An excellent salmon river with pleasure cruising, nice beaches and idyllic sea fronts. A many-sided cultural life with the most beautiful theatre building in Norway. A prize-winning main square with lively street life. Walking trails in almost unspoiled nature and a great panoramic view from the Spiral Top. We welcome you, as a tourist, to the river city of Drammen.
No river, no city
The fjord and the river have been the basis of existence for the inhabitants of Drammen for many centuries, indeed this is the life nerve of the city. The river has carried river prams, barges, small vessels and modern-day leisure boats, and was for many years one of Norway’s largest logging rivers, second only to the Glomma.
From the 1850s onwards, many steam-powered sawmills and planing mills were established along the lower section of the river, and in the course of the 20th century the paper and cellulose industries boomed. Later on, however, in the 1960s and 1970s, the cellulose industry experienced an economic decline, causing the factories to close down one after the other.
Since then the city of Drammen has spent substantial resources on developing attractive park areas along the riverside. Below Åssiden school is an impressive river park where people can go to take time out from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Hungry mallards, Canada geese and Mute swans are only too happy to congregate there and keep you company. The numbers of swans and geese have risen considerably lately.
The area between the City bridge and the Holmen bridge has also been developed into parkland, and is now known as Bragernes Riverside Park. 200 trees and thousands of perennials have been planted here in order to create a pleasant leisure area. The area where the river meets the fjord also now a fjord park. All in all, Drammen can boast three new park developments along the waterway.
In the west, close to Nedre Eiker municipality, there is also a green lung – Sølfastøya, an island with a children’s playground and where Drammen Angling Club have their base. Walking and bicycle trails have been developed along both riverbanks, and run almost continuously through the city. Likewise a trail runs alongside the river from Mjøndalen and further on towards Hokksund. Many also use the Drammen River for boat transport, and many motor boat clubs are situated along the waterway. The river is also an excellent arena for kayaking.