Telemark

Telemark gave skiing its name, Henrik Ibsen his childhood, and Norway one of its most beautiful canals. A trip to Telemark leads from the skerries near Kragerø past lock staircases and lakes to the industrial World Heritage site of Rjukan at the foot of the Hardangervidda.

Sights in Telemark

Skien, the county capital, is the birthplace of Henrik Ibsen; the Venstøp farm, where he grew up, is now a museum, and the Ibsenhuset stages his plays. From Skien, the Telemark Canal runs 105 kilometers and through 18 locks to Dalen; in summer, historic ships such as the Victoria and the Henrik Ibsen make the trip, passing through the five-chamber lock staircase at Vrangfoss. In Dalen, you'll find the Dalen Hotel, a fairy-tale hotel in the dragon style from the 19th century. The Heddal Stave Church near Notodden is the largest in Norway. Rjukan and Notodden together make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Norsk Hydro industrial heritage; at the Vemork hydroelectric power plant, a museum commemorates the sabotage of German heavy water production in World War II. Above Rjukan rises Gaustatoppen, from whose summit you can see a sixth of Norway on clear days. Notodden hosts a major blues festival every summer, and in Seljord a festival recalls the legendary lake monster of Seljordsvatnet.

Landscape and Coast

Along the coast you'll find Kragerø, a little town of white wooden houses where Edvard Munch lived and painted for several years, and islands such as Jomfruland with its lighthouse. In the west of the county, in Morgedal, Sondre Norheim is considered the inventor of modern skiing; the Telemark technique is named after the region. The plateau near Rauland and Vinje is a hiking and skiing area, and in the south there are seaside resorts in the skerries around Langesund.

Food, Getting There, and Best Time to Visit

Typical dishes include lamb, trout from the mountain lakes, rømmegrøt, and spekemat (cured meats); farms produce cheese and cider. Skien and Porsgrunn are connected to Oslo by train, and Torp Airport is about an hour away. The best time to visit is June through September, when the canal boats run. Porsgrunn, Skien's neighboring town, is known for its porcelain factory. If you have the time, take the canal boat from Skien to Dalen in one long day.