Kragerø is a town and municipality in Vestfold og Telemarkcounty, Norway. It is part of the traditional regions of Grenland and the smaller Vestmar. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Kragerø. The city of Kragerø lies furthest south in the county of Telemark. The London-based newspaperThe Independent, published an article on Kragerø stating that "When Norwegians want to get away from it all they head for Kragero. Forests, fjords and islands await them at the place where Edvard Munch found peace and relaxation." The population of Kragerø quadruples during its summer months due to high tourism. Edvard Munch fell in love with Kragerø in his time, and called it "The Pearl of the Coastal Towns". In 2002, The Independent published an article on the region's coastline saying that "It may not have many sandy beaches, but the coast of Norway offers sophistication and stunning scenery." The town of Kragerø is characterized by clear, blue water and beautiful views.
General information
Name
The Norse form of the name was Krákarey. The first element is the genitiv of kráka 'crow', the last element is ey 'island'. Kragerø is a Danish form of the name, established in the 17th Century. For a similar name see Kråkerøy.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 28 January 1938. The arms are black with a silver galley in the center. Kragerø received town privileges in 1666, but was dependent on Skien until 1842. The town used a seal which was identical to that of Skien. The galley in the arms is derived from the fact that since 1666, Kragerø had to supply a galley with five guns to the King.
History
The town of Kragerø was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. In the days of the sailing ships, Kragerø was one of Norway's largest port cities. The rural municipalities of Sannidal and Skåtøy were merged into the municipality of Kragerø on 1 January 1960. The municipality now includes 495 islands, islets, and skerries along with 4,000 leisure houses. There are also 190 freshwater lakes in the municipality.
Kragerø is the southernmost municipality in Telemark. To the southwest, it borders the municipality of Risør ; to the west is Gjerstad ; to the northwest is Drangedal; and to the northeast is Bamble. Kragerø is popular among Norwegians as a vacation destination during the summer, when the population swells considerably.
