Frier, Telemark
| Frier[1] | |
|---|---|
| Frierfjorden[1] | |
 | |
 Interactive map of the fjord | |
| Location | Telemark county, Norway |
| Coordinates | 59°05′58″N 9°37′06″E / 59.09931°N 9.61838°E |
| Type | Fjord |
| Porsgrunn River | |
| Langesundsfjorden | |
| Skiensvassdraget | |
| Basin countries | Norway |
| Max. length | 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) |
| Max. width | 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) |
Average depth | 93 metres (305 ft) |
| Settlements | Porsgrunn, Stathelle, Brevik, Herre |
Frier[1] or Frierfjorden[1] is a fjord in Telemark county, Norway. The 14-kilometre (8.7 mi) long fjord is located along the Skagerrak coast in the traditional district of Grenland and it forms the border with Bamble Municipality, Skien Municipality, and Porsgrunn Municipality. The fjord is actually an inner arm of the Langesundsfjorden, and historically (well into the 1700s) this fjord was also known as the Langesundsfjorden. The fjord stretches from the opening to Langesundsfjorden in the south to the mouth of the Porsgrunn River in the north. The much smaller fjord of Gunnekleivfjorden opens into the Porsgrunn/Skien River and is separated from the Frierfjorden by the peninsula of Herøya.[2]
The Frierfjorden narrows to a width of about 300 metres (980 ft) at Breviksstrømmen, the mouth of the fjord, where the town of Brevik sits on the northern side and the town of Stathelle lies on the southern side. The Brevik Bridge crosses Breviksstrømmen between the two towns. A little further into the fjord the newer Grenland Bridge crosses the fjord, carrying the European route E18 highway across Norway's highest cable stayed bridge.
The fjord has a great deal of commercial ship traffic, including to Rafnes and Herre in Bamble Municipality, to Norsk Hydro in Porsgrunn Municipality, and formerly to Norske Skog Union in Skien Municipality.
Name
[edit]The fjord is named Frier (Old Norse: Friðir). The name is derived from the word fríðr which means "beautiful" or "lovely". The official name of the fjord is Frier. Frierfjorden is also an approved name, but that one is "not prioritized".[2][1]
Media gallery
[edit]
Herøya, and the large industries
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Informasjon om stadnamn". Norgeskart (in Norwegian). Kartverket. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- 1 2 Lundbo, Sten, ed. (22 January 2023). "Frier". Store norske leksikon (in Norwegian). Kunnskapsforlaget. Retrieved 19 September 2023.