Drammen
Created | Updated Nov 7, 2005
Size : 138km3
Population(1999) : 54.361
Drammen is a small town about 25 km south of Oslo (Norway’s capitol city)
The town centre is on both sides of the mouth of Drammen river, at the farther end of the Drammens Fjord. With the ‘Bragernes’ district in the north, and the ’Strømsø’ district in the south.
In the early 16th century ‘Bragernes’ and ‘Strømsø’ was 2 separate villages mainly working with log driving, in 1715 they became commercial centres. And in 1811 they merged.
There has been 4 big town fires, in 1850,1857,1866 and 1870.
Paper-production was the main source of industry for a lot of years, but today there is only one left.
Today’s largest sources of income is graphic-industry, brewing and it has the largest car and fruit import –harbours in the country.
In central Drammen alone there are 40 eating places, ranging from small cafés to elegant restaurants.
The Towns soccer team is ’Strømsgodset’.
Just outside the town centre you can drive to ‘Spiralen’ witch is a tunnel that is 3,65m high, 9m wide and goes around and around upwards six times like a spring. When you get to the top there is a fantastic view, a museum and a café there, and it’s a great place to start a hike in the woods.
The Drammen river is one of the very best rivers in Norway for fishing Salmon.
You can also see rock carvings that are approx. 6000years old in Drammen, so there has been people living here for a long time.
A popular description of this town is ’Norway’s largest road intersection’, and it does fit both regarding the roads and the railroad.
