Drammen (Norwegian pronunciation:[ˈdrɑ̀mːən]ⓘ) is a city and municipality inBuskerud county,Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the south-eastern and most populated part of Norway. Drammen municipality also includes smaller towns and villages such asKonnerud,Svelvik,Mjøndalen andSkoger.
Drammen is located west of theOslofjord inlet, situated approximately 44 km (27 mi) southwest of the capital city of Oslo. There are more than 100,000 inhabitants in the municipality, though the city is the regional capital of an area with around 82,000 residents. Drammen, and its adjacent communities, are experiencing more socioeconomic and population growth than ever before. The city makes good use of theDrammensfjord, a waterway utilised for recreation, fishing and other activities, as well as waterfront housing.
TheOld Norse form of the city's name wasDrafn, and this was originally the name of the inner part ofDrammensfjord. Thefjord is, however, probably named after the riverDrammenselva (NorseDrǫfn), and this again is derived fromdrǫfn f 'wave'.[5]Thecoat-of-arms is from modern times. They were granted on 17 November 1960. The arms has a silver-colored column on top a silver-colored bedrock crossed with a silver-colored key and sword against a blue background.[6] It is based upon the old seal dating from 1723 forBragernes, one of the central parts of Drammen. Themotto for Bragernes (inLatin) wasIn Fide Et Justitia Fortitudo (English:in faith and justice is strength), and the items in the seal are referring to this: key = faith, sword = justice, column on rocks = strength.[7]
On January 1, 2020, the municipalities of Svelvik, Nedre Eiker and Drammen merged to form «The New Drammen Municipality». The new municipality, which is now called Drammen, is Norway's seventh largest with over 100,000 residents. The main seat of the Greater Municipality is located in the city of Drammen.Drammen city had a population of 82.875 inhabitants in 2021, but serves as a regional centre for an area that had a population of 110.236 inhabitants in 2021.[8] The city is the country's record champion in environment and urban development, 21 prices since 2003 with 16 national and 5 international.
Rock carvings at Åskollen and Austad are 6000 to 7000 years old, and are the first signs of human activity in the area. The largest rock carving at Åskollen depicts amoose.
Drammen originally consisted of threesmall seaports:Bragernes (on the northern side of theDrammenselva river) andStrømsø andTangen (both on the southern side of the river). For trade purposes, small seaports were placed under market towns. Despite their geographical proximity, Bragernes was placed underChristiania and Strømsø underTønsberg. For this reason, cooperation between the adjacent seaport towns was almost impossible.
In 1662, a merger was proposed to unite Strømsø and Bragernes to form a market town with the name Frederiksstrøm. The proposal was rejected by KingFrederick III. Bragernes received limited market town rights in 1715, and merged with Strømsø to gain status as a singlecity on 19 June 1811.[10]
Its geographical location made the city favorable for seafaring,shipbuilding,log driving, timber trade. During the 19th century, paper and pulp industries were developed. Large parts of the city were ruined in the great fire of 12–13 July 1866,[11] which led to the reconstruction of the city centre, including the characteristic town square and Bragernes church. TheDrammen Line (Drammenbanen ) opened in 1872 providing rail service between Drammen and Oslo.[12][13]
In 1909, Drammen got the firsttrolleybus system inScandinavia, theDrammen trolleybus. The lines ran until 1967. For many years the centre of Drammen suffered from heavy traffic. In 1970,Drammen Bridge with two lanes on European route E18 was built (expanded to four lanes in 2006) and in 1999 the opening of the Bragernes tunnel (Bragernestunnelen) diverted additional traffic away from the centre of the city.[14]
In recent years, the city centre has seen the introduction of new housing, shopping facilities, restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as a public pathway along theDrammenselva river.[15]
In 2011, Drammen observed its 200th anniversary with many citywide jubilee celebrations.[16] Drammen's district heating system was upgraded to usewater-sourced heat pumps, drawing on local fjord water, to support population growth in the city.[17]
Drammen is one of the larger cities in Norway, and lies about 40 kilometres (25 mi) from thecapital of Norway,Oslo. The city centre lies at the end of avalley, on both sides of the Drammenselva river, and where the river meets theDrammensfjord. TheHolmen island in Drammen is also the mainharbor for car and fruit import in Norway.
The Drammen region is part of the metropolitan region aroundOslo and the country's fifth largest urban area, it extends far beyond the municipal boundaries; into the municipalities ofLier,Asker,Øvre Eiker andHolmestrand. The total population of the settlement is 110,236 inhabitants as of 1 January 2021.[18]
In 2008 Drammen won the prestigious prize for the best city development in Europe.[19]
Drammen has ahumid continental climate (Dfb), characterized by fairly cold winters and mild summers. Located at a sheltered location in a valley at the head of a narrow fjord branch of innermost Oslofjord, Drammen is one of the warmest cities in Scandinavia in summer. The warmest month on record was July 2018 with mean 22.3 °C (72.1 °F), average daily high 29.3 °C (84.7 °F) and 11 days with highs at or above 30 °C (86 °F). The all-time high 35 °C (95 °F) was recorded August 3, 1982, and is a tie with the national high for the month. The September record high is the national record. The all-time low −28 °C (−18 °F) was recorded in January 1987, which is the coldest month on record with mean −13.8 °C (7.2 °F) and average daily low −17.1 °C (1.2 °F). In more recent years, December 2010 was almost as cold. The average date for first overnight freeze (low below 0 °C (32 °F)) in autumn is 13 October (1981–2010 average).[20] The Drammen-Berskog weather station has been operating since 2004. The station is located about 5 km from the city centre, which is more influenced by the maritime climate of Drammensfjorden. As a result, the city centre tends to experience slightly milder winters and somewhat cooler summers compared to the station. An earlier weather station named Drammen-Marienlyst (3 m) operated from 1966 to 2003.
Climate data for Drammen - Berskog 1991–2020 (8 m, avg high/low 2005–2024, extremes 1966–2020 includes earlier station)
As of 2022, Immigrants and Norwegian-born with immigrant parents in Drammen is 29 per cent,[24][25] of which 25 per cent are Norwegian-born with immigrant parents.
As of 2022, immigrants of non-Western origin and their children enumerated 20,507 and made up an estimated 22% of Drammen's population.[26] Immigrants of Western origin and their children enumerated 9,333 and made up an estimated 9% of Drammen's population.[27][28]
Minorities (1st and 2nd generation) by country of origin in 2021[29]
Aass Brewery is the oldest survivingbrewery in Norway, and has won acclaim for both itsbeer and its well-conserved building. Founded in 1834, the brewery's primary products are soft drinks, beer and aquavit.[32]
Øvre Sund Bridge (Øvre Sund bru) – crosses Drammenselva in the center of Drammen[33]
Drammen City Bridge (Drammensbrua bybro) – was a concrete bridge connecting the two centers of the city, built in 1936 and demolished in 2022. A new city bridge will open in the autumn of 2025 on the same site. A temporary pedestrian bridge crosses the river adjacent to the site of the new bridge under construction.[34]
Drammen Bridge (Drammensbrua) – motorway box girder bridge onE18 that crosses Drammenselva, built 1971[35]
Ypsilon Bridge (Ypsilon bru) – cable-stayed pedestrian bridge over Drammenselva, built 2007
Holmen bridges (Holmenbruene) – two railway bridges on theDrammen Line[36]
Nedre Eiker Bridge – (Nedre Eiker bru) crosses Drammenselva up the river connecting the townsKrokstadelva ogMjøndalen.[37]
Mjøndalsbrua – The old bridge between Mjøndalen and Krokstadelva, built for crossing of horse-drawn carriages in 1910.[38]
The Drammen Museum of Art and Cultural History includes Marienlyst, a manor house from ca. 1770, museum building from 1930 with the museum's administration, permanent exhibitions and collections, and Lyche pavilion from 1990 with the gallery, temporary exhibitions and museum café, Halling yard, with 5 old buildings, the oldest from 1760s. The museum also includes the two largest preserved like farms in Drammen,Gulskogen Manor andAustad farm.[39]
TheDrammen Spiral is a road tunnel that allows access to theSkansen Ridge, 180 m (591 ft) above the town. It opened in 1961 on the site of a former quarry.[40]
Drammen Theater in Bragernes was built in 1869 and was designed by architectEmil Victor Langlet. The theater was the first modern theater in the country. It was designed in a complex Renaissance style with symmetrical facades and round arched windows. After Drammen Theater suffered total destruction by fire in December 1993, a new theater was rebuilt on the model of the original house. It was finished during February 1997.[41]
Drammensbadet is a public swimming and training facility located in Marienlyst, Drammen. It was one of the largest in Norway when it opened 1 September 2008. They have five indoor and four outdoor pools.[42]
The city does not have its own airport. The nearest airports areSandefjord Airport which is located 79 km andOslo Airport which is located 92 km away from Drammen.
SBK Drafn Founded 15 September 1910, 21 Norwegian Championships in bandy, 1 lost cup final in football (1927). One World Champion ski jumper, Hans Bjørnstad 1950. Ole Olympic Gold medallist, Thorleif Haug 1924 (three gold, one bronze).
^"RAMMEN GUIDE"(PDF).drammen.kommune.no. Retrieved25 October 2025.
^Søbstad, Per Ivar."Kort oversikt over Drammens historie".History of Drammen (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 22 August 2006. Retrieved7 December 2006.
^Borgen, Per Otto (1997).Hvor Drammenselven iler (in Norwegian) (Electronic reproduction ed.). Drammen: no#:Forl. for by- og bygdehistorie. p. 112.ISBN8291649049.
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