The City of Drammen is a river city not far from Oslo. The salmon river offers pleasure cruising, lovely beaches, and beautiful seafront locations. The Port of Drammen has a rich culture and some of the most unspoiled natural scenery in Norway. It is also home to the “most beautiful theater” in Norway.

Visitors enjoy taking the Royal Heritage Train from the Port of Drammen to the Kongsberg Silver Mines or the Hadeland Glassworks. A one- or two-hour trip depending on which site you visit, the train has a dining car that will make the trip short.

The Kongsberg Silver Mines employed over four thousand workers in the 1770s, making it the largest pre-industrial employer in Norway. The mines contributed significantly to Norway’s economy. Visitors to the biggest, oldest, and richest mine (the King’s Mine), ride a mining train through the 2300-meter Christian VII Adit to the bottom of the mine 1070 meters below at about 560 meters below sea level. Closed in 1958, the mines have been preserved, and about 40 thousand people visit the King’s Mine every year.

The Hadeland Glassverk is Norway’s oldest industrial company that continues to operate since it was founded. In the 19th Century, most of the products copied other European designs. In the 1920s, the glassworks began making its own designs. Tours show the fine crystal pieces being made. Some visiting artists come to make their own glasswork, making the glassworks a center for progress and innovation in classical glass-making.

Visitors will also enjoy the Viking Adventure, a bus tour going from the Port of Drammen to the Midgard Historical Center in Borre about 45 minutes away. Vikings meet your bus and then escort you through the Viking farm. You can try your hand at archery, axe-throwing, balancing on a log, competing in royal Viking games, or learning the Viking alphabet. Viking craftsmen demonstrate their textile-making, wood-carving, and iron-forging skills. Visitors also hear stories and music at the Viking burial mounds. On the return trip, the bus stops at Edvard Munch’s studio at Asgarstrand where he was inspired to pain the famous paintings called “The Scream” and “Women on the Bridge.”

Fishermen will enjoy hooking salmon in the Drammen River. Both equipment and lessons are available for salmon fishing.

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