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TravelTips24 : Europe : Scandinavia : Norway : East Norway : Telemark : Skien

Skien

Skien is a town in the county of Telemark with a population close to 50.000 inhabitants.

Travel to Skien & Visa Requirements

Train: From Oslo Central Station - 3 hours. Train often terminates at Larvik, and the last leg to Skien is then serviced by bus.

Air: Skien Geiteryggen Airport is serviced by flights to Bergen, Stavanger and Molde (daily), as well as three times per week to Stockholm, Sweden. For more information, visit Vildanden[1].

Tours & Getting around Skien

Skien attractions and sightseeing

  • The canal from Skien passing up to upper Telemark. Smaller cruise ships will take you all the way during summer season. Highly recommended!
  • Ibsen's Venstøp. The house outside the city of Skien where Henrik Ibsen spent a few years of his childhood. The attic is said to be his inspiration to "Vildanden" (The wild duck).
  • Brekkeparken. Nice park with old historic buildings, and a museum.

Skien city tours

  • If you are tired of the congested "big city" life in Skien, go to nearby cosy smalltown Porsgrunn.

Skien souvenirs & shopping

Skien has four shopping malls.

  • Handelsbyen Herkules (65 stores, 5 food places)
  • Arkaden Skien Storsenter (44 stores, 6 food places)
  • Lietorvet Senter (29 stores, 2 food places)
  • Klosterfoss (10 stores)

Skien Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

As with most medium sized Norwegian cities, there is no abundance of restaurants in Skien. There is decent Chinese cuisine available, as well as Greek, Italian and Pizza restaurants. The area around "Langbryggene" has the highest density of eating and drinking establishments.

Skien nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Skien cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels & lodging

  • Thon Hotel Høyers, Kongensgate 6 [2]. This unique hotel dating back to 1853 is known for its style and atmosphere and is also Telemark’s oldest hotel. If you enter Skien from the south side, you will find that we have a central location and easy access.

Get out

This page was last edited at 23:14, on 22 October 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Anders Olsen, Wikitravel user(s) Fenix and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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