Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE INTERIOR
InlandfromNorway'ssoutherncoast,quietmountainvalleyslikeSetesdalenandthemagni-
ficent peak of Gausta, close to Rjukan, are wonderful places. Another highlight is the lake-
studded Telemark region, connected by a canal with pretty Seljord - home to the Nessie-
esque Selma the Serpent.
Kongsberg
POP 23,600
Surrounded by dark and dense forests and with cascading rapids running through the heart
of town, Kongsberg is one of the more agreeable towns in southern Norway. In addition to
theprettysettingthere'splentyofculturalinterestintheformofthefascinatingRoyalSilver
Mines, a host of low-key museums, a pretty clapboard old quarter and one of Norway's best
jazz festivals in July.
History
ThehistoryofKongsbergbeginsandendswithsilver,whichwasdiscoveredbytwochildren
withanoxin1623inthenearbyNumedalValley.Theirfatherattemptedtosellthewindfall,
but the king's soldiers got wind of it and the family was arrested and forced to disclose the
site of their discovery. Kongsberg was founded a year later and in the resulting silver rush
it briefly became the second-largest town in Norway, with 8000 inhabitants including 4000
miners.Between1623and1957,1.35millionkilogramsofpurethreadlike'wire'silver(one
of the world's purest forms of silver) was produced for the royal coffers. Kongsberg is still
home to the national mint, but the last mine closed in 1957.
