The Cobalt Mines and the Kittelsen Museum
Blaafarveværket consists of a number of cultural monuments that convey an important phase in Norwegian industrial history. In the 1840s, Blaafarveværket was Norway's largest mining operation with significant exports to the world in general and Europe in particular.
The Cobalt Mines and the Kittelsen Museum is located on the Skuterud Ridge and extends over an area of 3 kilometers. It was here that cobalt ore was first discovered in 1772, forming the basis for the Cobalt Works. This unique cultural landscape was shaped by the miners who took out millions of tons of rock by hand. The area has been well-designed for excursions and is easily accessible.
The Director of cultural heritage in Norway Hanna Geiran stated the following on 21 May 2022: "It [Blaafarveværket] is a very important place in Norwegian history - and also international history. […] It was long forgotten, this industrial adventure. It has been brought forward, and precisely the fact that we are celebrating and celebrating the discovery of cobalt is incredibly interesting - and it is important that more people gain knowledge about it."
Historical Mining Tour in the Cobalt Mines
Our most popular guided tour, Historical Mining in the Cobalt Mines, is packed with history and excitement and is best suited for children and adults from 10 years and up. Highlights on the tour include walking over a “floating” glass floor and 32-meter-long underground suspension bridge—the first in Norway!
Opening hours
2026
| Season opening 9 May |
An eight-kilometer drive on the old Malmveien from Blaafarveværket is the start of this adventure up on the hill. The ore road was built in 1836 to transport ore from the Cobalt Mines down to the Blaafarveværket, and was at one time one of the country's busiest roads.
Today, the road follows the exact same route as when it was built, and along the way you can see both the beautiful cultural landscape and the "troll" in Overnskreia. The cobalt mines, which in the middle of the 19th century were Norway's largest workplace, are a fantastic area that reveals itself when you get up. It just has to be experienced.
If you are going to visit the Cobalt Mines, and we hope you do, we recommend setting aside an entire day. There is so much to see and do, simply!
Take your starting point in Gruvekroa on Gruvetråkka. Here you get all the information you need, you can buy tickets for guided tours in the Cobalt Mines - and we serve homemade food that can be enjoyed both outside and inside.
