Skien is Telemark’s main city, with more than 50,000 inhabitants, and is the starting point of the Telemark Canal. Here you will find a mixture of pedestrian streets, green lungs and monumental buildings, and the waterfront is an important part of the cityscape.
The world-famous playwright Henrik Ibsen was born and raised here. Henrik's childhood home at Venstøp, is today a museum, Henrik Ibsen Museum, which you can visit during the summer months.
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 annual ParkJazz concert series, and a range of musical, theatrical and sporting events.