Cobalt mines - an underground Eldorado for everyone!
How exciting was it as a child if you came across a cave or grotto in nature? Then you had to explore as far as you dared. As adults, your curiosity lives on, but do you explore further?
the Cobalt Mines is the place to quench your curiosity. And we're not talking about a small cave or grotto. This Swiss cheese of a mining system from the 17th and 19th centuries is today Northern Europe's best preserved visitor mine. It's not often that you can literally step into 250 years of industrial history. After the discovery of cobalt ore in 1772, an industrial adventure of epic proportions unfolded that would leave its mark in every corner of the world.
The adventure in Skuterudåsen ended in 1898, but today the adventure lives on. When you put on your helmet and the guide opens the doors to Forhåpningsstollen, Clara Stoll and Ludvig Eugen Stoll, an underground eldorado awaits.
Three different tours, suitable for all generations, are on the menu. Historical Mining Tour is universally designed and provides insight into a history that fascinates both young and old. As soon as you enter the doors of Clara Stoll, you'll feel a little cold blast from the past. With a temperature of around 5 degrees throughout the year, you immediately get the feeling of being underground.
1.5 hours of exciting history, told while you're in the middle of it, is an experience of a lifetime.
Spectacular spice
Although the mines are very well preserved, that hasn't stood in the way of some modern and spectacular spices. A floating glass floor and a 32-metre-long suspension bridge give visitors the opportunity to get even closer to the handiwork that was mining. 400 metres inside and 50 metres below ground in the Cobalt Mines is the glass floor of the Edvard Shaft, the first of its kind in the Nordic region. When the shaft was cleared, an original wooden floor from 19th century mining was discovered 20 metres down. But how was it to be displayed? That's when director Tone S. Steinsvik had an idea: How about laying a glass floor in mid-air? After a joint venture with local businesses, it became possible - and you can now step right out into the shaft.
Some people get a pit in their stomach when they see the wooden floor 20 metres below them, but there's no reason to feel unsafe. The structure is built and carefully tested to withstand the weight of eight tonnes (!).
As if the underground glass floor wasn't exciting enough, a 32-metre-long suspension bridge inside the Cobalt Mines is also ready to guide visitors through Glück Auf Strosse, exactly where the cobalt ore was extracted.
Now it's the children's turn
It goes without saying that children should have their own tour of the Cobalt Mines. Too many dates, names and history are not always captivating for the little ones. But when the guide focuses on the little ones and the mountain's treasures, cobalt flowers, minerals, goblins and elves are on the agenda, the little ones' eyes light up.
On children's mining trip you can bring your pram and the rest of the family for an exciting hour through the hope tunnel and into the open-cast mines. You could say it's the best of both worlds, as mining was carried out as open-cast mining, under the open sky, before underground tunnels were made into the precious cobalt ore when technology and methods allowed.
Into the depths!
It's almost impossible to describe the dimensions in words when you get to mining safaris that goes into the heart of the Cobalt Mines. We're talking about a three-hour hike, a kilometre into the mountain and an altitude difference of 80 metres. Stairs, ladders, platforms and plateaus have been built to make this experience possible.
There are halls so big they could house cathedrals, rock formations the size of "whale fish" and 200-year-old logs with dimensions that make it hard to understand how they managed to create this.
A mine safari is a unique experience, and with atmospheric lighting of beautiful rock formations and deep shafts, don't leave your mobile camera outside.
The mining safari is a full package, a total experience if you will. And with three hours underground, it's pretty amazing to see daylight again when you come out. That's when Blaafarveværket's famous waffles taste extra good too.
You can book tickets here on the website.
