"A cute litte town at the south-eastern... " a Kragerø Travel Page by Rusket

Although Kragerø is only half an hour from Brøsjø by car, the climate is totally different. Kragerø is the southernmost city of Telemark, at the south-eastern coast of Norway, 194 km from Oslo, 145 km from Kristiansand. Population appr. 11.000, appr. 4000 holiday homes, and an archipelago of 495 islands and islets.

http://www.visitkragero.no/
http://www.kragero.kommune.no/

Kragerø is mentioned in writing in 1623, and acquired status as a city in 1666. At that time overseas lumber trade was thriving. A few wealthy merchants controlled the trade as well as mines, ironworks, shipyards, sawmills, mills and waterways. In 1807 the "golden years" of Kragerø ended, when the neutral kingdom Denmark / Norway was forced to take part in the Napoleon war.

Later export of ice became important, and from 1850 shipping expanded. In 1880 there were more than 40 shipyards, 168 sailing ships and 1614 sailors. Development of modern freezing technique and steem engines and steel hulled ships ended this period of wealth.

A high percentage of the inhabitants are employed in different kinds of factories and workshops. But one of the main companies, Tangen Shipyard, was shut down in 2003.

Kragerø has a tradition for art, culture and boating, and there are several festivals and other arrangements each year. An exotic arrangement is the summer ski race in june: Snow is driven by trucks from high up in the mountains and spread in the streets. The race gathers skiers from norwegian and sometimes international elite, and has become quite popular ;-)