Svelvik

In the summer, Svelvik is a great place to be. It is then, that the small and charming village shows it's best sides. During a few short summer months, the small town "look" is made more alive through holliday guests and travellers. Svelvik municipality has approximately 6.470 inhabitants and covers a area of 57,6 km2. The town look simulaer to a little cousy Sørlandstown.

Today, Svelvik has become an industrial town, but although many people are employed locally, quite a number of people also travel to get to work. Every which way you come to Svelvik, either trough Nesbygda or Berger you will see the coastline. The entrence from Berger, you will pass Grunnane a naturereservation for birds. The ferry in the middle of the village is a part of Svelviks history when it travels from Vestfold and Buskerud every 15 minutes. Just outside Svelvik lies Berger with a populaer spoy called Fossekleiva. Here you can by art made by artist living here.

Although our local history goes back several centuries, Svelvik became a separate municipality with city privileges through a law enacted by the Norwegian Parliament on August 19th, 1845. Originally, there were two villages - Svelvik in the north and Strømmen in the south - which emerged on the banks of the fjord right opposite the Svelvik Moraine. This moraine divides the fjord except for the narrow passage of Svelvikstrømmen.

In earlier days, these waters caused great distress to the ships passing through. In winter, the fjord froze so that Svelvik had to serve as a winter port for Drammen, which at the time was the largest timber exporting city in Norway.

By 1875 Svelvik had a population of 1.677. There were numerous liquor dealers, dance halls and hotels. The shipping trade was the main pillar of business life i Svelvik. 183 seamen had their homes here, among them 45 captains.

In 1887 a great fire blazed through the southern part of Svelvik, destroying 52 houses. More than 80 families lost their homes. Many were poor and had no insurance.

SVELVIKSTRØMMEN

Svelvikstrømmen has always been the main transport line to Drammen, and this brought economic growth and prosperity to Svelvik for a long period. Svelvik's growth accelerated through the end of the 17th and the beginning of the 18th century. In 1854, more than 26 merchant vessels were registered in Svelvik, three times as many as only 9 years earlier.

TIMBER

The timber transport and the general expansion of Norwegian shipping created a demand for sea captains and crew, pilots, craftsmen and shipyard workers. Svelvik had its fair share of both shipping and ship-building. The great period of the sailing ships in the 19th century reached its peak around 1870.

SVELVIK CHURCH

The old church of St. Nicolai, built before 1396, became too small to serve the rapidly growing population, and was demolished in 1856. By 1859 it had been replaced by the church which is in service today.

ADAX and GLAMOX

Scandinavia's largest supplier of electrical heating products. Adax manufactures products under the Adax brand and Glamox heating brand. Adax is a Norwegian owned company that was founded in 1948. Adax has a dominant position in the Norwegian market. At the same time products are also exported throughout the world. More than 125 people are employed at the factory in Svelvik.

JENSEN

Jensen is one of the leading bed manufacturers in Scandinavia. Our factory in Svelvik, on the shores of the Oslo Fjord, manufactures more than 300,000 mattresses annually. Many of the employees have learned the trade from their parents and therefore have a real feel for the business. Their pride and expertise is something which no machine in the world can replace. As a result, Jensen has become a household name and not only in Scandinavia.

PICTURES

See the pictures from Svelvik taken by some of our users. Visit their homepage or send them a e-mail.

GRUNNANE

Every which way you come to Svelvik, either trough Nesbygda or Berger you will see the coastline. The entrence from Berger, you will pass Grunnane a naturereservation for birds.

BOGERØYA

During a few short summer months, the small town "look" is made more alive through holliday guests and travellers. It is then, that the small and charming village shows it's best sides. A lot of places to swim but Bogerøya is probably the most famous.