10 Mines in Norway That You Shouldn't Miss

The remains of the copper mine are 8-9 km east of Yset in Kvikne. The road is only open in summer time. The first ore was found here in 1629. As opposed to other copper mines of any importance there was very little activity here after 1800. This area is of great value as a historical document of the oldest mining period in the country. The mining area forms a landscape with partly weathered yellow ore heaps and mining caves which give this area very distinctive features. The buildings which were connected to the daily running of the mine are now owned privately. There are the remains of several houses and the wheel house. Here you will find the remains of water channels and dams connected to the water-driven equipment used by the mine in 1700. As a result of flooding and landslides in this old mine, there are few of the mine’s great galleries that are preserved. However, there are some smaller galleries and drifts that are preserved and safe enough to be viewed.

At Rostvangen you will find the remains of the mining community which existed for 17 years from 1904 until 1921 and resulted in the biggest bankruptcy in Norway’s history at that time. At the most populous period there were approx. 500 people living in the mining community. There was a school, a shop, a café, a community hall and a bakery and other things needed in a small community. There was a theatre group, a brass band, a football club and dances which provided social activities. A hydro-electric power station was built to provide power for the mines. The remains of the dam and the turbine hall still lie along the main road (Rv 3) just south of Kvikne. Today, just the foundations of the buildings remain. Notice boards have been put up with both text and photographs which give visitors a good insight into life at Rostvangen. How to get there. Take off the main road (Rv3) at Nytroa and follow the signs along the 3 km toll road to the parking area. From here there is a clear path leading up to the mining area.

With a fascinating historical background and after being preserved in 1998, Pyramiden is now our Arctic time-machine back to USSR, a piece of land surrounded by magnificent natural landscapes with mountains and valleys. Here you will have a unique chance to immerse into the atmosphere of the Soviet period, visit buildings well-saved after this time, hear the stories of then and now, and even see a movie screening in the northernmost film stock cinema via refurbished original cine-projectors. Anyone who has spent in Pyramiden at least a couple of hours makes a point in this place's extraordinary essence. Today the town "frozen in time" is open and it grows as a tourist location with a cozy hotel and restaurant where the interior has been kept in original decorations from the Soviet period. In 1995 and 2018 King Harald V and Queen Sonja visited Pyramiden and came by the restaurant for a short coffee break.

The Marble Caves and The Atlantic Road combine this with a trip to the Atlantic road, one of the world’s best road trips. The highway zigzags across bridgesand islands, to the point where the land and the ocean meet the fjord. Explore the mystical Marble caves at Naas! The caves are a result of mining operations since 1938. In others parts of the mountain,the mining operation is still ongoing.

A mining safari in the Konnerud mines begins by train from Theys' stoll to Malmvaskeriet, located at the main entrance to the mines, Kontaktstollen. From here continues rail 500 meters into the 200 square meter hall, where our guide will show you the mine operation as it uses do be. It is also possible to climb the old ladder system, which leads up to the mines on top of Konnerudkollen.

Folldal Gruver is a historical mining community in the mountainous heart of Norway. The heritage site consists of about 70 buildings, slag heaps, tips and equipment, dating from almost 250 years of mining history. Folldal gruver is included in the Directorate for Cultural Heritage’s programme for industrial heritage, and thus holds a special status in Norway's industrial history. Today, this history is told through museum exhibits, guided tours of the mine and historical trails. In the museum, there is also an exhibition focusing on the surrounding National Parks and their inhabitants. Accommodation in historical buidlings, a café and a little gift shop are part of the attraction. Folldal tourist information is also located here.

Towards the end of the nineteenth century the Lykling gold mines were at the centre of a gold rush that is unrivalled in Norwegiaon history. Hundreds of men were working in the mines in 1885, when activities peaked. Several hundred kilos of pure gold were found in total. Coastal culture cafe etc. on Lykling Brygge.