ULA

Quiet spring evening in Ula. It is one of the first evenings in May and still long until summer guests begin mingling around Ula´s waterfront. The fishing boats rock, resting before the next day's dawn to join his skipper in Skagerrak.

Skagerrak. From the beaches of Ula, it is a wonderful sight right out in Skagerrak

Scandinavia swamp forests. In coastal forests along the coast of Larvik, the black alder form some of the country's richest and most major growing populations. Here, the living conditions for a vibrant life of micro-organisms and birds. The trees develop high tufts of roots, almost tropical mangroves. With reason, these instances have been given the name 'Scandinavia swamp forests. "The picture shows the jungle that separates Herfell and Ula.

Late Summer Evening in Ula.

Svaberg Paradise. The colorful rocks in Ula stand as a nice contrast to the gray sands and blue sea. Here from the largest sandy beach in Ula.

Ulabrand. At an altitude of Ula towers as the monument of Ulabrand.

Ula

Hiking in such a beautiful landscape brings tears to the eyes.  Sandy beaches more beautiful that you have ever seen before. Picturesque villas blend with the fishing harbor environment. Which fills the air with the lovely scent of lilac!

Charming Ula

Ula is probably Vestfold´s most distinctive beach, with atmosphere of an old fishing harbor.  By the harbor, there are old wooden houses from the last century preserved and cared for. Increasingly more residents have been finding their new homes out on these archipelago pearls, and vacation guests from far and wide come over land and sea to their favorite summer spot.

Ula sits just a short drive from the towns Larvik and Sandefjord. From highway 303, the drive quickly guides you down to the harbor in Ula. Once you arive in Ula,it will be difficult not to be captivated by the charming harbor. This place is by the port to Skagerrak is one of our most famous small harbors in these parts.

Ula´s great son

The place grew up on fish and the activities of marine pilots in the second half of the 1700s. Here lived the famous navigator hero Ulabrand, Anders Jacob Johansen. Over Norway, navigation history is enough for Ulabrand to become the most famed navigator of all. Ulabrand became a symbol of good seamanship and the important service navigators made or safety at sea. Ulabrand served as a navigator in Ula from 1850 until he died at sea with his son during an autumn storm in 1881 by reefs just off Rauer (archipelago of polished rocks slightly outside the entrance to Ula). The Ulabrand monument was built on Ula knoll, the old viewpoint east of the buildings in Ula and just above Ulabrand´s own little house from 1837.

The Great Beaches

In sailing times, Ula was a crucial exporter of ice blocks. Ulaseilskutetiden var Ula en viktig utskipningshavn for isblokker. Ula is still fishing, but the summer is dominated instead by a large number of cottage dwellers, campers and day visitors who are attracted by the environment, the marina and the two stunning beaches with a total sandy stretch of over 350 m. These beaches are undoubtedly the podium for the country best sandy beaches.

Recreation and Idyllic Tours

The first tourists rented themselves places here at turn of the century, and later became the first houses sold and used as summer residences. Around the harbor are cottages with rich floral gardens. The small and cozy gravel roads between summer houses allows for a quiet walk in the evening when the air has been cooler. There are many great hiking trails that run in all directions out of Ula. The paths can lead you to deep forests, and of course the orange rocks and mountain peaks above the sea where you have breathtaking views of Svenner Lighthouse and Skagerrak.

By the sandy beaches, there is a café / kiosk and outdoor seating. Here it’s so great to be so far from civilization. In the port of Ula, there is a small grocery shop which is open during the summer season.

Unique Geology

The Ula region is known for its many potholes and extraordinary delicate rock formations. Some of the finest you will find are at the inlet between the Ryggen and Foksund.

In Ula we find a particular mineral deposit; a "moonstone". The deposits of moonstone are great in Ula. The name was given by the professor and university president WC Brogger (1851-1940) because of the bluish-white color. The color is reminiscent of the light of the moon, and going by fusion of the two elements, alkali-feldspar and albite-feldspar. The formations give a special array of light. Moon Stone of Ula is called kryptoperthitt for the technical term. Mineral deposit has been regularly frequented by researchers and stone collectors since the late 1800s. Moonstone is also found elsewhere in southern Vestfold.

It is said that a moon rock is exhibited in York, England. This stone is believed to have come from Ula. The crown jewels of Denmark are said to contain a piece of moon rock from Ula. The incidence of moonstone in Ula has suffered badly under numerous geological expeditions that have made ignificant removals of this rare stone. Included, a German expedition during WW2 dug out and removed a lot of the rocks. They also took out all the crystals of the mountains of Ula. It was partly based on the many expeditions of this kind that Ula has well ensured the preservation of the whole moon stone source in 1980, later named an Ula Natural Monument.

Beautiful words about Ula

Here the sea grabs with all its variability and all the nuances in the day´s and night's light, while the rocks are just as yellow and pale pink as they want them. The sea as clean and crisp as it entices even the smaller sea lovers out in the nature. The lush vegetation on the forest floor draws nature lovers to them - she and he enjoy life.

Wild honeysuckle winds its long arms up the slopes and fills the air with fragrance. Wild apples, ditto currants and gooseberries grow just as in the Garden of Eden. The peacefulness goes around the beach house and cottages, a protected place on earth. Even on a crowded campground feels quiet.

These beautiful words are taken for the book: Ula - From the harbor to the bathing places.

KJERRINGVIK

Kjerringvik and the delightful surroundings

A narrow and winding road leads through to Kjerringvik, beach spot which is the most northeasterly and smallest of the old ports in Larvik Coast. Here in the changing nature between forests, beaches, rocky shores and mountain views, the Vestfold idyll couldn’t be more apparent. Let the rocks warm your feet, the wind dance through your hair and cool off in the clean, clear waters of some of the many swimming spots.

Idyllic Vacation

Kjerringvik is sheltered by steep hills and knolls, although the place is totally out at sea.

It’s probably not too surprising that this place was known as smuggling port in the first quarter of the 1900s. Kjerringvik is an idyllic place where old architectural building styles are mixed with the new. White, wooden houses with manicured gardens surrounded by a picket fence are a common sight in Kjerringvik. There are no restaurants or shops in Kjerringvik but a summertime kiosk has the most necessary goods. Kjerringvik is a part of the northern-most part of the Eftang peninsula and pretty close to Sandefjord, but within Larvik country lines.

Boating and Bathing

Kjerringvik has two great children-friendly beaches, Northern Harbor and Southern Harbor, located on either side of the pier out to the island of Fornet. The two sandy beaches are frequented by sun lovers. Residents of the pleasant village and visitors come often to the beaches. In addition, there are excellent places to swim from the rocks in areas outside of Kjerringvik and the islands south of the harbor.

Martaholm, the southern of the two Kjerring islands south of Kjerringvik, is a popular place to swim throughout the summer season. People come from far and wide to the islands. Both guests who own cabins in the area or are here on vacation love the place and those who take boats along the coast are welcomed to Martaholm, a lovely port with shelter from the weather. Although toilet and waste amenities are unavailable at Martaholm, but what the island lacks the facilities, it makes up in beautiful archipelago nature. Here, high cliffs plunge straight into the sea, while the center of the island is smooth and flat and goes by the name "The Dancehall". There is a wonderful grass area suitable for a camping trip, and the bay to the north has shallow beach for swimming. The beach is closed off by buoys for protection against boat traffic. Martaholm is blessed with beautiful evening sun and great fishing around the whole island.

Maritime aktivity since the 1400s

Kjerringvik has a rather long and turbulent history. Already in the 1400s, Kjerringvik was a fishing port for the surrounding farms. Under the lumber trade era the town was a famous place to anchor. Mooring rings on the rocks outside Kjerringvik are evidence of this. The first inhabitants settled here in the 1720s. There were fishermen and navigators. In the latter half of the 1700s, Kjerringvik had a shipyard, and from the 1850s to the 1950s, there was a toll station on site.

War drama in Kjerringvik

On May seventh, 1808, nine brave men from Tjølling chased English sailors at sea in Kjerringvik and rescued a vital cargo of grain from falling into enemy hands. Having sunk or captured nearly the entire Danish-Norwegian fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen, the English naval vessels formed an effective blockade around Skagerrak in order to starve Norway. They were effective enough to cause people to starve because of the shortage of grain.

The drama in Kjerringvik started when a Norwegian brig loaded with grain was discovered by the English frigates "Tartarus" and "Daphne". In an attempt to escape, they set course towards Kjerringvik. The crew then jumped ashore and ran into the woods to escape the English. From the frigates came the English, planning to claim land and take the cargo, which they assumed would be easy prey.

Kjerringvik’s chairman of coastal protection, Anders Hovland, realized early what was about to happen. Before the English had reached land, Anders Hovland managed to find eight men (7 from the coast guard and 1 navigator). They posted themselves up in the mountains by the port. When the English tried to enter the grain ship, the small defense opened fire against the English. An English officer shook mockingly with his sword against the small group of defenders, but fell just after being hit in the first skirmishes. Shortly after, enough of the Englishmen dropped to give a Norwegian lead. Then another two soldiers were hit and the English took to flight and rowed hastily back to their frigates, which sat out at sea.

Anders Hovland, who spearheaded the small force that drove back 30 soldiers under military management, was recognized and awarded with the Order of Dannebrog. In the rock wall at the pier in Kjerringvik is an inscription commemorating the event.

Loss in Kjerringvik’s waters

Martaholm, which we referred to as a bathing paradise earlier in the article, is named after a windjammer from Tjøme, "Martha," which was wrecked by Martahølet, the creek to the south, in an accident in 1875 after the rudder jammed in a powerful storm, and "Martha" was thrown into a ravine with a steep rock wall and shattered. Of the crew of ten, five perished on the ship, which was put on the water outside Rauer. The ship remained on the island for a while, but was broken down by the sea.

Another ship, "Hanna", wrecked in the same place in 1891. It encountered Rauer (a group of islands, southeast of Kjerringvik), got a leak, and the crew abandoned ship, which drifted into Martahølet. One of the crew had become entangled in the rope was taken with the ship. The remains of the two vessels still lay at the bottom.

Surrounding Delights

First and foremost, Kjerringvik and the close surrounding areas Karto, Håkavika, Svinvika, and Kjerringfjellet are great holiday and cabin paradise with a beautifully stunning location. The area is like the coastline along Eftang Peninsula - wild and beautiful with massive height differences, with its high mountain that ascends up dramatically from the white sandy beaches. The great hilly terrain alternates between woodlands through open pastures to the archipelago scenery, cliffs, and beaches.

The coastline of Eftang offers perhaps the most spectacular scenery along the coast of Vestfold. Those who have cabins in the area are well acquainted with the natural qualities here, and once you have gotten your cabin here, you’ll find quite extraordinary reasons for a cabin. The relatively pristine, idyllic nature here also provides a peaceful contrast to the teeming human life, which unfolds at campsites and beaches in the area.

Håkavika

Håkavika, located at the very north of the Eftang Peninsula and southwest of the Sandefjord fjord, and is one of the many places you can check out while driving the Eftang Peninsula. In the area around Håkavika there are numerous forest trails and wide gravel roads.

The area is a recreational area that is well protected from traffic in the Sandefjord fjord. You can find a great jetty and some mooring bolts in the bay. Both around the pier facility and in the cove are lovely beaches of golden rocks and fine-grained sand beaches. The rocks to the south are well suited for angling, and the fish bite often. If you love to pick blueberries, then the woodlands at Håkavika are pure paradise at the end of July and the first half of August.

Look out for trolls

To the west of the journey of Håkavika is the small swimming area Skjellsand with a deep bay called Fantebukta. In the area just south of Fantebukta, sits a tall and steep wooded hill. A trail snakes its way up to the top of the hill. From the top, you have a fantastic view over Eftanglandet, Sandefjord Fjord, and Skagerrak. If you continue along the path, you’ll follow the rest of the looped path back down to the starting point. Before you get that far, though, you’ll encounter a warning sign along the trail. The sign pictured with a troll tells you that there is a risk of encountering these creepy creatures. Just by the sign, the path continues into a ravine with three large stones wedged firmly between the walls of the narrow gorge. The trail is a wonderful and exciting experience for the whole family.

Svinevika

The neighboring bay, Svinevika, is just a few hundred meters south of the Fante Bay. Svinevika is a popular, beautiful sandy beach at the head of the bay. Here you’ll find shallow water and good conditions for children. The beach in Svinevika must be one of the bathing places in Vestfold with the most beautiful surroundings because it sits in the bay surrounded by hills and mountains interspersed with some trees and vacation homes here and there.

Kjerringfjell Mountain

A little south of Kjerringvik, about halfway between Ula and Kjerringvik, are the Kjerringfjellet mountains. Along the steep paved road that takes you almost to the top of Kjerringfjellet, you can choose from several roads and trails that run in many directions. If you’re looking for a place to train and work out, you’ve come to the right place. You can choose to ride your bike on bumpy trail down to the pebble beach and visit unknown gems you have all to yourself. If the goal is to pump blood, then a quick run up the steep steps in the mountain side will help with that. If you just exercise normally, a nice gravel road for both running and cycling in varied terrain and landscapes are available. Ifyou’d like a stunning 360 degree view over the Oslofjord and Vestfold, start an ascent on the steep, but paved road up to the site of the old signal station.