Drammen

Introduction

Drammen is a port and river city in Buskerud county, centrally placed in the south-eastern part of Norway, the country's most populated region. The city sits within a municipality that also takes in smaller towns and villages, among them Konnerud, Svelvik, Mjøndalen and Skoger.

Getting there

Drammen sits roughly an hour by road from either of the region's main airports. From Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, direct trains run into the town: airport express services depart several times an hour and take about an hour, while InterCity and regional trains are slower but cheaper. Sandefjord airport Torp is the other option, and buses connect both airports with Drammen.

• Most long-distance trains from Oslo heading west or south pass through Drammen, including the Oslo–Skien, Oslo–Bergen and Oslo–Kongsberg–Kristiansand–Stavanger lines, and local trains from Oslo are frequent.
• Drammen station sits at Strømsø Torg, across the river from the central square.
• By car, E18 links Drammen with Oslo, Larvik and Kristiansand, with Oslo about a 40-minute drive depending on traffic; E134 connects the town with Kongsberg and continues to Notodden and Haugesund, and National road 23 approaches through a sub-sea tunnel from Drøbak on the east side of the Oslofjord.

Getting around

The city centre is compact and easy to cover on foot, and walking is the simplest way to explore Drammen. The river splits the centre into two halves, linked by two main pedestrian crossings: the old city bridge, which often carries heavy traffic, and the Ypsilon bridge, a cable-stayed crossing reserved for pedestrians and cyclists that makes a far pleasanter alternative. Many walking paths run along the river on both sides, and these riverside routes are popular and pleasant. For higher ground, trails lead into the hills behind the city, including the Zig-Zag path up to Spiralen, reached just behind the main church.

Local buses, organised by the regional transport authority Brakar, are the main public transport option within the city and its surroundings, with stops spread across town and Strømsø Torg, by the railway station, acting as a convenient central interchange between bus and rail. Drammen has no metro or tram network of its own, so plan on trains, buses, walking and taxis. Taxis are available, with Norgestaxi among the operators; its smartphone app offers address-based routing and calculates the price according to the route, so you can see the fare basis before you travel. Taxis suit trips that are awkward by bus, such as late evenings or destinations in the surrounding hills, while the compact centre rarely justifies the cost.

Where to stay

Drammen's accommodation is concentrated in the centre, with options on both sides of the river. For a stay tied to the city's modern identity, the Comfort Hotel Union Brygge sits in the regenerated riverside district of Union Brygge and has a rock-themed style. Also in the centre are the Clarion Collection Hotel Tollboden on Tollbugata and the Scandic Ambassadeur Drammen on Strømsø torg.

• Comfort Hotel Union Brygge – stylish rock-themed hotel in the regenerated Union Brygge riverside district
• Clarion Collection Hotel Tollboden – central hotel on Tollbugata
• Scandic Ambassadeur Drammen – on Strømsø torg
• Scandic Park Drammen – at Gamle Kirkeplass

Food & drink

Drammen eats well, with most of the action split between Bragernes and Strømsø. For steak, head to Bighorne Steakhouse on Nedre Torggate, or try Pavarotti Gastropub on the same street. Jonas B Gundersen on Bragernes Torg serves pizza and pasta, while Cafe Picasso on Erik Børresens Allé offers French and Italian snacks. Near the railway station on Strømsø, Peppes Pizza is an American-style spot with a bar serving pizza, burgers, lasagne and salads. Hanna's Kitchen at Gamle Kirkeplass is another option for a meal.

Two restaurants make the most of the river: Skutebrygga on Nedre Strandgate has a nice location by the river docks, and Glass Grill & Bar next door offers a more contemporary menu along the water. For views with your meal, Spiralen Cafe og Restaurant sits on top of Spiralen overlooking the city, and Åspaviljongen is a classic restaurant halfway up the hill behind Bragernes Town Square, with hiking paths nearby and views of the whole Drammen valley from its outdoor deck. For drinks, Aass Brewery is Norway's oldest brewery, still family-owned and not sold to a foreign company, and well worth a try if you like beer. Dickens Pub on Øvre Torggate is one of the city's oldest pubs and still going strong, while Goggen Sportspub on Bragernes Torg mainly shows soccer matches. Kings Arms Pub on Tollbugata is another option, and Lauritz Restaurant og Bar on Bragernes Torg has a wide selection of beer.

What to see and do

Start in Bragernes Torg, the wide central square laid out after the great fire of 1866 to keep future blazes from jumping between the two halves of the city. It hosts a small market on most days and is the focus of the city's pubs and clubs, with plenty of outdoor drinking in summer. Nearby, Bragernes Church is the city's main church, and Drammens Teater on Øvre Storgate is built in new renaissance style. The Ypsilon bridge, a cable-stayed pedestrian crossing named for its Y-shaped form, links Bragernes and Strømsø over the Drammenselva.

Drammens Museum runs changing exhibitions and includes an open-air museum at Spiralen and the Austad estate from 1808 overlooking the city. Spiralen itself is a corkscrew-shaped vehicle tunnel through the hills, giving drivers easy access to the heights above town, where you get a sweeping view of the city and its surroundings and find a starting point for hiking and, in winter, cross-country skiing; the tunnel is open to vehicles only, so those on foot should hike up toward its end instead, and a local bus also makes trips through it. On the Strømsø side, Union Scene occupies the old paper-factory production halls and serves as the city's cultural hotspot. Galleri Athene, by Grev Wedels plass, spreads art across five floors. For active days, the city has two ski centres with floodlit slopes — Haukås in the centre and Drammen Skisenter, also called Aron, on the east side, which adds a terrain park and offers downhill biking with full rental in summer. Mountain bikers find trails ranging from flat gravel paths along the water to rocky technical single tracks in the hills around the city, and Skoger Golfbane lies a short drive south.

When to go

Drammen has a humid continental climate, with fairly cold winters and mild summers. Its sheltered valley position makes it among the warmest cities in Scandinavia in summer, so if you want the best chance of pleasant weather, plan around the warmer months. July can turn genuinely warm, with spells of high heat and occasional days at or above the hottest threshold, though the city centre runs somewhat cooler than the station outside town.

Winter is fairly cold, and January is historically the coldest month, with overnight lows well below freezing. The city centre is slightly milder than the surrounding station area thanks to the fjord's maritime influence, so you may find conditions a touch gentler near the water. The first overnight freeze typically arrives around mid-October, marking the shift toward colder conditions — worth keeping in mind if you're visiting in autumn.

Three days in Drammen

Day one: Arrive in Drammen and get your bearings around the centre. Strømsø Torg is a good starting point, and from there you can walk the streets of Strømsø and Bragernes on either side of the river. If you have come in via Oslo Airport Gardermoen, the InterCity rail links make the onward journey straightforward, and Sandefjord Torp is another option for reaching the area. Settle in around Union Brygge, where the Comfort Hotel Union Brygge puts you close to the waterfront, and spend the evening exploring the riverside streets.

Day two: Head up to Spiralen, the corkscrew road that climbs through the hills above the city, and continue on foot into the woods around Skoger if you want a longer walk. Konnerud is another outlying district worth a wander if you have time. Back in town, look for the Ypsilon bridge over the river, and use the local Brakar buses or a Norgestaxi to get between neighbourhoods. Round the day off with a meal in the centre.

Day three: Take a trip out of the city. Svelvik sits on the Drammensfjord and makes an easy excursion, while Mjøndalen is another nearby stop. If you are continuing your journey, InterCity trains connect Drammen with Oslo, Skien, Kongsberg, Larvik, Notodden and further afield toward Bergen, Kristiansand, Stavanger and Haugesund. For a taste of the Oslofjord, Drøbak is within reach before you move on.