In 60 seconds
UNESCO World Heritage industrial valley beneath Mount Gaustatoppen (1,883 m), celebrated for the Vemork heavy water sabotage of WWII, Krossobanen cable car, Sun Mirror (Solspeilet) and the wild reindeer plateau of Hardangervidda.
Best for
Known for
Skip if
You are looking for gentle seaside beaches rather than steep, shadow-cast mountain canyons and high alpine tundra.
Your match
Choose a few travel interests and we will show how well Rjukan & Hardangervidda fits them. Choose interests
See
The things that would make the trip incomplete without them.
Monumental 1911 power station and site of the legendary 1943 Norwegian commandos' heavy water sabotage
Cross the dramatic suspension bridge over the Måna gorge to walk the preserved heavy water basement and turbine hall.
Majestic cone-shaped peak from whose summit one-sixth of Norway's mainland can be seen on clear days
Hike from Stavsro (2.5 hours) or ride the unique Gaustabanen funicular railway tunnel inside the mountain to the summit ridge.
Northern Europe's first two-track aerial cable car, built in 1928 by Norsk Hydro as a winter sun gift to Rjukan factory workers
Ascend from the valley floor to Gvepseborg (886 m) for the panoramic Solstien trail onto the Hardangervidda plateau.
Eat
A short list, kept short on purpose. Each entry answers one question: when is this the right choice?
No booking, no ceremony, reliably good.
Historic 1893 stone mountain hut perched at 1,830 metres just below the summit of Gaustatoppen
Reward your climb with freshly baked Norwegian waffles and hot cocoa with views spanning one-sixth of Norway.
Comfortable valley restaurant in central Rjukan serving traditional Norwegian husmannskost, venison burgers and apple desserts
Convenient dining near the town square.
Too few picks yet for their own heading, so they share this list.
Rustic mountain dining room at Gaustablikk Høyfjellshotell serving Telemark game, mountain trout and flatbread
Relax by the fireplace after hiking or skiing.
Artisanal bakery in central Rjukan crafting sourdough loaves, cardamombuns and espresso
Fuel up before heading up the Krossobanen cable car.
Beyond the obvious
Less obvious, rarely queued for, and usually the part people remember.
Three 17-square-metre heliostat mirrors on the northern mountain crest tracking the sun to beam a 600-square-metre pool of light into Rjukan's market square in winter
Visit the town square between October and March to stand in the reflected sunbeam.
Award-winning interactive nature museum exploring Europe's largest wild reindeer herds, arctic flora and nomadic hunters
Explore the panoramic exhibitions overlooking Lake Møsvatn on the edge of the plateau.
Historic eight-kilometre mountain trail followed by the Norwegian commandos across Hardangervidda to infiltrate Vemork in 1943
Hike from Rjukan Fjellstue down through the steep gorge to Vemork.
After dark
Warm alpine lounge bar with floor-to-ceiling windows looking across Lake Kvitåvatn to Mount Gaustatoppen
Enjoy a craft beer or aquavit as the sun sets behind the peak.
Orientation
How the city is actually divided, and what each part is for.
Model company town laid out in 1907 by industrialist Sam Eyde with uniform stone and timber workers' quarters
The heart of UNESCO-listed company town architecture.
Alpine activity area between Lake Kvitåvatn and the foot of Gaustatoppen
Best for alpine skiing, mountain lodging and hiking trailheads.
Stay
Areas rather than hotels — pick the right one and the rest follows.
Historic mountain hotels, modern alpine apartments and cabins at the base of Gaustatoppen
Prime base for hiking and winter skiing.
Historic town hotels and guesthouses within the UNESCO industrial quarter
Best for visiting Vemork and museum walking tours.
Practical
Plan this trip — useful links
Context
Enough to make what you are looking at legible.
Industrialist Sam Eyde and physicist Kristian Birkeland harness the Rjukanfossen waterfall to build Vemork, then the world's largest power station, manufacturing nitrogen fertilizer.
Norwegian commandos led by Joachim Rønneberg execute Operation Gunnerside, sabotaging Nazi heavy-water production without a single casualty.
Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Further out
Worth a day if you have one to spare.
Norway's largest stave church and partner UNESCO industrial heritage city
Trace the connected Norsk Hydro industrial narrative back to Notodden.
Historic Victorian lock flights, passenger steamers and Dalen Hotel
Descend from the high plateau to the tranquil canal lakes.
