Folldal Mine

The Folldal mines are located at a high altitude in the Dovre region on the western border of Hedmark county, about 120 km. north of Lillehammer. The civic centre of the community is 712.5 m. above sea level, the highest in Norway. Copper ore was discovered in the area by Ole Husun in 1745, and copper mining was commenced by the company called Fredrik Gaves Verk three years later. The mines proved profitable and continued in production until 1878. Extraction was revived in 1906 by a company which introduced new technology, building a power station and setting up an aerial ropeway some 34 km. long. The principal mine ceased working in 1941 but some smaller-scale extraction continued until 1993. The Stiftelsen Folldal Gruver (Folldal Mines Trust, or SFG) was established in 1988 to ensure the preservation of the area’s mining heritage. The surviving monuments include some 70 buildings, including the home of the director of the mines, some workers’ cottages, a bakery and the mine workshops, and there are extensive waste tips. The lofty headstock of the mine still stands, and visitors are able to travel by train 600m. underground. The mine at Folldal serves as one of the five visitor centres in the Rondane National Park, established in 1962. It offers an exhibition ‘From Mine to National Park’ which links the industrial history of the area with its ecology. There is a geological garden where rocks and minerals can be displayed and the centre is the starting point for a series of trails.

Folldal Mine
Folldal Gruver
2580 Folldal
Norway
+47 (0) 62 - 490505
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