Skien offers many beautiful places to see that delight with history, culture and the beauty of nature. With its picturesque landscapes, fascinating museums and vibrant city center, Skien attracts travelers with inspiring experiences. One of the must-sees during your stay in Skien is visiting the childhood home of the famous playwright, Henrik Ibsen. This beautifully preserved home provides a glimpse into the life and times of one of history’s greatest playwrights. Explore the rooms where Ibsen grew up to better understand the influences that shaped his literary masterpieces.
Skien is a municipality in Telemark County, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Greenland. The administrative seat of the commune is the town of Skien, which is also the administrative center of the entire district.
Henrik Ibsen Museum
Discover the childhood home and life’s work of Henrik Ibsen. Poet and playwright in the 19th century, he is considered the “father of modern theater”. Audiovisual presentations and guides will give you a tour of the house and tell you more about his life.
The Telemark Canal
The Telemark Canal stretches all the way from coast to mountains, from the idyllic southern coastal villages, through a sloping landscape of fruit trees in central Telemark to the mighty mountain plateau of Hardangervidda. The Telemark Canal was carved into the mountain terrain well more than 100 years ago.You can choose between different day trips or boat trips with accommodation. It is the 2 canal boats MS Victoria and MS Henrik Ibsen that operate the channel between Skien and Dalen. MS Telemarken operates the Norsjø-Ulefoss-Lunde stretch. Advance booking is recommended.
Brekkeparken and Telemark Museum
From Brekkeparken you have a beautiful view over the town of Skien and the Telemark Canal. Herek you will find an open-air museum with old farmhouses from all over Telemark. It is free to enter the park.The fine park surrounding the manor house is inspired by the English landscaping style. Brekkeparken has been a park for all the citizens of Skien, open to the public throughout the summer months. 27,000 tulips will blossom every summer.
14 farm buildings have been moved to this park and complete this open air museum.
The manor house at Søndre Brekke is truly magnificent! The building has been restored to the Empire style, to resemble how it must have looked when Niels Aall and his family lived at Brekke in the early 19th century. Aall was the minister of trade, and an exhibition describes the role he played in the negotiations to draw up the Norwegian constitution at Eidsvoll in 1814. The museum café and restaurant, Brekkeparken kafe, has a magnificent view from Skien’s “roof.”
Skien Fritidspark
The Skien Fritidspark water park offers fun and excitement for people of all ages. Try 6 different pools and, if you are brave, dive from a depth of 7.5 meters. And also take advantage of the artificial wave pool and the beach area where the waves move every hour. Next to the wave pool there is also an energy channel where you can ride the current. There is another attraction a 106-meter long slide, high waves and a climbing wall with water as a landing pad and a private swimming pool with a beach area. And for slightly older children, there are wild waves and current channels! For the little ones, there is a separate children’s pool with a beach area, a climbing island, a fun stream and a slide.
Skien Church – Skien Kirke
Skien Kirke in the Gothic style, dating from 1894. The church is the main church in Skien and has 1,200 seats. The current church was built on the basis of expectations that Skien would have a bishop, and that the new church was to become Cathedral (which did not occur).
Trolltunga
Near the town of Odda, near the fjord in Hardangerfjord, lies Troll’s Tongue itself, at an altitude of over 1,100 m above sea level. and is suspended approximately 700 meters above the water surface of Lake Ringedalsvatnet. Interestingly, there is a large hydroelectric power plant on the lake that supplies electricity to the iron and zinc works located on the shores of the fjord. The trail to Trolltunga is long, but the views from it make up for any difficulties. The trail is marked with a red letter T, which can be seen on the rocks. There are also mounds along the route. However, when walking on a sunny day, you just need to follow the crowd of tourists who have one goal – Trolltunga. The trail to Troll’s Tongue has been marked as very difficult (due to its length), and what’s more, it is recommended to take children here only after they are 12 years old.
