Telemark Canal

The Telemark Canal begins at Skien and runs 105 kilometres inland through a series of eighteen locks and a chain of lakes, rising 72 metres above sea level to reach Dalen. Porsgrunn sits at the southern end, near the canal's connection to the Frierfjord. In summer, vintage canal boats operate the full length of the waterway, making the journey a slow, scenic trip through some of the most beautiful countryside in southeastern Norway.

Even if you do not take the full canal boat journey, the locks at Vrangfoss — about an hour's drive north — are spectacular, with boats being raised 23 metres in a staircase of five chambers. The canal towpaths are excellent for cycling, and several rental companies in the region offer bikes for the purpose.

things to do sight
A story
The Telemark Canal, completed in 1892, required cutting through bedrock to link the inland waterways to the coast. At 105 kilometres it was the longest canal in Norway and one of the major engineering achievements of the late nineteenth century. The 18 locks needed to raise boats 72 metres above sea level were built using granite quarried locally — much of the work done by hand.

Other places in Things to Do