Telemark, Norway · Europe
Skien sits on the route: 15 minutes from Porsgrunn, 48km from Heddal Stave Church.
Skien is a town located in Telemark, Norway. With a population of 50,595, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Skien sits in Norway, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Oslo time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Skien to your route.
Skien (Norwegian: [ˈʂêːən] ) is a town/city in Skien Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is the administrative centre of the municipality. The town is located along the Skienselva river, about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the northwest of the town of Porsgrunn. The villages of Skotfoss, Åfoss, and Klovholt areRead more
located about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the west of the town, the village of Sneltvedt lies about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to the east of the town, and the village of Hoppestad lies about 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the northwest.
Skien and Porsgrunn are considered to be a conurbation and grouped together as part of the Porsgrunn/Skien metropolitan area. Because of this, the population and area data for this town has not been separately tracked by Statistics Norway. What is tracked, is the portion of the metropolitan area located in Skien Municipality. In 2022, the urban area of Skien measured 26.24 square kilometres (6,480 acres) it had a population of 50,142 with a population density of 1,882 inhabitants per square kilometre (4,870/sq mi).
Skien city center is located where the river Farelva (from the lake Norsjø) forms the lake Hjellevatnet, and it divides into a waterfall on each side of the island of Klosterøya. The harbor basin is located at the northern part of the river Skienselva. The hilly terrain makes the center of Skien crowded with a main north-south axis. The city got its current road alignment and layout after the last big city fire in 1886.
Skien is the seat of the county governor and the Telemark County Municipality. The town also has the Telemark Hospital Trust and a number of secondary schools. There is a prison at Rødmyr, a jogging track at Klosterskogen, and a sports and swimming hall (Skienshallen). The newspapers Telemarksavisa and Varden are published in the city.
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Skien is located in Telemark, Norway, Europe. The coordinates are 59.2096 latitude, 9.6090 longitude.
Skien has a population of approximately 50,595 people, making it a town in Norway.
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Essential numbers in Norway
Many toll roads use automatic plate recognition (AutoPASS). Headlights required at all times.
Full driving guide for Norway1 notable place within an hour's drive.
cathedral
Norway's largest stave church, a triple-naved wooden cathedral raised around 1200 and still the parish church of Notodden. Its tiered shingled roofs rise like a dark pagoda beside route E134 through Telemark.
48 km · about 55 min drive
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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