Horten Municipality, municipality in Vestfold, Norway

Horten is a municipality in Vestfold county, Norway, sitting on a peninsula along the Ytre Oslofjord. The town has a clear maritime character, with an active harbor, older streets lined with traditional buildings, and a surrounding landscape of forests and lakes.

Horten became its own town in 1858, having previously been part of the Borre area, and later merged with nearby villages in 1965. Its growth was closely tied to the Navy, centered on the Karljohansvern naval base, which operated for more than 140 years.

The name Horten comes from an old farm and may refer to rocky ground in the local language. The coat of arms shows a naval fort and a boat alongside a red rose, which points to the gardens and green spaces that have long been part of life here.

Horten is easy to reach from Oslo by train in roughly half an hour, and a ferry crosses the fjord on a regular basis. Walking trails run along the coast with views of the water, and bike routes make it straightforward to get around the surrounding area.

The Borre Mounds area is considered Norway's first national park and holds burial mounds of kings and warriors from the Viking Age, along with a buried Viking ship. Jewelry and personal objects found in these graves give a rare look into the wealth of that period.

• Inception: January 1, 1988
• Capital city: Horten
• Shares border with: Tønsberg, Holmestrand, Asker
• Website: https://horten.kommune.no
• GPS coordinates: 59.42083,10.43278
• Latest update: March 3, 2026 10:13