Tønsberg
Municipality · Vestfold
About Tønsberg
Slottsfjellet's castle ruins and lookout tower above the town that claims to be Norway's oldest, and the Slagen mound where the Oseberg ship was found.
What to do and where to stay in Tønsberg
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Slottsfjellet and SlottsfjelltårnetHistory & culture
Hill above the town with the ruins of Tunsberghus fortress and St Michael's church, topped by a 17 m lookout tower built in 1888 for the town's 1000-year jubilee.
Slottsfjellet, behind Slottsfjellsmuseet, central Tønsberg · 45–60 min · Ruins all year; tower June–August, normally Sat–Sun 11–16
2Slottsfjellsmuseet (Klåstad ship and Whale Hall)History & culture
Museum at the foot of Slottsfjellet with the original Klåstad ship, Norway's fourth Viking ship, and a hall of seven whale skeletons including a blue whale.
Farmannsveien 30, at the foot of Slottsfjellet · 1.5–2 h · All year (Tue–Sun 11–16 low season; daily 11–16 in summer)
3Vikingodden and the Saga Oseberg replicaSight
Full-size replica of the Oseberg ship, built with Viking Age tools and methods, moored at Vikingodden in Tønsberg harbour, with guides on weekends.
Ollebukta 3 (Vikingodden), Tønsberg harbour · 30–45 min · Mainly summer; ship away 10–24 July 2026
4Haugar: the kings' mounds and HaugatingHistory & culture
Two burial mounds 35–40 m across on a town-centre hill, said by Snorri to hold Olav and Sigurd, sons of Harald Fairhair; four throne claimants were proclaimed king here.
Haugar (Møllebakken), central Tønsberg, beside Haugar art museum · 15–20 min · All year
5Haugar Vestfold KunstmuseumHistory & culture
Contemporary art museum in the 1921 navigation school on the old Haugating site, its facade carried by twelve caryatids by Wilhelm Rasmussen.
Haugar, central Tønsberg · 1–1.5 h · All year
6Grevestien to Ilene wetlandHike
Flat waterside path from the quay through the old Nordbyen to Ilene, a Ramsar wetland where about 270 bird species have been seen, with a bird tower on the way.
Starts at Tønsberg brygge (DNT office); Ilene is north-west of the centre · 2 h (about 7 km return) · All year
7Oseberg mound at SlagenHistory & culture
Rebuilt 40 m mound (restored 1947) on the farm in Slagendalen where the Oseberg ship burial was dug out in 1904, reached by a heritage trail along Vellebekken.
Oseberg farm, Slagendalen, north-east of Tønsberg · 15–20 min · All year
8Farmannshaugen at JarlsbergHistory & culture
A 30 m burial mound on the fields of Jarlsberg manor that Heimskringla says covers Bjørn Farmann, Harald Fairhair's son; the 1917–18 dig found no grave.
Jarlsberg manor fields by Sem church, just west of Tønsberg · 15 min · All year
9Olavskirken ruins in Tønsberg libraryLocal oddity
Foundations of what was the largest round church in medieval Scandinavia, part of St Olav's monastery, shown inside the town library.
Tønsberg library (Haugeveien), town centre · 20–30 min · All year (library hours)
10RingshaugstrandaSwim
Blue Flag sandy beach laid out like a park on the coastal path, with outdoor shower, grills and volleyball, and a launch point for sea-kayak routes into the islands.
Ringshaug, south-east Tønsberg (Vallø side) · 1–3 h · Swimming June–August; path all year