Langesund is a town in Bamble municipality in Vestfold and Telemark county. Langesund is located at the far end of the border to Ytre Oslofjord and Skagerrak at the entrance to Frierfjorden. Langesund is located on a peninsula and has about 5,500 inhabitants. Langesund is the administrative center of Bamble municipality.
Langesund municipality
Langesund is also the name of a former
municipality in Telemark. The municipality of Langesund was
established in 1837 after the place had been a charging station from
1765. In 1964, the municipalities of Langesund and Stathelle were
merged with Bamble municipality.
History and business
Historically, Langesund is a city with long maritime traditions and
was early one of Norway's most important cities in shipping.
Langesund became a customs post in 1570, and in the 1580s was the
largest export port for timber in Norway. From 1602 to around 1635,
the Dutch ran a saltworks that King Christian IV built on Langøya to
clean imported salt. At the end of the 17th century, a large
shipbuilding started, and when the timber ceased, shipbuilding and
shipping became the most important industries in the city (see
Langesund mechanical workshop).
The customs office Langesund
was closed down in 1962.
The business community in Langesund
houses companies that are the leaders in corrosion and cathodic
protection. Skarpenord AS, led by Øystein Klingenberg for many
years, and Cathwell AS both have their origins in a traditional
maritime and offshore-related environment. The pleasure boat
industry also has representatives in the city. Snekka Skager 660 is
made from scratch at the yard at Langesund.
One of the
world's most famous mathematicians, Atle Selberg, was born in
Langesund.
From 2006 to 2008, Kystlink operated a passenger
ferry, MS «Pride of Telemark» / MS «Fantaasia», between Langesund
and Hirtshals in Denmark and Strömstad in Sweden.
From July
2013, Fjordline operates a passenger ferry between Langesund and
Hirtshals in Denmark with MS Stavangerfjord and MS Bergensfjord.
The summer town
Langesund is bustling with people from May to
August. Concerts and festivals characterize the cityscape. Every
summer there is a fish festival and a shanty festival. Bob Dylan and
a-ha played at Wrightegaarden, the city's culture house and concert
stage, in 2001. Also other famous artists such as Leonard Cohen,
Little Richard, B.B. King, Turboneger, TOTO and Elton John have
played in Langesund. Postgirobygget plays every summer at
Wrightegaarden, and has made the song Sommer på jorda which refers
to the summer town Langesund.