Telemark’s main city, with more than 50,000 inhabitants, is known as the “canal city” – the starting point of the Telemark Canal. The world-famous playwright Henrik Ibsen was born and raised here, and the city boasts a rich cultural life with its own theatre stage, several well-known jazz musicians and three exhibition spaces for contemporary art. Skien is also the venue for the Mersmak food festival, the annual ParkJazz concert series, and a range of musical, theatrical and sporting events.