Sights in Kongsberg
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Royal Silver Mines
The profusion of silver mines in Kongsberg’s hinterland is known collectively as Sølvgruvene. 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 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 heating it with fire, then throwing water on the rock to crack it – the tunnel move…
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Norwegian Mining Museum
This worthwhile mining museum, in an 1844 smelter, tells the story of mining in Kongsberg with relics, models and mineral displays; the old smelting furnaces still survive in the basement. In the same building, other sections include the Royal Mint, which was moved from Akershus Fortress in Oslo to the source of the silver in 1686, as well as a skiing museum and other local exhibitions.
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Kongsberg Church
Norway’s largest baroque church, in the old town west of the river, officially opened in 1761. The rococo-style interior features ornate chandeliers and an unusual altar that combines the altarpiece, high pulpit and organ pipes on a single wall. From June to August there are organ recitals held here at 8pm every Wednesday.
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Lågdal Folk Museum
This folk museum, a 10-minute walk southeast of the train station, houses a collection of 32 period farmhouses and miners’ cottages, an indoor sampling of re-created 19th-century workshops and a local WWII resistance museum. In summer there are guided tours at 11am, 1.30pm and 3.30pm.
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