so i landed here on december 3rd, 2019 - yeah i know, worst timing possible - and the weather data said it was like 2.6 degrees but felt like -0.7 with that wind coming off the river. my fingers went numb within ten minutes of walking outside. classic move by me honestly.

Quick Answers

Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: yeah actually, but only if you like moody industrial vibes and don't need sunshine to function. the old town area near the river has this weird charm - lots of wooden houses, some dating back to the 1700s. not instagram-perfect but interesting.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: norway expensive. i paid like 45 bucks for a mediocre sandwich and coffee. budget travelers should cook their own food or head to the cheaper spots near the train station.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: anyone who needs warm weather, anyone who hates spending money, anyone who expects cute cafes on every corner. this is not that.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: summer. obviously. june-august when it's actually above 15 degrees and the locals come out of hibernation.

---

i'm writing this from a hostel that costs more than some apartments back home - digital nomad life is going great honestly - and i keep staring out the window at the drammenselva river which is this greyish-brown color that matches my mood exactly. someone told me the river freezes over in january but right now it's just kinda sloshing around angrily.

the pressure was at 989 when i checked which apparently is low? a local warned me that means weather is about to get worse. thanks mate, really needed that.

i didn't plan this trip. i never plan trips. i just saw a cheap flight from bergen and thought why not. that's literally the only reason i'm in drammen right now. my wifi works here though so technically i'm still working which is the whole point of this lifestyle or whatever.

*the coffee situation is actually decent which surprised me. there's this place near the central station - kaffebrenneriet or something - that does good espresso. i spent like 4 hours there yesterday pretending to work while actually reading about the history of this place. did you know drammen used to be one of norway's biggest ports for timber? all those brown wooden buildings along the water? that was wealth once. now it's just cold.

a group of houses next to a body of water

humidity was at 61% when i checked which doesn't sound high but trust me, when it's 2 degrees and 61% humid, the cold just seeps into your bones in this specific way that no jacket can prevent. i bought a wool sweater from a thrift store for like 80 kroner which was actually a good call. local advice: layer up or die trying.

there's a weird energy here at night. not dangerous exactly, but like... quiet in a way that makes you uncomfortable if you're used to cities. i walked around 8pm and saw like three people total. a local told me everyone drinks at home here because going out is so expensive. that tracks.

> "drammen is what happens when you don't have oslo money but still want norway vibes" - some guy at the hostel

i looked up nearby cities because i might escape for a day trip. oslo is like 40 minutes by train, way more happening, but also way more tourists. someone on reddit said to skip oslo and go to tengelrud instead? no wait, that's not right. i think there's some national parks around here but i haven't figured out which ones yet.

houses near body of water during daytime

the tourist vs local experience here is pretty clear. tourists stick near the river walk and the spiral bridge thing (it's literally just a bridge that spirals, not that impressive). locals are in the shops further inland, the ones that don't have english menus. i went to this bakery yesterday and pointed at something and it was like... fish patty? not mad about it actually.

safety vibe: i felt fine walking alone at night. nothing sketchy. but also there's literally no one around so like... that's not saying much. i'd compare it to any smallish european city, don't be stupid and you'll be fine.

i keep hearing about this museum - drammen museum - that has old stuff from the area. haven't been yet. i heard it's good if you're into local history but boring if you're not. typical small city museum situation.

the best thing about this place honestly is the train station connects you to everywhere. i could go to oslo, i could go to gothenburg in sweden (like 4 hours), i could head up to some fjord areas. the flexibility is nice. as a digital nomad, being stuck in one boring town is fine as long as you can leave.

red and white concrete building near green trees during daytime

pro tips from my experience:
- get a wool base layer, the synthetic stuff doesn't cut it below 5 degrees
- the hostel wifi is decent but the coffee shop on haakon gt is better
- don't bother with restaurants, cook at the hostel or get kebab
- the spiral bridge is overhyped but the view from it is fine
- buy snacks at kiwi or rema, they're the cheaper supermarkets

i checked the weather again and it's supposed to get to 4.4 max today which is basically a heatwave compared to yesterday. i'm going to actually go outside and explore properly. maybe find that museum. maybe just sit by the river and冻 (that's freeze in chinese, learned it from a guy at the hostel).

anyway, would i come back? maybe in summer. would i recommend it? only to specific people. don't come here expecting magic. come here if you want to see a real norwegian town that isn't trying to be instagram famous. come here if you have somewhere else to be nearby.

that's the vibe. that's drammen.

---

links for more info:*
- tripadvisor has some drammen stuff: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g190730-Drammen_Eastern_Norway.html
- reddit thread about day trips: https://www.reddit.com/r/norway/
- hostel info: https://www.booking.com/city/no/drammen.html
- train schedules: https://www.vy.no/
- more about the timber history: https://www.drammenmuseum.no/
- yelp-ish reviews: https://www.google.com/maps/search/restaurants+drammen

Freezing My Ass Off in Drammen (And Actually Kind of Loving It)

Quick Answers

You might also be interested in:

About the author: Topiclo Admin

Comments (0)

Join the conversation

Comments (0)

Join the conversation