Skien (pop. 46,000), situated on the north bank of the Skienselv near the Skagerrak, is a busy industrial town and the administrative center of Telemark county.
Skien is a terminus for the Telemark canal, is connected to the Norwegian railway network and has a local airport offering domestic and international flights.
The church (1894), with
two tall spires, stands on higher ground. South of the church is a monument to the great Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), who was born in Skien.