Blaafarveværket

The mines were first opened in 1773 to extract cobalt, a material used to create dyes for the ceramic and glass industries.

The beginning of the end

With the onset of the crisis in 1848, and the brutal competition from the new, cheaper synthetic dyes, Blaafarveværket went bankrupt, and in 1847 stopped producing pigment. The mines barely survived until the year 1898 and were soon ordered to close their doors for the last time.

Years later, in 1978, Blaafarveværket reopened and became an enormous open-air museum that allows those who visit to discover the old cobalt mines.

A stroll around Blaafarveværket

The first part of the museum is the lovely town that was built to house the workers of the mines. It contains 2 restaurants and some small shops and is a real pleasure to walk around its streets enclosed by the surrounding mountains.

The museum offers guided visits to discover mines by touring the impressive landscapes from which the cobalt was once extracted, as well as learning how the mines used to work.

If you have time and a car...

Blaafarveværket is an interesting visit but it's important to keep in mind that it's quite far from Oslo, so you need time for your visit. Due to its distance outside of the city, you'll need a car to reach the site.

At the tourist office, and on their official website, it says it's possible to make the trip by public transport from Oslo but we don't recommend this option.