Larvik (Norway)

Larvik is a Baltic Sea port (also ferry port) and town in Norway's Vestfold region, with population around 45,000. The Norwegian passenger shipping company COLOR LINE offers 2 daily fast-ferry connections from Larvik to Denmark (Hirtshals), with travel time 3 hours 45 min.

Town status was granted in 1671, the same-named municipality was established in 1838. In 1988, into the municipality were merged the neighbouring Stavern, Brunlanes, Hedrum and Tjolling, in 2018 - Lardal.

Larvik is best-known for Bokeskogen (the world's northernmost beech tree forest, stretching inwards along Farris Lake) and for Farriskilden (Norway's only natural mineral water spring, commercially exploited under the Farris bottled water brand). Farris Bad Hotel (on the beach) is ranked as one of Europe's best spa hotels.

Town's economy is based on agriculture (grains, potatoes, cucumbers, vegetables) and industries like commerce, summer tourism (small hotels and ~4000 holiday homes for rent), commercial fishing (Stavern, Helgeroa, Nevlunghavn), logging (Norway Spruce), magmatic rock export (Larvikite) to Europe and the USA.