Southern Norway - Norway - page 219

3 Skien: Memories of Henrik Ibsen
138km (86 miles) S of Oslo; 30km (19 miles) W of the Larvik-Frederikshavn (Denmark) ferry connection
Skien is a bustling industrial town and the administrative capital of Telemark
country. Long proud of its association with playwright Henrik Ibsen
(1828-1906), a native of Skien, it is visited not only for its Ibsen associations,
but because it is the principal gateway to Telemark.
Skien is an old town, dating from 1100, although it wasn't until 1358 that it
received its royal charter. Fire and floods ravaged Skien over the centuries,
destroying the entire town at times. The last disastrous fire occurred in 1886,
and a new town had to be created out of the debris. Skien covers an area of 786
sq. km (489 sq. miles), with nearly 32,000 inhabitants.
The main reason most visitors go to Skien today, other than its Ibsen associ-
ations, is that it is the gateway to the Telemark Canal (p. 224) and the starting
point for many trips.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Trains run every hour or two from Oslo to Skien, taking
2 3 ⁄ 4 hours and costing 245NOK ($35) one-way. Call & 81-50-08-88 for sched-
ules or visit www.nsb.no. Motorists take the E18 south from Oslo to Larvik
until the signposted turnoff (Rte. 36) heading northwest into Skien. You can
also fly to the small Sandefjord Airport ( & 33-42-70-00 ), lying near Skien.
Even though it's small, it is the country's second-busiest international airport.
From the airport, buses run into the center of Skien.
VISITOR INFORMATION For information, go to the Skien Tourist Office,
Nedre Hjellegate 18 ( & 35-90-55-20; www.grenland.no), which is open dur-
ing July and August every Monday to Friday 8:30am to 7pm, Saturday 10am to
4pm, and Sunday 11am to 4pm. The rest of the year, it's open Monday to Fri-
day 10am to 4pm.
SEEING THE SIGHTS
Ibsen left Skien in 1843 when he was 15 years old, returning only briefly as part
of an unsuccessful attempt to borrow some money to enter prep school in Oslo.
He lived at several addresses in Skien, including a small house in an old neigh-
borhood, Snipetorp 27, near the town center. The house on Snipetorp is one of
several in the neighborhood that have been proclaimed protected monuments.
Ibsen's former home is now a cultural center and an art gallery.
Bø Sommarland This is the country's largest water park, drawing fami-
lies from all over Norway during the summer. More than 100 different activities
await you here, including a kids' water park (ideal for small children) and Bøver-
stranda (“The Beach”), along with water slides, plus Sommarlandelva, a 250m-
long (820-ft.) artificial river. Near the entrance is the scenic lake, Steinjønn,
where you can borrow a canoe for a ride. The Flow rider is for those who love
skateboarding, snowboarding, and surfing. Of course, the waves here are artifi-
cial, but they are said to be the best of their kind in the world. You can also expe-
rience Europe's first roller-coaster flume.
The latest attraction is the Space Ball, a centrifugal slide that creates the illu-
sion of being in a whirlpool. The attraction begins as visitors enter a dark tun-
nel before being thrown into the Space Ball, which spirals down toward the
center and drops visitors into a deep pool. There's also a big amusement area,
Las Bøgas, with a Ferris wheel, amusement arcade, merry-go-rounds, and lots of

Kids