Discover Drammen

Drammen combines city life with outdoor discoveries: street art appears on buildings, trails lead through the forest or the city, and parks offer space for exercise and breaks. Families travelling with children will find both the city’s largest playground and a skate and bike park for older children and teenagers in Drammen Park. So when choosing a holiday apartment, one simple question can help: would you rather spend your time enjoying culture, going for walks or taking part in outdoor activities?

City trails by the water and in the forest

The Elvepromenaden runs through the centre of Drammen. Along the way, there are green parks, seating sculptures, exercise equipment and rest areas; by the water, you can walk, cycle and exercise. Bybrua and Ypsilon make it easy to travel between Strømsø and Bragernes along the promenade on foot, by bicycle or with a pushchair. These routes give the city its own rhythm: you can fit in some exercise and a break in the greenery without having to choose a forest excursion.

Routes outside the city or on its outskirts also vary in length, gradient and season. The easy Nordbykollrunden is a 3.4-kilometre forest loop just outside the centre. It has 97 metres of elevation gain and is in season from March to November. The 2.1-kilometre Strøtvet–Klopptjern loop passes through the forest via Klopptjern, has 101 metres of elevation gain and is in season from May to October. For a shorter route, consider the Honnørbrygga–Zik Zakken out-and-back route, which is accessible year-round: it follows the Zik-Zakken steps, is 2.0 kilometres long and has 61 metres of elevation gain.

Another year-round option is the 6.9-kilometre out-and-back route from Strømsø torg to Blekktjern via Andedammen. It starts in the city and ends at Blekktjern. The Kirkerunden offers a different kind of walk: this 2.5-kilometre loop passes Tangen kirke and has a historical focus. These differences can help you plan your day: you can take route length, gradient and season into account instead of treating every outing as the same kind of hike.

Art, churches and history

A street art walk offers a chance to see large murals and colourful details on buildings. There are two year-round routes in Drammen. If you would rather explore collections and historic buildings, Drammens Museum covers a range of subjects: its extensive cultural history collections include objects, buildings and visual art from both earlier and more recent periods. The museum’s headquarters are in Marienlyst, while the museum buildings and parkland are spread across several locations in the city. The permanent exhibitions in Marienlyst include Nøstetangen glass, Baroque silver and 18th-century Drammen faience.

The open-air museum at Drammens Museum includes 21 reconstructed old timber houses. They illustrate traditional farming methods and building traditions in Buskerud. The churches also offer their own historical highlights: Strømsø bykirke, also known as Hellig Kors kirke, is a wooden cruciform church built in 1667 in the Early Baroque style. Bragernes Kirke was consecrated on 12 July 1871. During the summer season, guided tours in Norwegian, English or German are offered there on Wednesdays from 13:00 to 14:00.

For those interested in contemporary art, Buskerud Kunstsenter offers an extensive exhibition programme and numerous art-related events in its gallery. It is located at Grønland 60 in Union Scene, a ten-minute walk from Drammen railway station.

Green spaces and views over the city

Drammen Park is an urban oasis with large lawns, old trees, walking paths, a fountain and a music pavilion with a «sensory park». Along with the large playground and the skate and bike park, it offers different reasons to spend time outdoors; the skate and bike park is intended for older children and teenagers.

Another striking destination is Spiralen, a spiral-shaped tunnel through the mountain leading up to Spiraltoppen. Spiralen was built between 1953 and 1961. Following modernisation, a light show was installed on each level of the tunnel. From the top of Spiralen, you can enjoy views over Drammen. If you enjoy city views and unusual structures, you can make room for this destination in your travel plans.

Other places are also worth considering: Flå, Gol, Hemsedal and Flesberg.

For the broader travel overview: Buskerud.