Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Sleeping
4
Gyldenløve Hotell
B1
6
Quality Hotel Grand
B2
Eating
7
Fuji Sushi
B4
8
Montal Bano
B2
Sights & Activities
Royal Silver Mines
MINE TOUR
The profusion of silver mines in Kongsberg's hinterland is known collectively as Sølv-
gruvene. The main shaft of the largest mine plunges all of 1070m into the mountain, to a
depth of 550m below sea level. The easiest way to visit the mine is the
mine tour (adult/
child Nkr150/90; hourly 11am-4pm Jul-mid-Aug, shorter hr mid-May-Jun, Sep
& Oct)
that leaves from the signposted Kongsgruvene, 700m from Saggrenda (8km south
of Kongsberg along the road to Notodden). It begins with a 2.3km
rail ride
along the
stoll,
a tunnel that was painstakingly chipped through the mountain in order to drain water from
the mines. Constructed without machinery or dynamite - the rock was removed by heat-
ing it with fire, then throwing water on the rock to crack it - the tunnel moved forward
at 7cm per day and took 73 years (from 1782 to 1855) to complete! Inside, visitors are
guided around equipment used in the extraction of silver, including an ingenious creaking
and grinding lift and work area on 65 wet and slippery ladders.
Bring warm clothing as the underground temperatures can be a chilly 6°C. The admis-
sion price includes a bus ride from outside Kongsberg's tourist office. Travellers with dis-
abilites and children under 3 (although they don't recommend it to under 5s) are not al-
lowed to enter the mines for safety reasons.
Otheractivitiesorganisedinandaroundthemineincludelearninghowtomintyourown
coins (sadly though we're yet to find a bank willing to accept the ones we made) and a
crash course in digging a mine in your own garden. With advance reservation you can join
a
rope-and-torch tour ( 91 91 32 00; per group Nkr10,000)
, which begins with a
1kmwalkthroughCrownPrinceFredrik'stunnel.Youmustthenabseilbytorchlightdown
112m into the mine (after what is hopefully not a 'crash' course in abseiling).
