Rjukan
Norway · Telemark · 180 m
Description
Rjukan is a historic industrial town in the narrow Vestfjord Valley of Telemark and part of the UNESCO-listed Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site. The town is known for its dramatic setting between steep mountains, which block direct sunlight for several months in winter, and its three giant sun mirrors, installed in 2013 to reflect sunlight onto the market square. The monumental Vemork power station, now home to the Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum, recalls the region’s hydropower industry and the famous heavy-water sabotage during World War II. The Krossobanen cable car and nearby Gaustatoppen offer sweeping views across Telemark’s spectacular mountain landscape.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 3 days (optimal 2 days)
Travel season
Best time to visit: June – July
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Vemork hydroelectric plant & Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum
- Gaustatoppen summit hike
- Krossobanen cable car
- Sun mirrors (Solspeilet) above the market square
- WWII heavy water sabotage sites
- Rjukan rock climbing (May - September)
- Vestfjorddalen valley
- Gaustabanen mountain cable car
- Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage (UNESCO)
- Mæl railway ferry and railway heritage
- Rjukanfossen waterfall
- Månafossen waterfall(Day trip)
- Hardangervidda National Park(Day trip)
- Gaustatoppen winter skiing (November - April)
- Krossobanen winter hiking and viewpoints (December - March)
- Rjukan ice climbing (December - March)