Drive it Yourself: Scenic Telemark Drive on the Fv37 & Fv38
Drive it Yourself: Scenic Telemark Drive on the Fv37 & Fv38
Telemark is a region in southern Norway famous for its natural beauty and industrial heritage. On this drive, we’ll pass the birthplace of skiing, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and go to one of Norway’s highest peaks! To finish it all off, we visit Norway’s largest stave church. Join me for a beautiful drive through Telemark.
In this article...
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- Information about points of interest
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The Drive: Telemark
Kongsberg
Kongsberg is a historic mining town located in the southern part of Norway. It was also one of the wealthiest and important towns in Norway until the mid-19th century, making it an interesting place to visit. Kongsberg was established as an industrial town based on silver mines in 1623. It was initiated by King Christian IV, who brought Germans from the silver mines in Saxony to show the Norwegians how to mine. Kongsberg was Norway’s largest mining community and is the country’s oldest industrial town. It was Norway’s second-largest town in the mid-19th century, after Bergen.
Løka Gamle Bridge
Historic Bridge
The Løka old bridge is a girder bridge from 1924 designed to cross the Jondalselva. It is built in concrete, which works the same way as steel in truss bridges. The railing supports the bridge, which is also called the whale bridge. There are only three bridges of this type in Norway. It replaced an older stone vault bridge, which is also preserved nearby. The bridge is on the westbound side of the highway.
Notodden Municipality
Notodden municipality is named after the historic town of the same name. The municipality borders the Telemark Canal and the eastern course of the Heddalsvatnet lake. Much of the municipality wasn’t inhabited until the beginning of the 20th century, when Notodden was established as a centre of industry.
Notodden town is an interesting historic town, but it is not on the Fv37. To get there, shortly after entering the municipality there is a turn off onto a road that’ll lead to Notodden (20km / 12 miles away). Notodden is on the E134 highway.
Gransherad
Village
Gransherad is a small settlement with around 750 people living there. The composer Klaus Egge was born in Gransherad. Gransherad Church is from 1849. Before this church, there was a stave church from the 14th century here.
From Gransherad, you can follow the Fv361 to the E134, where you can head to Notodden.
Tinnoset
Village
Tinnoset is a small settlement at the point where the Tinnsjå lake and Tinnelva River meet. Historically there was a hydropower plant here. This is where the ferries from Mæl (on the northern end of the lake) would offload their goods onto the train at Tinnoset railway station so they could be transported to Notodden. The railway station is still standing and is now a heritage-listed building. The address is: Tinnoset 31, 3691 Gransherad
After Tinnoset you will be driving along the Tinnsjå Lake. The Tinnsjå Lake is Norway’s third-deepest lake, with an average depth of 190 metres.
Gravtjørn Rest Area S/F Hydro Sabotage Site
Historic Site
The S/F Hydro was a Norwegian steam-powered railway ferry that delivered raw materials and fertiliser from the factory at Rjukan to the port in Skien. The ship was sunk by members of the Norwegian resistance in 1944, as the Nazi’s were using it to transport heavy water out of Norway. This happened in the lake parallel to where the parking place is, and there is an information sign at the parking place.
Tinn Municipality
Tinn municipality is mostly a mountainous municipality with parts of the Hardangervidda plateau included as well as Gaustatoppen, a famous mountain peak. The coat-of-arms represents five droplets of water. The design was chosen to represent the five rivers in the municipality and the importance of hydropower for the development of the town.
Mæl Station
Historic Site
Mæl station was the ferry station on the historic Rjukanbanen railway that used to operate here. The station shut in 1991.
The Rjukanbanen is the railway line running between Mæl and Rjukan. It was opened in 1909 and closed in 1991. The line was a private railway owned and operated by the Norsk Hydro company. There was a need to transport raw and materials in and out to the coast. The Rjukanbanen was the innermost link in an original four-part transport chain from the factory in Rjukan to the port in Skien. The railway will forever be linked to the introduction of modern industry in Norway, but also Norwegian war history. The battle for heavy water during World War II ended when the Norwegian saboteurs sank the steam ferry DF Hydro at a depth of 430 metres on Tinnsjøen on 20 February 1944.
Mæl is still a port of call for the Tinnsjø ferries MF “Storegut” and “DF Ammonia”, two ferries which in the summer months are open for charter trips and tours. There is a place to park here as well as information signs about the history of the area.
A short detour off the highway is a war memorial. Address Rollagvegen 44, 3658 Miland, Norway
Miland
Settlement
Miland is a small village with a population of 291. The area is considered to have some of the nicest plots with views towards the mountain Gaustatoppen. Mæl church is located here and is a wooden church from 1839. It was built to replace an old stave church.
Baustasteinen på Miland is a memorial stone is from 1914 and is in memory of those who fought for Norway at the initiative of the youth association. It has a quote from Per Sivle: “And if there were those who wanted to ravage the country, there were also those who wanted to defend it”.
Rjukan
Rjukan is a fascinating town. Here you will find the Vemork Museum, which is about Rjukan’s development as an industrial city and the role of the hydropower plant during World War II. After all, Vemork was the site of Norway’s most famous sabotage operation.
Gaustabanen
Funicular
Gaustabanen is a treat. You ride an underground funicular that was built for NATO during the Cold War (the purpose remains a mystery) and come out the other end on Gaustatoppen, a nearly 2000m-high mountain that (on a clear day) has a view over 1/6 of Norway!
This is not to be missed (unless the weather is bad). But you will need at least 2 hours – preferably 3-4 – to do this ride.
Vemork Museum
Museum
The museum at Vemork is famous for its presentation of Rjukan’s war history. During World War II, Vemork was the site of the Norwegian heavy water sabotage, where Norwegian saboteurs prevented the Germans from producing nuclear weapons from heavy water, which was produced here. The exhibits in the museum present the four heavy water sabotages and the allied efforts to develop a nuclear bomb.
During the war, the Nazis took over Norsk Hydro. German scientists discovered that uranium is useful for energy and weapons. Also, heavy water acts as a moderator in a reactor and contributes to the refining of uranium, suitable for atomic bombs. If you aren’t a science person, all that matters is that the Nazis were developing heavy water at Vemork in Norway for their atomic bomb.
Norwegian resistance members discovered this, and immediately set about sabotaging their operations. They launched several attacks on the facility. The most famous is the sabotage operation in winter 1943. While they were able to damage the facility, production soon continued. However, the Norwegians were able to destroy the boats leaving Rjukan via Mæl and thus halt the Nazi plans to export the heavy water back to Germany.
The museum is open throughout the year. You can find up-to-date information on their website:
Hardangervidda Nature Centre
Museum
The road follows the southernmost side of the Hardangervidda National Park, which is a popular place for hiking. In fact, there’s even a hiking trail where you can follow the route the resistance members took when they damaged the Vemork facility. The Hardangervidda National Park Centre contains maps and useful information if you want to set off on a hike. There’s also a cafe and small museum here.
Visit their website here: http://www.hardangerviddanasjonalparksenter.no
Vinje Municipality
Vinje municipality is a remote municipality with about 1.2 inhabitants per square kilometre. The municipality is located at the northern end of Telemark and extends into the Hardangervidda National Park.
Rauland Church
Historic Site
Rauland Church is a historic church site. In pre-Christian times, the site where the church is today was probably a pagan worshipping site. After the Christianisation of Norway, the site was replaced with a stave church. The stave church stood until 1801, when it was demolished to make way for the present church. Several famous people from Telemark are buried at the church, including Myllarguten (see below).
Several elements of the old stave church are in the building, such as two cast iron crucifixes from the 12th century, the church bell, collection box, baptismal dish and several candlesticks.
To get there, follows signs from Krossen. The church is 5.5km from the town on the Fv362 towards Haukeli.
Åmot
Village
Åmot is a small town with a population of 673. The word “Åmot” refers to two rivers meeting and is a common placename in Norway. Åmot is roughly halfway on the E134, so it is a popular stop with truck drivers and therefore also an important traffic hub.
Nesland Church
Historic Site
Nesland Church is a small wooden church from 1847 built in the Empire style. The old Nesland church was a stave church and it’s not sure when the church was built. In the Middle Ages, Nesland Church must’ve been a vigil church, where the congregation gathered every Midsummer night to keep vigil. In the 19th century, the church had become too small for the congregation, so a new church was built. This is common for almost all churches in Norway; in the 19th century a law was passed that a church must fit at least 30% of the congregation. Because of that, most stave churches were too small and therefore torn down.
Tokke Municipality
The municipality is located at the end of the Telemark Canal and the administrative centre is the end point for the scenic canal cruise.
Tokke has long traditions of exporting brynestone all the way back to the Viking Age. The stone is a sharpening stone. The stones from Tokke have been discovered in archaeological digs in many places in Northern Europe, including Iceland, Poland and England. Today the main industries are agriculture and forestry.
There used to be bears in the area, which is why the coat-of-arms is of a bear. Bears also feature in many local legends and stories from Tokke.
Dalen
Dalen is a short detour off the Fv38 but well worth visiting. Dalen is a small town located on the westernmost endpoint of the Telemark Canal. The Telemark Canal goes all the way to Skien on the coast of Norway – originally the canal was used for industry, but today it is more popular with tourists. When the canal was completed, it was referred to as the ‘eighth wonder’. Ferries were able to link Telemark with Oslo through the canal and then Oslofjord.
Dalen Hotel is a famous historic hotel; it is one of the best preserved hotels from the 1800s. The hotel was built with the opening of the Telemark Canal in 1892. When it opened, it became popular with European royals.During the occupation, it was a resort for German officers. Most of the interior was stripped and sold for parts. The building fell into disrepair.
After the war, the building was bought by singer and evangelist Aage Samuelsen. The hotel got a lot of attention and was restored in the 1980s. The hotel reopened in 1992. In 2000, the hotel won the Europa Nostra award for outstanding conservation. The architecture is a mix of Swiss chalet with national romanticism and Dragestil, a type of Norwegian architecture inspired by Viking and medieval art.
Eidsborg Stave Church
Historic Site/Museum
Eidsborg Stave Church is one of the 28 remaining stave churches in Norway. Built some time between 1250 and 1300, the church stands out for being one of the smallest stave churches. Additionally, it is an important pilgrimage church that gave way to its own cult in the old times! Eidsborg Stave Church is located on the hill above the village of Dalen, and today is part of the Vest Telemark Museum. A visit to the church also includes a look at the historic farm buildings from the region.
To get here, continue through Dalen and up the switchback road. Eidsborg Stave Church is 6km out of Dalen and has the address Museumsvegen 9, 3891 Høydalsmo
Skafså Church
Historic Site
Skafså Church is from 1839 and is known for its interior. The church used to have a crucifix, but the crucifix is now in a museum to preserve it. The crucifix shows the crucified Jesus with a king’s crown, i.e. not the usual crown of thorns. In the 1950s the church was restored. At the front of the choir are bridal chairs modelled after an old Renaissance chair from the former stave church, which was probably demolished in 1826 because it had fallen into disrepair.
Åmsdals Verk
Village
Åmdals Verk is a small village that grew up around the mining activities of Åmdals Verk Gruver, or the mines. The history of copper mines in Åmdal goes back to 1540, when King Christian III of Denmark/Norway sent German miners to Telemark to start mining. The first quarrywas called Moisesberg. The ore tunnels were founded in 1689. The copper mines have a complicated history with operations, shutdowns, and problematic owner.s The miners were the heart in an urbanised mountain village where the minter’s everyday life dependned on good ore deposits and political conditions outside Europe.
The museum building is located in a reconstruction of the old sjeide house.
The museum is called Åmdals Verk Gruver and has the address Åmdalsvegen 42A, 3882 Åmdals Verk and is located a few minutes out of town off the Fv38. Check the website for up-to-date opening hours: http://www.vtm.no
Kvitseid Municipality
Kviteseid is a municipality in the upper part of Telemark. The municipality has existed since the Middle Ages and was an important administrative centre in Telemark. Kviteseid was originally an agricultural community without any real urban development. The most important industries here are still agriculture and forestry, though tourism is on the rise.
Kviteseid is known for its distinctive cultural traditions, including folk music, arts and crafts, food and architecture. The dialect in Kviteseid is one of the Norwegian dialects that has preserved the most features from Norse and is close to the most conservative form of nynorsk.
Vrådal Church
Historic Site
Vrådal Church is a long church from 1886 that has space for 250 places. The pulpit, altar, baptismal font, brass candlesticks, altar foot and other furniture from the old church are in the current church. The previous church was from 1686 and was demolished when the new church was completed. There was likely a stave church here before then what would’ve been similar to Eidsborg Stave Church. The church from 1686 was likely the first octagonal church in Norway.
The church is located on the westbound side of the highway with the address Vråliosvegen 461, 3853 Vrådal
Drangedal Municipality
Drangedal municipality is largely a forest municipality with the industry centered around land and forestry. The municipality is seeing a declining population. Despite that, Drangedal is a known area for skiing and is home to the largest ski resort in Telemark called Gautefall. Drangedal has a large number of cabins because of the ski opportunities and proximity to larger cities. Drangedal was also one of the first municipalities to get full broadband coverage.
Prestestranda
Village
Prestestranda is the administrative centre and has a population of 1,300 people. The site was developed after the railway station was laid there when the Sørlandsbanen from Bø to Kragerø opened in 1927.
The Drangedal Bygdetun is an open-air museum with 19 historic buildings, most of which were gifts from the villagers. Drangedal Church is from 1773.
Kragerø Municipality
Kragerø municipality is a coastal community named after the town of the same name. In total, there are 495 island, islets and reefs and 4,000 holiday homes here, making Kragerø a popular summer destination for Norwegians. In fact, Kragerø was even referred to as “the peal among coastal towns” by Edvard Munch. More will be covered in the section about Kragerø town.
Kragerø
Kragerø is a well-known holiday destination for Norwegians. Located at the end of a peninsula between the Kilsfjorden and Hellefjorden, the town grew as an important harbour from the 16th century onwards. Timber was shipped from the forests Telemark out of Kragerø and onwards to Europe. The town’s business was characterised by timber exports, shipping and shipbuilding from then until the First World War, and at one point Kragerø was one of Norway’s largest shipping towns.
Continue the drive
Numedal Valley
The Numedal Valley will take you from Kongsberg up to the mountains of Western Norway.
Previous Drive
This drive is part of the multi-day series “Ultimate Norway”. You can read about the whole drive below.
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