Activities

Skien has many nice hiking areas both in and outside the city centre. You can go on cultural trails or along the Telemark Canal. The forest areas around the city center have plenty of hiking opportunities for those who enjoy outdoor activities. At DNT Telemark, you get hiking maps for all areas.

In Skien, there are plenty of nice swimming spots. Bakkestranda swimming pool is located just outside the city centre, and you can also choose between rivers and ponds and idyllic small mountain lakes. On the upper side of the Skien lock, there are many opportunities to canoe and kayak up along the still and calm waters. The areas around Skien offer wonderful opportunities for cycling, from the very simple to the more technical. Skien fritidspark is a fantastic facility for both young and old, with everything you can think of in terms of activities. The most popular activities are probably the water park, as well as the outdoor climbing park.

Do you know it's a fish ladder in Skien? The two waterways in the center of Skien are tied together by the Skien lock. And here, several species of fish swim from the salt water in Bryggevannet to the fresh water in Hjellevannet, and salmon is one of these species. You can buy a fishing license at Skienselva.no

Henrik Ibsen was born and grew up in Skien. His childhood home in Venstøp is today Henrik Ibsen Museum. The Snipetorp district is the old district that survived the last town fire in 1886. The house that the Ibsen family lived in after they had to move from Venstøp, is also situaded here. 

Ibsenhuset is the city's grand hall and has a large program throughout the year with concerts, shows and dances. The town's theatre, Teater Ibsen, gives the audience experiences that they want people to remember.

Parkbiografen is one of the city's major concert stages and Skien also has an active rock club that has its concerts on Megafon.
Brekkeparken is located at the top of Skien. The beautyful park has a great number of flowerbeds, as well as an open-air museum with farmhouses and the Søndre Brekke manor, a cafe and a brand new museum building.