Rondane

  • Folldal, National Highways, Road-trips, Rondane, Røros

    Drive it Yourself: Folldal to Røros: A Scenic Drive Through the Industrial Region of Eastern Norway

    Drive it Yourself: Folldal to Røros: A Scenic Drive Through the Industrial Region of Eastern Norway

    I love Røros. I’m fairly positive I begin each article about Røros with that statement, but it’s very true. Røros has an incredible history and is a very well preserved town. I’m surprised more travellers in Norway don’t go there.

    When we are visiting Røros in September 2020, we were driving up from Ringebu via the Rondane National Park. The road to Røros isn’t direct, but we didn’t mind. Little did we know that we were actually driving through a historic mining region. The road from Folldal to Røros is a very old mining area – mining began here in the 17th century. Many of the towns you pass through on this drive were established thanks to Røros Copperworks – the main mining company here.

    Even if mining isn’t of interest to you, don’t pass up a chance to drive through this gorgeous part of the country.

    Here’s my drive from Folldal to Røros via Alvdal on Highway 3 in Norway.

    In this article...

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

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    The drive: Folldal to Røros

    Folldal Mines

    Historic Site

    We begin at the Folldal mines, an old 18th century mine that is today heritage listed in Norway.

    Mining was the main industry in Folldal from the 18th century until 1993.

    Folldal Works (Folldal Verk) was founded in 1748, the same year the main copper mine opened. Copper, mine and zinc was all mined in Folldal. It was then transported by horse carriage to the neighbouring Alvdal municipality, where there was a smelter. In 1906, a 34km-long cable car (North Europe’s longest) was built to transport goods to the smelter.

    The main mine closed in 1941, but smelting continued using ore from other deposits until 1968. Business closed in 1993.

    Today the mines are a museum.

    The museum has short opening hours – late June to mid-August. They have some really interesting attractions and ticket combos, so I will be back!

    You can drive up to the carpark and wander around outside for free.

    Click here to view their website.

    On their website you’ll find opening hours and ticket fees.

    Vassaga

    Historic Site/Detour

    Vassaga is a preserved sawmill from 1900. It is powered by water and is unique because it has a special device for sawing shavings. This is the only known instance of a sawmill having a device for shavings. The shavings are used in roofing in the area.

    You’ll see signs pointing to it from the highway.

    Folldal Church

    Church/Detour

    Folldal Church is located on the road that leads to Vassaga. The church is a typical rural church from the late 19th century. The altarpiece inside is from the 17th century.

    Grimsbu

    Village

    Grimsbu is a tiny town; when I was researching it, some of the top hits on the web were for the IKEA furniture named after the town!

    There is a campsite in Grimsbu – the Grimsbu Turistsenter – that has everything you’ll ever need when camping. From Grimsbu, there are hiking and skiing trails plus spots for fishing.

    There is an ancient road in Grimsbu called Byveien. It is a route over the mountain that from around 1050 until the Reformation connected the pilgrims routes through Gudbrandsdalen and Østerdalen. In the 12th century, the road was laid out as a pilgrimate route from Innlandet to Nidaros. The road was forgotten for many centuries, but now there is an active effort to restore the road. The trail is north of Grimsbu. An image of it can be seen here. 

    Grimsbu also has an old BP petrol station that looks as it did when it was put there in 1955. There used to be a country store on the property – it dates back to 1900 – but in the 50s they modernised with a petrol station. A website for it is found here (also the image source). 

    The BP station is by the Fv29 and across the street from the Grimsbu Turistsenter – a hotel/cafe/shop building.

    Einunna

    Historic Site

    When Norway was invaded on 9 April 1940, a group of Norwegians mobilised in Alvdal. They organised a defence at Einunna Bridge by blowing it up.

    When the Germans arrive on 26 April, they inspected the bridge and the Norwegians surprised them with gunfire. A fight commenced, but the Norwegians were buried in snow and hard to see. The German tanks managed to keep the Norwegians down so most of the Germans could get out. They tried to advance, but it was impossible. The Germans did eventually occupy Alvdal, but they came in via another road.

    From 2020, the bridge is being rebuilt.

    There was a rest area, but when I visited it was closed due to the construction work.

    Info about the WWII battle

    Musea i Nord Osterdalen link

    Alvdal Municipality

    You cross into Alvdal Municipality.

    Alvdal

    Town

    Alvdal is a small town (pop. 2,418) with a long tradition of mining, as is common in this part of Norway (and the focus of our drive!).

    There has been mining in Alvdal since 1656, when the first finds of copper ore were made nearby. Mining didn’t take off until copper was found in Folldal in 1745.

    The mines in Folldal got into disputes with the mining operations in Røros, including access to timber. Due to the little access to timber in Folldal, a smelting hut was built in Alvdal instead. Alvdal has plenty of access to timber. It was less resource intensive to transfer ore to Alvdal than it was to transport wood to Folldal.

    New mines were built around the area in the 18th century. From 1905, a cable car was used to transport ore to Alvdal.

    Mining operations declined and have mostly ended now. Today the largest employer is the dairy company, and many people work in agriculture and the timber industry.

    Glomma River

    River

    At 621km (386 mi), the Glomma is Norway’s longest river. It has a drainage basin that covers 13% of Norway’s surface area, all in the southern part of the country.

    At its full length, the river runs from Aursund near Røros and empties into the Oslofjord in Fredrikstad.

    The combination of raw materials, water power and transport has over the centuries encouraged industry along the Glomma. Some of the country’s largest manufacturing and processing businesses are found at its mouth.

    Tynset Municipality

    You cross into Tynset Municipality.

    Tynset

    Town

    Tynset is a small town located in the north of Østerdalen, or the Eastern Valley. It is first mentioned in 1211, when the archbishop of Nidaros consecrated a stave church. There is no stave church today; there are parts from an old stave church at Kvikne (more on that below).

    The town is known for its vast areas of forest and mountains, which are ideal for outdoor activities. Tynset is also one of the few places where most of its mountain farms (seter) are in use. You can visit them when hiking, and even rent some for the night.

    Kickers/kicksleds (Norwegian: spark) are produced here. The world’s largest kicker is in the main square of Tynset; it is four times life-size.

    Kvikne

    Historic Site/Detour

    Kvikne is home to the Kvikne copperworks, founded in 1630, which was one of Norway’s first copperworks. This led to the population in the mountain village rising and laying a foundation for further development. The copperworks was run by the Danish King, and was the largest copper plant in Norway. Eventually Folldal and Røros became more important, and Kvikne was clsoed down in 1812, though operations continued in a much smaller capacity until 1912. Only ruins remain today, but you can visit them.

    Kvikne Church is from 1654 and seats 203. It has decorated equipment and an interior with a carved altarpiece and pulpit. The crucifix is in the Romanesque style and dates to around 1200. In the attic, stave church planks in the Urnes style have been found, probably from an older church on the site. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson was baptised in the church.

    Close to the church is the Bjørgan vicarage, a museum and former vicarage in Kvikne. It is considered an artists home as Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (1832-1910) was born here and lived here until he was five.

    The house is built in 1780 and was a vicarage until 1860. The building was supposed to be demolished, but it was saved in an attempt to make it a museum for Bjørnson. Several items from his time are on display in the museum.

    Kvikne is a 40 minute drive from Tynset, so it is quite the detour but worth doing.

    Telneset

    Town

    The next small town along the Fv30 is Telneset. It is not an old town; it was actually built up alongside the establishment of the Røros Line in 1877. A small community was built up around the train station, and soon there was a post office and a sawmill. The sawmill made materials for building houses, and soon there was a concrete foundry to supply roof tiles and pipes, plus a carpentry to make windows, doors and furniture.

    Telneset saw a dramatic event take place here during World War II. On 24 April 1940, the Germans were coming up Østerdalen while a train with Norwegians was in retreat. The train was shelled and had to stop at Telneset. German planes came and dropped 13 bombs on the train and the damage was great; six Norwegians were killed.

    Today Telneset is a small agricultural community.

    Tolga Municipality

    You cross into Tolga Municipality.

    Tolga

    Town

    Our next stop is Tolga, which was built up around the Tolga smeltehytte (smelting cabin) in the 1660s. The smelter was operated by Røros Kobberverk and it was in operation until 8171. Tolga was a suitable location because it had waterfall power plus a good supply of timber.

    Today many people work in agricultural, though the municipality is the largest employer.

    In the town centre you’ll find an old farmstead called Dølmotunet. During the summer there are tons of activities thee, and an exhibition has items from the Stone Age to the 19th century.

    You can learn more about the smelter here. 

    Os

    Town

    Os is a small village with about 25% of the population working in agriculture. The timber industry is also important to the region.

    A skirmish took place here duing World War II. It was the last skirmish in the region before the Germans were able to occupy the area, and it was one of the few fighting operations where Swedish and Finnish volunteers participated in fighting against the occupying forces in 1940. The Germans burned down eight farms as reprisals.

    In Os you’ll find a museum with objects preserved from the region. The Forollhogna National Park is also nearby. The mountain peaks are popular for skiing in the winter.

    Trøndelag County

    You cross into Trøndelag County.

    Røros Municipality

    You cross into Røros Municipality.

    Røros

    Welcome to Røros! We made it. Røros is a UNESCO World Heritage Area full of history, charm, and things to do. I recommend parking at the Smelthytta Musuem and exploring Røros on foot. You can spend heaps of time here – be sure to make the most of it.

    Røros Travel Guide

    The Previous Drive

    The Rondane National Park

    The best way to get to Folldal is by taking the Rondane Tourist Road. 

    Rondane Tourist Road

    The Next Drive

    Oppdal to Kristiansund

    On the following day we drove to Kristiansund on the west coast of Norway via Oppdal. 

    Oppdal to Kristiansund

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!

  • Folldal, Gudbrandsdalen, National Tourist Roads, Road-trips, Rondane

    Drive it Yourself: Rondane National Park

    Drive it Yourself: Rondane National Park

    The Rondane National Park is incredible. When I was editing the footage for this article, I desperately wanted to get in the car and go. This is the same reaction you’ll have when looking through this article.

    The park needs no introduction; images speak for themselves. I also don’t really need to convince you why you should visit. But you should. The Rondane National Park is Norway’s first, established in 1962. A primary reason for making it a national park was to protect the famous ‘Rondane massif’ (pictures above). Also, there is a large population of wild reindeer in the mountains and ancient traps used by nomadic hunter-gatherers.

    The drive is the national scenic road for Rondane – one of Norway’s 18 national tourist roads (click here to view their site). 

    It’s not a particularly long drive and can easily be done in a morning. There are hiking trails (long and short) everywhere, so you can spend some days here if the outdoors is your thing.

    We drove through the Rondane National Park on our way from Ringebu in Gudbrandsdalen to Røros, a UNESCO World Heritage town. In this article, I cover the section from Ringebu to Folldal, and the next article will be Folldal to Røros.

    For this drive, you pass incredible views, historic sites, and small towns. It’s not touristy at all. But trust me, it’s worth doing.

    Here’s my guide for the Rondane National Scenic Drive, from Ringebu to Folldal.

    In this article...

    Download this Guide

    All of our guides can be downloaded via our online store. 

    Download this guide to have it as a PDF ready to go for your road-trip!

    All downloadable guides come with an interactive Google Map for easier navigation. 

    View on Store

    Watch on Youtube

    All of our roadtrips are available on YouTube to watch. They include information about the area provided in text and voiceover form, plus they show the drive in full (sped up in some spots!) so you can get an idea what the drive is like. 

    Visit Our YouTube Channel

    Rondane Tourist Road

    Ringebu

    This drive begins in Ringebu, a small village close to Lillehammer in the Gudbrandsdalen Valley. 

    Ringebu Travel Guide

    Venabygd

    Village

    Venabygd is a tiny town on the highway. There’s not much here – not even a sign welcoming you to the town – but you will see the church.

    Venabygd Church is from 1780.

    Venabygdsfjellet

    Mountains

    The next part we’ll be driving through is Venabygdsfjellet, a mountain area just south of the Rondana National Park. It varies between 850 and 1000m above sea level. The terrain is partly above the tree line.

    There were many farms here in ancient times, but today the area is characterised by cabins and hotels.

    Venabygdsfjellet is guaranteed snow throughout winter. There are 140km of marked ski trails. There is a competition from Høvringen in Rondane to Lillehammer called “The Troll Trail” – it is the world’s longest 1-day ski run (95km). The race takes place in early April.

    The area is very popular with hikers and cyclists in summer.

    You’ll pass some supermarkets, cafes and hotels here. Also keep an eye out for the chapel from 1979.

    Rondane National Park

    National Park

    Soon you’ll pass the official sign welcoming you to the Rondane National Park Tourist Road. We’ve made it!

    Rondane National Park is Norway’s first; created in 1962 to protect the Rondane massif, regarded as the finest alpine hiking region in Norway.

    The area has been inhabited by thousands of years, as evidenced by ancient reindeer-trapping sites and burial mounds. Rondane National Park is home to one of Norway’s oldest wild reindeer populations, with an estimated 2,000 to 4,000 in the mountains. They are not friendly like the semi-domesticated reindeer in the north, so if you encounter them walk away slowly.

    After the last Ice Age ended, climate changes allowed the reindeer to spread across Scandinavia, only to eventually be forced back to a much smaller area.

    On the mountain plateaus, there is evidence that the hunter-gatherers lived off reindeer. Large traps used to catch reindeer are found all over the park. They are constructed from stone to make holes or large fenced-in areas. Reindeer were tricked or led in.

    There are also small stone walls. They are believed to have been used as hiding places for archers waiting for prey. The earliest traps may be 3500 years old. Additionally, remains of houses from 500 to 700 AD are found in the area. Considering all of this, it’s believed that people lived and hunted here until the Black Death in the 14th century.

    After a decade of planning, Rondane was established as the first national park on 21 December 1962. It was first established as a nature protection area, but was later named a national park. In 2003, the park was enlarged from 580 to 963km2 (224 to 372 sq mi).

    More on the park later. Lets get back to driving.

    Atnbrua

    Village

    The first village in the park in Atnbrua, and there are a few things you can do here.

    Industrial Museum

    There is a museum called Atnbrufossen Vannbruksmuseum. It is all about the use of hydropower in industry here in the mountains, and it is located on Atnbru waterfall. The museum complex consists of a restored flotation plant, sawmill and hydropower plant. You can see a sawmill, sauna, drying house, timber floating plant, and a small power plant. Industrial traditions here date back to the 18th century, making it an interesting place to visit. The opening hours seem to be rather short, but they also open by appointment.

    Click here for more info on the museum. 

    War Collection

    A little past that museum is another, possibly more interesting one. The Sollia War History Collection was put together by one of the locals on a heritage farm (more on that soon). The war museum has weapons, uniforms, and items from the Norwegian resistance group ‘Milorg’ and the Norwegian Nazi party ‘Nasjonal Samling’. The owner of the museum, Jo Øvergaard, even has items from her own family’s collection as her father was part of ‘Operation Grebe’ from 1944 (click here to read about that). Jo will tell you lots of stories on your visit, if you’re interested.

    The farm, Amperhaugen, has been awaded the Olavsrosa from the Norwegian Hertiage Foundation, which is an award given to unique cultual experiences. You can spend the night at this fam. Click here to view their page.

    Again, it has very short opening hours but you can contact Jo and arrange a visit.

    Click here for more details.

    Knut Hamsun’s Cabin

    Additionally, there is a historic farm here. Practically across the street from the museum, Nordre Brænd was built in 1849 and is today still a farm but also a cabin area. Norway’s famed writer Knut Hamsun lived here for a year with his new wife Marie. He worked on the novel A Wanderer Plays with Sordin and the play Life in Violence in a cabin on the property. The cabin is still there today and you can rent it as a place to stay.

    Click here to view their website. 

    Otherwise, in Atnbrua you’ll find a supermarket.

    Solbergplassen

    Photo stop

    This is my favourite stop on the drive, simply because the view is spectacular.

    Here is where you’ll see the Rondane massif – a collection of tall barren mountains with the river flowing in front. This view has inspired many artists, but perhaps the most famous is Harald Sohlberg’s painting Winter’s Night in Rondane. After all, this stop is named after him.

    The viewing platform is interesting as well. It is built around the pine trees.

    Strømbu Rest Area

    Rest area

    If you are planning to go hiking, this is a great spot to park the car, as there are many paths leading off towards the mountains. Otherwise, if you just want to relax, there are benches, a covered area, and excellent views of the mountains.

    There is a tourist info office here, but it was closed when we visited. If they are open you can rent canoes or bikes, or they can show you short (1-2 hour) marked paths.

    If you want to learn about the history of Norwegian currency, this is the place! I know. It’s a bit weird. But there are information boards about the old banknotes in Norway. It’s only in Norwegian, but it’s not like you come to this viewpoint to read about banknotes.

    There are public bathrooms here but I must warn you: when we went, they were disgusting. The more you know!

    We walked down to the river – a short and easy walk – and took photos from there.

    Click here to view more images & info. 

    Exploring the Park

    National Park

    Much of the park’s glaciated and lichen-coated landscape is 1400m high, and 10 rough and stony peaks rise over 2000m, including Rondslottet (2178m), the highest, and Storronden (2138m). Rondanes range of wildlife includes 28 mammal species and 124 bird species.

    Rondane has a relatively mild climate, making it one of the safer areas for avoiding hiking in pouring rain. Low precipitation means less snow in the winter, but snow is still guaranteed on the mountains.

    The landscape was formed during the last Ice Age, 9,000 to 10,000 years ago. At that time large quantities of ice were formed, and it is believed the ice melted gradually. The ice melting must’ve been rapid when it happened, digging deep river valleys. There are a few small cabins here caused by rapid ice melting.

    There are no restrictions on where you can hike in the park, but please be considerate of the animal populations. It’s recommended to stay on marked trails. If you do happen upon some reindeer, slowly move away from them.

    The hiking season runs in July and August. There are guided hiking tours. Cabins you can spend the night in are scattered throughout the park if you want to spend a few days here.

    Folldal Municipality

    You cross into Folldal municipality. 

    Folldal Open Air Museum

    Museum

    The museum has a number of old farm buildings, including 18th century houses and 17th century cabins. There’s also a school building from 1898. Yes, it’s quite similar to other open-air museums, but worth stopping at if you are interested in history.

    Click here to view their website (in Norwegian only).

    Folldal

    This drive ends at Folldal, a beautiful town close to the Glomma River. 

    Folldal is a small town with a population of 526 that today focuses primarily on agriculture. The population is actually declining; between 2009 and 2019 the population fell by 5.6%.

    Long before there was a settlement here, the area was visited by nomadic hunters looking for reindeer. There are around 1,000 animal graves in Folldal, plus a mass trapping facility from the 13th century.

    According to local legend, the first man to settle here was the outlaw Torkjell Barfrost. According to the Faroese saga, Sigmundur Brestisson and his cousin Tori got lost in a snowstorm on Dovrefjell while on their way to meet Håkon Earl of Norway. They met Torkjell Barfrost and stayed with him, his wife and his daughter. They ended up staying with him for six years before moving on. Sigmundur and Tori spoke up in supoort of Torkjell, and eventually he was acquitted and became governor of the area.

    Even though Torskjell was the first man to live in Folldal, there wasn’t really a settlement until the 17th century. Folldal didn’t become a town until the 18th century, when mining started.

    Folldal’s Mining History

    Mining was the main industry in Folldal from the 18th century until 1993.

    Folldal Works (Folldal Verk) was founded in 1748, the same year the main copper mine opened. Copper, mine and zinc was all mined in Folldal. It was then transported by horse carriage to the neighbouring Alvdal municipality, where there was a smelter. In 1906, a 34km-long cable car (North Europe’s longest) was built to transport goods to the smelter.

    The main mine closed in 1941, but smelting continued using ore from other deposits until 1968. Business closed in 1993.

    Folldal Travel Guide

    The Previous Drive

    Gudbrandsdalen

    On the previous day we drove through the Gudbrandsdalen Valley to Ringebu. 

    Gudbrandsdalen

    The Next Drive

    Folldal to Røros

    After a short break in Folldal, we continue to Røros in Eastern Norway. 

    Folldal to Røros

    If you liked this drive, or if you have any travel tips, please leave a comment in the section below!