Tour suggestions: UNESCO World Heritage, the industrial adventure at Rjukan and Gaustatoppen

From Vrådal, you drive in magnificent scenery on local roads to Rauland and further up along Møsvatn, Scandinavia’s largest lake located over 900 meters above sea level.
Further, the road goes past Rjukanfossen and further down to the power station at Vemork and the Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum where you can experience Norwegian industrial history and learn more about the heavy water action.
The heavy water action came about as a result of Norsk Hydro extracting hydrogen for fertilizer production at Vemork and heavy water was a by-product of this production.
At the Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum at Vemork you can visit both the power station, the world’s largest power station with tiled floors and the heavy water cellar.
Further from Vemork you drive past Gaustatoppen, Telemark’s highest mountain with a height of 1883 meters above sea level and on towards Tuddal before the road goes back to Straand Hotel.

Detailed Description:

Take Rv 41 from Vrådal to Brunkeberg and E 134 past Morgedal with “Norwegian
Ski Adventure” to Høydalsmo on a narrow county road to Øyfjell, Longvik and to Austbø near Rauland. Fv 37 through the beautiful Raulandsbygda, over the high mountains (highest point 1050 masl) with magnificent views over the southeastern part of Hardangervidda to Møsvannsdammen. Down through the steep Vestfjord valley, with a stop after the first tunnel with an overview of
the Saboteur route from World War 2, as well as a look down into the sucking Maristi gorge.
From there to Vemork with its war history and the Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum, which is in the old power plant, known from the heavy water action in 1943. Before Rjukan, there is the opportunity for a trip with the Krossobanen to an impressive view of the city and the surrounding mountain world. Rjukan, which Sam Eyde built from the ground up when he created Norsk Hydro-elekt Knitrogencompagnie, today’s Norsk Hydro. Up towards Gaustatoppen (1883 masl, Telemark’s highest mountain) with opportunities to take the Gaustabanen up to the top – inside the mountain! Continue to Tuddal with Knut Buen and Buens Amfi and drive through Tuddal to Sauland, from there the E 134 through Flatdal. We recommend a coffee stop at Nutheim guesthouse, which is known for good homemade food and the use of local food. On to the center of Seljord with a church from the 1100s. Outside the church, Anne Grimdalen’s monument to the priest and hymn writer M. B. Landstad and the Sterke-Nils stone of 570 kg that was once lifted by the legendary giant. Own summer exhibition and Dyrsku’n in September! To Brunkeberg and Rv 41 back to Vrådal.
Full-day trip: approx. 240 km.