Southern Norway - Norway - page 216

Saturday and Sunday 10am to 4pm. During the rest of the year, it's open Mon-
day to Friday 9am to 4pm.
GETTING AROUND You can walk around the Old Town or rent a bike
from the tourist office (see “Visitor Information,” above) at a cost of 150NOK
($21) per day.
SPECIAL EVENTS Now beginning its fourth decade, the Kongsberg Inter-
national Jazz Festival in July is attended by some of the most important jazz
artists in Europe. The King's Mine and the baroque church are among the
choice concert venues for this major musical event. Call & 32-73-31-66 for
complete details.
SEEING THE SIGHTS
Kongsberg Kirke , Kirketorget ( & 32-73-19-02 ), the largest baroque
church in Norway—and also the most impressive—is found in the old city on
the western bank of the Lågen River. Seating a 2,400-member congregation, this
1761 church bears witness to the silver-mining prosperity of Kongsberg. The
beautiful interior is made all the more stunning because of three huge, glittering
glass chandeliers created at the Nøstetangen Glassworks.
As a curiosity, note that the rococo altar joins the large pulpit, altarpiece, and
organ pipes on a single wall. Constructed in the shape of a cross, the church has
a tower surmounting one of its transepts. You can still see the royal box, reserved
for visits from the king, and the smaller boxes, meant for the top mining offi-
cials. Naturally, the church owns many valuable pieces of silver. In olden days it
took six strong men to ring the church's mammoth bell, which was cast in Den-
mark. Admission to the church costs 30NOK ($4.25) for adults, and 10NOK
($1.40) for persons under 16. There's usually an informed, English-speaking
guide on the premises dispensing information, in oral or printed form, about the
church. From mid-May to late August, it's open Monday to Friday 10am to
4pm, Saturday 10am to 1pm, and Sunday 2 to 4pm. The rest of the year, it's
open Tuesday to Friday 10am to noon. If your arrival in Kongsberg doesn't cor-
respond to any of these opening hours, the tourist office might be able to open
the church for you if you phone them in advance.
You'll find four museums housed in a single converted building that once
belonged to the Silver Mining Company at the Norsk Bergverksmuseum ,

Hyttegata 3 ( & 32-72-32-00 ).
The Norwegian Mining Museum traces 3 centuries of silver mining. You
might think only specialists would be interested in visiting here, but hundreds
of visitors like to wander about, learning about mining. One 18th-century
working model illustrates the entire process of mining and smelting the precious
silver ore. The machinery used in the smelting process can still be seen in the
basement. Some of the specimens on exhibit are made of pure silver.
Also on-site is Den Kongelige Mynts Museum, devoted to the Royal Mint,
which was relocated here in 1685. The museum contains a rare collection of
coins minted in town. A third museum, the Kongsberg Arms Factory
Museum, traces the city's industrial history from 1814 onward.
Finally, a fourth museum, Kongsberg Skimuseum, honors many local skiers
such as Birger Ruud and Petter Hugsted, who went on to Olympic glory and
world championships. A historic collection of skis and equipment is on view.
The most recent exhibition details the daring exploits of Børge Ousland and
Erling Kagge on their ski expeditions to the North and South Poles, where they
attracted world attention.