Modum: Mining History, Culture and Nature
Accommodation in Modum
Modum combines impressive traces of mining with cultural trails, nature and a unique winter sports destination: the Vikersund Ski Jumping Centre. Around the cobalt mines, trails and historic sites tell the story of mining; at Tyrifjord and on Øya, water and landscape take centre stage. This means you can choose different themes for your stay – from industrial heritage and hiking trails to ski flying.
Discover mining history along the trails
The cobalt mines and the Kittelsen Museum extend for 3 km along the Skuterud ridge. Two cultural trails, Nordgruvene Rundt and Sydgruvene Rundt, pass large open-pit mines and rock heaps. Viewpoints offer panoramic views of Tyrifjord and Vikersundbakken. The circular route around the open-pit mines passes through a cultural landscape shaped by human activity for over 120 years, from 1773 to 1893. Visitors can see the open-pit mines up close and look across the mining complex to Tyrifjord.
The trails also vary in length and theme: the cultural trail in Gruveåsen is 4 km long and leads to ten former settlement sites. Another marked trail runs for 11 km from Haugfoss to the unstaffed DNT tourist cabin Koboltkoia near the northern mines. Those interested in an underground experience can take the historic mining tour, which features a walkable suspended glass floor and a 32-metre-long underground suspension bridge – the first of its kind in Norway. The tour is suitable for children and adults aged 10 and over.
The Blaafarveværket Rundt trail climbs from the Værket at Haugfossen, crosses the bridge and descends along Malmveien, passing the quarry with its waterwheel before reaching Stigerboligen. Viewpoints and information boards line the trail. At Nyfossum, the family-friendly Skogstien has information boards about forestry, hunting and outdoor life.
Vikersund, ski flying and water
Vikersund Ski Jumping Centre is Norway’s official national ski-flying centre. Its K-200 large hill has a hill size, or HS, of 240 metres and is the only ski-flying hill in the Nordic countries. This offers a clear contrast for planning your trip: Modum has both a distinctive ski sports destination and trails that reveal how people lived and worked in the past.
In summer, Tyrifjord is used for swimming, boating and relaxation. On Øya, a wheelchair-accessible trail runs from the centre of Vikersund to the end of the recreational area. There you’ll find several types of vegetation and an area rich in birdlife. A historic walking trail on Øya uses 14 information boards to explain Modum’s industrialisation, milling and timber floating. At Bergsjø, a trail follows the lakeshore; tables and benches offer views of the water. This makes it a good choice for visitors interested in water or landscapes, rather than a trip focused on mining sites.
Cultural heritage and getting around
Among the historic attractions is Heggen Church, a listed medieval building. Originally built in the early 13th century in the Romanesque style, it was constructed from local limestone. Gamle Kirkevei leads from the centre of Vikersund through an old cultural landscape to the church; information boards cover local place names and history. Furumo and Brunesmoane also preserve traces from much earlier times: there are 6,000-year-old rock carvings, prehistoric pitfall traps dating to around 2000 BC, medieval charcoal pits and iron-smelting sites, as well as more recent charcoal kilns. The Katfoss rock carvings are one of four hunting-carving sites in Buskerud and one of ten such sites in Eastern Norway.
Another circular trail, Nymoen Rundt, shows how people lived at Blaafarveværket. Blaafarveværket offers free parking at all its sites; free charging stations for electric cars are also available at the Værket. To get there, Blaafarveværket recommends taking the train to Hokksund, then bus lines 100/101 to Åmot bus station and line 105 onwards to Blaafarveværket. You can choose your holiday apartment based on whether you mainly want to explore trails and cultural sites, or would also like to use this recommended connection.
To get your bearings in Modum, you can also visit Vikersund and Åmot.
For the wider travel overview: Buskerud.
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