Official Name: | Holmestrand |
Settlement Type: | Town/City[1] |
Pushpin Map: | Vestfold#Norway |
Pushpin Label Position: | top |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the town |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | Norway |
Subdivision Type1: | Region |
Subdivision Name1: | Eastern Norway |
Subdivision Type2: | County |
Subdivision Name2: | Vestfold |
Subdivision Type3: | District |
Subdivision Name3: | Jarlsberg |
Subdivision Type4: | Municipality |
Subdivision Name4: | Holmestrand Municipality |
Timezone1: | CET |
Utc Offset1: | +01:00 |
Timezone1 Dst: | CEST |
Utc Offset1 Dst: | +02:00 |
Established Title: | Established as |
Established Date: | |
Established Title1: | Ladested |
Established Date1: | 1744 |
Established Title2: | Kjøpstad |
Established Date2: | 1752 |
Area Total Km2: | 4.52 |
Population As Of: | 2024 |
Population Total: | 8258 |
Population Density Km2: | 1826 |
Population Demonym: | Holmestranding |
Postal Code Type: | Post Code |
Postal Code: | 3080 Holmestrand |
Coordinates: | 59.4876°N 10.3176°W |
Elevation M: | 3 |
Elevation Footnotes: | [2] |
is a town in Holmestrand Municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. The town is the administrative centre of the municipality. It is located along the shore of the Ytre Oslofjord, about northwest of the town of Horten and about south of the village of Sande i Vestfold. The large town of Drammen lies about to the north.[3]
The 4.52km2 town has a population (2024) of 8,258 and a population density of .[4]
Located around the Oslofjord, Holmestrand developed as a timber/lumber port starting around 1550, when the Dutch came here for timber. In 1663, the place became a customs office under the nearby city of Tønsberg. In 1716, the northern part of Holmestrand was reduced to ashes after a large fire spread through the area. In 1744, King Christian VI designated it a ladested. In 1752, the new King Frederik V granted it kjøpstad (town) status. In the era of sailing ships, the town had a period of prosperity, but when the transition to steamships it was left in a backwater as a shipping town. In the 19th century, the town was known for its medical spas. In 1838, the new formannskapsdistrikt law gave the small town self-governing municipality status. The Vestfoldbanen Railway, which was opened in 1881, led to a lot of new business. In 1884, the entire southern part of the town burned down after another fire. In 1902, after the opening of the Holmestrand–Vittingfoss railway, Holmestrand became the shipping port for wood pulp from Hvittingfoss in what is now Kongsberg Municipality. The track was closed in 1938.
A factory for aluminum processing was built just south of the city in 1917. In 1967, the company became part of Årdal og Sunndal Verk (ÅSV), which was later acquired by Norsk Hydro in 1986. The factory made aluminum products, including under the well-known Høyang brand, using aluminum from Høyanger. The Holmestrand Aluminium Museum is now located in the city, celebrating the history of this industry in Holmestrand.
The municipality (originally the town) is named Holmestrand (Norse, Old: Holmastrand). The first element is the genitive case of the word which means "rocky islet". The last element is which means "shore" or "beach". This is likely referring to three small islets that were located just offshore where the town is now located. The islets are no longer visible due to infilled land reclamation efforts.[5]
The European route E18 highway is the main north-south road through Vestfold county. It runs just to the west of the town of Holmestrand and secondary roads connect the city centre to this highway. The Vestfoldbanen railway line runs through the centre of Holmestrand, and the city is served by the Holmestrand Station.