The silver works at Kongsberg feature prominently in mining history, and Hønefoss is a lively town that grew up around the «foss» or waterfall (from which it takes its name) and the sawmills that were powered by the waterfall. It won´t take you long to see how commercially successful this town is. There are companies here that have international as well as national status. With its fertile soil, imposing forests and thundering rivers, Buskerud is a varied and hospitable region of Norway. DRAMMEN The location of Drammen has helped to make it the capital of Buskerud. The Drammenselva river flows out into the fjord at this point, and the town is sheltered by hills on each side. Drammen has been an important regional centre for commerce, culture and communications for several hundred years. The Bragernes market is situated at the heart of the town, with views of the church and the two distinctive towers on each side. The marketplace teems with life both summer and winter. Drammen is as excellent for shopping as it is for dining out: it has over 300 shops and at least 40 restaurants, as well as cafes and bars with live music, discos and dancing, not to mention the busy street life. There are well-appointed hotels, and also a wide range of facilities for conferences and metings. CULTURE AND RECREATION Drammen has been host to many famous poets, painters, musicians, singers and play wrights. The town´s theatre was famous far and wide as the most beautiful theatre building in northem Europe. On 10 December 1993, however, the town awoke to a performance that had not been announced on any playbill: the theatre had burnt to the ground. Thanks to a great deal of support from many quarters, the theatre rose again after little more than three years, with all the technical features of a mo dern theatre but retaining the same splendid classical fasade and interior. After negotiating the seven long turns of the spiral road tunnel you will come to the top of the «Spiraltoppen» on the ridge of Bragernes Hill. From here you´ll have a fantastic view over the town, the fjord and the outlying countryside. Nearby is the Friluftsmuseet (Open Air Museum) where there are displays of traditional rustic buildings, architectural styles, and the trades and occupations characteristic of Buskerud County. Drammen has several fine country houses which are open to the public. The best preserved of these are the Gulskogen Gard and the Marienlyst Gard which houses the Drammen Museum, the main museum for the county of Buskerud. Here you will see local history illustrated by arte facts from agriculture, industry, folk art and crafts. SPORT AND LEISURE The citizens of Drammen are spoilt for choicc when it comes to outdoor recreation. The hills on each side of the town offer a range of activities, many of them associated with the net work of cross-country ski trails, hiking routes and cycle paths. There is also Drammen´s own «Grand Canyon» to visit: the sheer walls of the Kjøsterud juvet (The Kjøsterud Gorge) tower upwards for 50 metres through cascading waterfalls. But if you prefer, you can go on an adventure far inside the Konnerudgruve mine. The town has two slalom slopes and seve ral kilometres of floodlit cross county ski trails. The Drammenselva is one of Norway´s best fishing rivers, with more than 40 recorded fish species. You really will be able to land a large salmon here. There are paths and riverside parks along the banks, with bathing facilities, fishing and general recreation.The Marienlyst Badeland water park is open from May until the end of August. It has four swimming pools, showers and sauna, a water slide, mini-golf and a play area. EDUCATION AND TRAINING The Technical College campus is in the town centre. It offers training for nurses and pre-school teachers as well as Bl (Norwegian School of Management). Danvik College is on the other side of the river, as is the International Centre which specialises in media studies. The town has several upper secondary schools offering everything from sports and music to specific occupational training. INDUSTRY Drammen has grown into an important industrial town. It started with timber work alongside the river, which led to paper mills and other industries. Electronics, printing and food processing are among Drammen´s main industries today. Everybody in Norway is familiar with Delikat breakfast spreads, Osram light bulbs and the Aass Brewery, the oldest in the country. Drammen harbour is where most of Norway´s imported cars, fruit and vegetables arrive. It is now one of the countrys biggest and most important ports, thanks to its central location and excellent transport links. KONGSBERG Two shepherds discovered silver at the southern end of Numedal Valley in 1623, and King Christian IV decided to build a silverworks there. Soon Kongsberg grew to become the second largest town in Norway, and for a time its silverworks represented the biggest industry in the whole country. To the west of the mines there is a cliff face called «Kronene i Havet» where the royal insignia of all the kings who have visited the town, from Christian IV to Olav V, are carved into the rock. CENTRE OF TECHNOLOGY Kongsberg today is internationally renowned for its high technology. Most of the town´s industries are in the fields of defence technology, offshore and maritime systems, autopart production and optics. Kongsbergruppen AS is the largest enterprise, with 1,300 employees. Over 40% of all production is exported. The town has also maintained its educational tradition. In addition to its upper secondary schools and its technical and managerial schools, there are such institutions as the Høgskolen i Buskerud (Buskerud College) which offers the country´s only qualifications in optics, the Statens Yrkesskole for Skogbruk (The Norwegian Technical College for Forestry) and the Statens Skogsskole (The National School of Forestry). CULTURE AND RECREATION The town´s cultural identity is closely associated with its early history as a mining town. The Norsk Bergverksmuseum (The Norwegian Mining Museum) has among its exhibits the old smelting hut, and gives a indivividuel presentation of the history l of the silverworks. There is also the Skimuseet (Museum of Skiing) and a department of the Royal Mint which displays mint production from days gone by. The church, built in 1761, stands at the centre of the town. This impressive brick building of Byzantine cruciform design, with unusually rich ornamentation inside, is considered the most beautiful Baroque church in Norway. The annual summer jazz festival in Kongsberg is a lively event which has gained recognition far beyond the borders of Norway. The festival, which features major international artists as well as exciting new talent, is both a musical delight and a great social occasion. The Kongsberghallen (Kongsberg Hall) is near the town centre. This functions as an auditorium, conference hall, ice stadium and centre for athletics and other sports. The town also has a modern cinema, a bowling alley and swimming pool. Skiing Kongsberg is now one of the finest winter sports centres in Norway. As the Skimuseet shows, the town has been involved with this sport for a long time. Between 1928 and 1948, young men from Kongsberg won most of the gold and silver medals in the jumping and downhill events. Kongsberg is surrounded by beautiful and varied landscapes including forest and mountain terrain. Jonsknuten and Knute hytta mountains, as well as the splendid Blefjell ridge, are popular excursion spots. Kongsberg Ski Centre, one of Norway´s finest alpine-skiing facilities, is not far from the town centre. COMMERCE AND TOWN LIFE Kongsberg is a hospitable town with excellent restaurants and overnight accommodation as well as a pleasant and welcoming commercial centre. Everything you might want is available in the shopping centre with its many small and specialist shops. And wherever you go you will be able to find a quiet spot where you can relax for a while. HØNEFOSS Hønefoss was first settled at the point where the Begnaelva and Randselva rivers meet. It has since grown into a lively commercial town. It has shopping centres as well as narrow shopping streets, luxuriant parks and a well-stocked market which serves as the town´s meeting place and open air «living room». Cultural events and all sorts of activities attract both young and old to festivals and friendly competitions. There is also a wide range of restaurants, discos and intimate piano bars. INDUSTRY The waterfall itself was the reason for the town´s development, and it powered no less than 23 sawmills in 1668. Even though we no longer hear the sounds of the sawmills, the town and its surroundings still have a strong association with forestry and wood processing. Ringerike is Norway´s largest municipality based on the forestry industry, and the Follum Mills, which are owned by Norske Skog A/S re present the biggest enterprise in the area, employing 650 people. There are two other Norske Skog subsidiaries in the Hønefoss region, namely Soknabruket and Hen Tre, and in addition, there are important manufacturers of engineering, concrete and packaging products. Statens Kartverk (Norwegian Mapping Authority) has also established its headquarters here. There is a wide range of facilities for courses and conferences both in and around Hønefoss, involving a number of well known hotels. COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE Hønefoss is at the centre of the transport network, whether you are travelling by car, train or bus. The town is on the major Hallingdal Valley road from Oslo to western Norway and Bergen, and is also on the route to Fagernes and Valdres. It is only a short distance to Hønefoss from a number of large towns in eastem Norway, including Oslo, Drammen, Kongsberg and Gjøvik. The Eggemoen airport for light air craft is only a few minutes from the centre. EDUCATION AND TRAINING Hønefoss is a centre for schools and colleges. Buskerud College offers courses in languages, economics, administration and information technology. Other colleges close to the town include the Ringerike Folkehøyskole, the Hærens Befalsskole (The Army Officers Training School) and the Hærens Ingenørhøyskole (The Army College of Engineering) CULTURE AND SIGHTSEEING A monument called «The Sash Saw» (Oppgangssaga) designed by Knut Steen, stands testament to the town´s history in the middle of Hønefoss. Also in the centre you will see the old Sagfogd Ridder home, built in the 1730s, which reminds us of Hønefossªs historical importance. A fascinating burial site called Veienfeltet lies not far north of the town, and it was here, in 1995, that archaeologists disco vered the remains of a house dating back to around the birth of Christ. They also found the remains of several tombs and many interesting objects. There are also farms that are open to the public. You can watch the animals, play in the hay, drive a tractor and take part in all sorts of activities. In Buskerud you will have many stimulating encounters with the county´s carefully preserved cultural heritage, whether in the form of stave churches, folk costumes and old time dancing. MODUM Blaafarveverket (The Modum Cobalt Blue Works), in the heart of Buskerud, is one Norway´s most popular cultural attractions. Surrounded by a beautiful park alongside the river Simoa, a number of charming half-timbered buildings are grouped close together, and this is where all kinds of art exhibitions and concerts are held. There is also a play area for children and a delightful «farm» with real animals. The cobalt mines (which explain the Centre´s name) are not far away. They were worked in the 1830s, and today provide a glimpse into the history of mining. Fossesholm Herregard country estate is at Vestfossen. Once this was the largest estate in Norway, covering some 50,000 acres. It has the biggest collection in the country of German, French ? and British linen wall coverings. There is also a museum devoted to the Second World War resistance movement known as the «Hjemmefronten» as well as an exhibition of dolls and a collection of paintings by important Norwegian artists. The first glassworks in Norway were established in 1741 on the tongue of land known as the Nøstetangen near Hokksund some miles west of Drammen. Glass and drinking goblets made here be came famous throughout Europe on account of the fine engraving work. Glass is still manufactured today using the traditional methods, and this is exhibited and sold at the country house once owned by the county´s chief magistrate. Krøderbanen at Krøderen is Norway´s longest stretch of «museum» railway line, which conjures up the atmosphere of stations and trains in the days of our great-grandparents. Various theme days are organised each summer, such as «Good Old Days», «Navvies Day», Togran (Train Robbery) and Children´s Day. «Villa Fridheim», the distinctive architectural style of which makes it look like a fairytale castle, looms up over the end of the Krøderfjord. Inside the villa there are a number of beautiful fairytale tableaux and fairytale decorations. A fairytale adventure route has been laid out in the grounds. Several of Norway´s important collectors of fairytales and folk tales grew up in Buskerud. Everyone knows «Soria Moria Slott» (Soria Moria Castle), «Kvitebjørn Kong Valemon» (White Bear King Valemon) and the trolls in the pictures by Theodor Kittelsen, the famous illustrator of Norwegian folk tales. Kittelsen´s childhood home, «Lauvlia», is beautifully situated outside Soneren in Sigdal. The Kittelsen Museum at Skuterudhøyden displays oil paintings, drawings and watercolours. «Hagan», where the painter and writer Christian Skredsvig lived from 1894 until his death in 1924, is also nearby. All the furniture and paintings have been left exactly as they were in his life time. Jørgen Moe, the poet priest and collector of folk tales, grew up at the Mo farm at Ringerike. When you visit, you will see the charming «Bestemorsstua» (Grandmother´s Parlour) and «Beates dukkestue» (Beate's Doll´s House). The picturesque town of Holmsbu nestles between the crags and rocks of the shore. The Holmsbu Billedgalleri (Holmsbu Gallery) shows work by such well-known Holmsbu painters as Henrik Sørensen and Thorvald Erichsen. |
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GEOGRAPHICAL NORTH NORWAY Finnmark, Nordland, Troms MID NORWAY Nord-Trøndelag, Sør Trøndelag VEST NORWAY Møre og Romsdal, Hordaland, Rogaland, Sogn og Fjordane SOUTH NORWAY Vest-Agder, Aust Agder, Telemark EAST NORWAY Vestfold, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo, Østfold, Hedmark, Oppland |