves in Scandinavia. These burial mounds might be the biggest collection of graves from the old Scandinavian Yngling dynasty in Northern Europe. New digs happened at the park from 1989 to 1991.

Getting Around Horten

Ferries cross the Oslo Fjord, connecting Horten and Moss.

Horten is on a peninsula, so most big roads go to the west of the town. Smaller roads connect Horten to these main routes. The Moss–Horten Ferry (also called the Bastø Ferry) crosses the Oslofjord. It connects Horten to the town of Moss in Østfold county.

The ferry leaves very often, usually 1 to 4 times every hour. The trip takes about 30 minutes. Each year, the ferry carries about 1.8 million vehicles and 3.5 million passengers.

The Vestfoldbanen railway line goes through Horten municipality. However, it does not go through the main city center. The main train station for Horten is in the village of Skoppum. Skoppum Station is southwest of the town center. Many people who travel to work prefer to use Holmestrand Station because it's easier to get to by road. From Skoppum, it takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes by train to reach Oslo Central Station.

If you drive, you can reach Horten by following European route E18 south. It is about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Oslo. The closest airport is Sandefjord Airport Torp. This airport is about 30 minutes by train south of Skoppum.

Sports in Horten

Horten has several football clubs. The most successful and well-known club is FK Ørn-Horten. They currently play in the Norwegian 2nd Division. Another team from Horten, Falk, plays in the Norwegian Third Division. Other local teams like Borre IF and Holtankammeratene play in lower leagues.

Education in Horten

The University of South-Eastern Norway has a campus in Horten. It is often called Bakkenteigen. This campus offers many different subjects. You can study things like sociology, history, and languages. You can also study mathematics, nature science, and maritime (sea-related) topics. Bakkenteigen has over 4,000 students. It aims to be a place for research and new ideas in the region.

Fun Places to Visit in Horten

Norwegian Naval Museum

• Borre National Park: This is Norway's first national park. It has the largest collection of royal grave mounds in Northern Europe. It is a very important historical site.
• Royal Norwegian Navy Museum (Marinemuseet): This is the oldest museum of its kind in the world, started in 1853. Here you can see many ships, including HNoMS Rap. This was the world's first torpedo boat, built in 1873.
• Preus Fotomuseum: This is the Norwegian Museum of Photography. It is a special museum located in the same building as the naval museum.
• Karljohansvern: This used to be the naval base in Horten. Over the last few years, less activity has happened there. Parts of the area are now open to the public, including some nice beaches. Both the photography museum and the navy museum are close to this former naval base.
• Royal Norwegian Navy Band: This is a military band that is considered one of the best in Europe. Their home base is in Karljohansvern in Horten.
• Horten Bilmuseum: This is a classic car museum. It has many old cars from the 1900s to the 1970s. One of Norway's largest model railways is also on display here. It is open every day in summer. From mid-August to mid-June, it is open only on Sundays.
• Borre Golfbane: This golf course has hosted two big golf events. In 2005, it was made bigger to have 27 holes. The 18-hole course runs along lake Borrevannet. Some holes have nice views over the lake.
• Borrevannet: This lake is home to a national bird sanctuary. In 2003, 255 different bird species had been seen there. 110 species have been confirmed to use the lake for nesting.
• L'Esprit d'Edvard Munch: This is the northernmost vineyard in the world, located in Horten.
• Åsgårdstrand: This town in the southern part of the municipality is a sight itself. It is a small town with white-painted houses by the ocean. It is best known for its great painters (like Edvard Munch) and its beaches.

Famous People from Horten

Francis Hagerup, 1895

Nils Henning Hontvedt, 2010

Public Service

• Francis Hagerup (1853–1921): A Norwegian law professor and diplomat. He was also the Prime Minister of Norway twice. He grew up in Horten.
• Kristine Munch (1873 in Horten – 1959): One of the first female doctors in Norway.
• Finn Ronne (1899 in Horten – 1980): An American citizen and explorer of Antarctica.
• Gunnar Syverstad (1910 in Horten – 1945): A resistance fighter who helped in the Norwegian heavy water sabotage during WWII.
• Nils Henning Hontvedt (born 1952): A politician who was the mayor of Horten from 2001 to 2011.

Arts and Culture

Kaja Eide Norena, 1909

M U Ringheim, Girl in Red, 2019

• Lagertha Broch (1864 in Horten – 1952): An illustrator and writer of children's books. She also supported women's rights.
• Eidé Norena (1884 in Horten – 1968): A famous singer (soprano) and actress.
• Per Krohg (1889 in Åsgårdstrand – 1965): An artist who painted the mural for the UN Security Council.
• Leif Preus (1928 in Horten – 2013): A photographer who started the Preus Museum in 1976.
• Grethe Kausland (1947 in Horten – 2007): A singer, performer, and actress.
• Marie Ulven Ringheim (born 1999 in Horten): Known as Girl in Red, she is a popular indie pop singer-songwriter.

Sports

• Herman Smith-Johannsen (1875 in Horten – 1987): A very old skier who brought cross-country skiing to Canada and North America.
• Gil Andersen (1879 in Horten – 1930): A Norwegian-American racecar driver.
• Harry Boye Karlsen (1920 in Horten – 1994): A footballer who played 58 games for the Norwegian national team.
• Per Bredesen (born 1930): A footballer who played many games for clubs and 18 games for the Norwegian national team.

Horten's International Friends

Twin Towns — Sister Cities

Horten has special friendships with these cities:

• Hillerød, Region Hovedstaden, Denmark
• Karlskrona, Blekinge County, Sweden
• Loviisa, Southern Finland, Finland
• Ólafsfjörður, Fjallabyggð, Iceland

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See also

In Spanish: Horten para niños