Attractions, places and history in Skien

Skien is Norway's only city with a lock situated in the middle of the city. The boat journey on the beautiful Telemark Canal starts here, which with its spectacular lock facilities and magnificent scenery is called the "8th wonder of the world".

Skien is named the Ibsen town, and it was here the world-famous author Henrik Ibsen was born and grew up. Ibsen's childhood home in Ventøp stands to this day, and is today Henrik Ibsen Museum. The museum is open during the summer season, here you can hear about his life in Skien until he left the city.

When you are in Skien, you must visit Brekkeparken, Telemark Museum. The park is beautifully situated at the top of Skien, with a fantastic view of the town and the Telemark Canal. Brekkeparken is widely known for its beautiful flower park. Here you also will find 14 farmhouses from all over Telemark and 1814 minister Niels Aall's stately residence, Søndre Brekke Gård. Bring your family or friends and try your hand at the exciting and challenging game "Telemark Escape - the brotherhood's secret", which is played in the manor house.

The Ibsen stairs with its 127 steps leads up to Brekkeparken. 32 of the steps are decorated with well-known quote from Ibsen's "Peer Gynt". At the beginning of the stairs the road that leads to Snipetorp district starts, the old district in Skien that has survived Skien's big city fires. Almost all the houses here look as they did more than 100 years ago.

The Fish ladder you will find at the innermost part of the harbor basin near the centre. It's universally designed for salmon, trout, eel and halibut, and here you can see the salmon and the other fishes as they jump up the stairs. Very exciting.

Discover the interesting story of the Geo Norvegica Unesco Global Park in Skien, and about the over 430 million coral reef on the Kapitelberget. Explore Gamle Union Brug Antikk at Løveid in Skien, which has 1700 square meters of old treasures and antiquities from Norway and throughout Europe.