Editing Vestfold (section)

==Culture==
[[File:Høyjord stavkirke tak.jpg|thumb|[[Høyjord Stave Church]], Vestfold's only [[stave church]]. Its chancel dates to year 1100.<ref>Bertelsen, Hans Kristian (1998). ''Bli kjent med Vestfold / Become acquainted with Vestfold''. Stavanger Offset AS. Page 113. {{ISBN|9788290636017}}.</ref>]]
[[File:Tønsberg - tower and ruins.JPG|thumb|Tower at [[Tønsberg Fortress]] in Tønsberg]]
Vestfold is the county in Norway with the most traces from the [[Viking Age]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/eastern-norway/vestfold/|title=Vestfold - Viking heritage and seaside recreation in the Oslo region|website=www.visitnorway.com|access-date=10 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141359/https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/eastern-norway/vestfold/|archive-date=12 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vestfold.guide/vikinger-1|title=Vestfoldguide — Vikinger|website=Vestfoldguide|access-date=13 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613161232/https://vestfold.guide/vikinger-1/|archive-date=13 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitvestfold.com/no/artikler/Vikingveien-i-Vestfold/|title=Vikingveien i Vestfold - Artikler - visitvestfold.com|website=www.visitvestfold.com|access-date=13 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613161047/https://www.visitvestfold.com/no/artikler/Vikingveien-i-Vestfold/|archive-date=13 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Examples include the Oseberg- and [[Gokstad Mound|Gokstad Burial Mounds]]. While the [[Oseberg Ship]] was discovered in [[Tønsberg]], the [[Gokstad Ship]] was discovered in [[Sandefjord]]. The Gokstad Ship is Norway's largest preserved Viking ship. Both ships are now located at the [[Viking Ship Museum (Oslo)|Viking Ship Museum]] in Oslo. Additional burial mounds are found at [[Borre mound cemetery]] and [[Mølen]], an [[UNESCO Global Geopark]]. Borre mound cemetery is home to Northern Europe's largest burial mound site from Viking Age.<ref name="snl.no" />

Vestfold is home to 21 churches dating to [[medieval]] times. It is also home to one stave church, [[Høyjord Stave Church]] in [[Andebu]] (Sandefjord). Nearby Andebu Church also has Norway's oldest parish register, dating to 1623.<ref name="https://snl.no/Sandefjord" /> The city of Sandefjord proper is home to Europe's only museum dedicated to whaling, [[Sandefjord Museum]] in the city centre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/eastern-norway/sandefjord/|title=Sandefjord - In the footsteps of the Vikings|website=www.visitnorway.com|access-date=10 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140538/https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/eastern-norway/sandefjord/|archive-date=12 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.norwaves.com/whaling-museum-sandefjord-or-hvalfangstmuseet.html |title=The Whaling Museum Sandefjord or Hvalfangstmuseet) - Viking Ship Museum, the whale ship "Southern Actor", development of whales and whaling from primitive ustensils to floating cookeries - South/East Norway Tourism and Vacation |access-date=10 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010223813/http://www.norwaves.com/whaling-museum-sandefjord-or-hvalfangstmuseet.html |archive-date=10 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vestfoldmuseene.no/sted/hvalfangstmuseet/|title=Hvalfangstmuseet}}</ref> This museum also owns ''[[Southern Actor]]'', a whale-catcher turned [[museum ship]]. Southern Actor is the only whale-catcher from the Modern Whaling Epoch still to be in its original working order.<ref name="ReferenceA" /><ref name="ReferenceB" /> Also at Sandefjord Harbor is the Harbour Chapel (''Bryggekapellet''), which is the only floating church in Norway<ref>Davidsen, Roger (2008). ''Et Sted i Sandefjord''. Sandar Historielag. Pages 309 and 370. {{ISBN|978-82-994567-5-3}}.</ref> and most likely Europe,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.visitvestfold.com/no/sandefjord/produkt/?TLp=4038|title=Bryggekapellet|website=www.visitvestfold.com}}</ref> perhaps the only floating church in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.norwaypost.no/index.php/business/78-local-shortnews/27178-the-worlds-only-floating-church-27178|title=The world's only floating church?|first=Rolleiv|last=Solholm|website=The Norway Post|access-date=10 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143714/http://www.norwaypost.no/index.php/business/78-local-shortnews/27178-the-worlds-only-floating-church-27178|archive-date=12 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The city of [[Tønsberg]] is Norway's oldest city, most likely founded in year 871.<ref>Schandy, Tom and Tom Helgesen (2012). ''Naturperler i Vestfold''. Forlaget Tom & Tom v/Schandy. Page 100. {{ISBN|9788292916148}}.</ref><ref name="ReferenceE" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gonorway.no/norway/counties/vestfold/toensberg/7635e48e567c830/index.html|title=Tønsberg|website=www.gonorway.no|access-date=10 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308163855/http://www.gonorway.no/norway/counties/vestfold/toensberg/7635e48e567c830/index.html|archive-date=8 March 2010|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Tonsberg|title=Tønsberg &#124; Norway|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|access-date=10 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612154046/https://www.britannica.com/place/Tonsberg|archive-date=12 June 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Tønsberg is home to [[Tønsberg Fortress]], which is Scandinavia's largest ruin site. It includes ruins from ''Castrum Tunsbergis'', Norway's largest castle in the 13th century. An outdoor music festival is held at Tønsberg Fortress every July.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.tonsberg.kommune.no/_f/p4/i5e4f1595-febb-4516-8d2a-a624a3fb102f/byguiden-tonsberg-2017_slottsfjellet.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=10 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140911/https://www.tonsberg.kommune.no/_f/p4/i5e4f1595-febb-4516-8d2a-a624a3fb102f/byguiden-tonsberg-2017_slottsfjellet.pdf |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ReferenceE" /> Ruins of a German [[fortress]] can be seen at [[Vesterøya#Folehavna Fort|Folehavna Fort]] on [[Vesterøya|West Island]], Sandefjord.<ref name="ReferenceF">{{Cite web |url=https://www.visitvestfold.com/en/see-and-do/activities/?TLp=166348&Vandring |title=Hiking |access-date=16 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144002/https://www.visitvestfold.com/en/see-and-do/activities/?TLp=166348&Vandring |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>