Blaafarveværket Rundt
The culture trail around Haugfossen waterfall is a tour through an exciting heritage environment with authentic technical heritage sites, viewpoints and several information signs along the way.
Facts:
| Length | app. 1,2 km |
The tour runs through Blaafarveværket, along the south side of the falls up to Haugfosstråkka and over the Haugfoss Bridge before following the old Malmveien down the north side of the falls to the “Engineers house” and the ferry quay, where you can cross the Simoa by raft and return to Blaafarveværket. PS! The raft over Simoa is unfortunately out of service. Work is underway on a new fleet.
The water course displays how water enters Blaafarveværket. Haugfossen was the power source and there was a separate water inflow to Blaafarveværket, where it was used in the smelting process. You can follow the water course from the beautiful vantage point at Haugfossen and all the way across to the new vantage point over Blaafarveværket. And from there you get another perspective of the entire area.
Along the way, you pass through the old stone walls behind the grain mill, which also used water power from Haugfossen.
Haugfoss
At Haugfoss the more than 300 years old The General Store, Madame Reiffs shop and Thranestua café where you can enjoy a well-deserved waffle or pancake during the trip, is located.
The Haugfoss Bridge was built in 1837 as part of the streamlining of Blaafarveværket’s operations. Over the years, the Haugfoss Bridge has been modernised several times. In 2015 the bridge was be “put back” to how it looked more than 150 years ago. The Upper Haugfoss Crushing Plant was located on the north side of the waterfall and received ore from the Cobalt Mines. The large water wheel (6 metres diameter) drove the large pistons that crushed the ore.
If you continue on down below the Crusher, you arrive at SøndreDalen where the old ladders house has been restored. One of its residents was Thora Dalen, who was Edvard Munch’s model for his painting Morgen (Morning) in 1884. From here you can cross back over the Simoa to Blaafarveværket by raft. Then you have completed the Haugfossen Rundt rund tour.
The trail is steep in places and we recommend that people with limited mobility bring a companion with them along the culture trail. Electric wheelchairs are recommended. Unfortunately, the raft is not wheelchair accessible. The raft can not be used when there is flooding or strong currents.
PS! Did you know that The Norwegain Trekking Association hiking route to the Koboltkoia hut starts here?
