Things to do in Rjukan - many famous attractions
Gaustatoppen rises majestically over Rjukan. The city which is world famous for the "heavy water sabotages", is on UNESCO's world heritage list and has become world famous for the sun mirror!
Rjukan is for many known to be without the sun in winter. This has made the conditions optimal for ice climbing. But now giant mirrors are installed on the mountainside. The mirrors reflect the rays of the sun and send them down to Rjukan market square.
100 years ago, Sam Eyde had the idea of the sun mirror, but not the technology. Krossobanen was instead built to carry sunhungry inhabitants up to the mountain, and the sun.
Sam Eyde is perhaps best known for founding of Rjukan and Norwegian Hydro. Fertilizers were produced, and Rjukan grew from a farming community to a large urban community in a few years. Vemork, the world's largest power station was built. The by-product of hydrogen gas was heavy water. Today Vemork Power station is a museum, The Norwegian Industrial Workers' Museum.
Rjukan is on UNESCO's world heritage list based on the story of water converted into electricity on its way from the mountains to the sea, the electrical power that creates the basis for process industries and jobs to the people, the story of the rise of the welfare state, Norway; - from the poorest to richest in 100 years.
Nature has given us Mt.Gaustatoppen, South Norway's highest mountain. The summit is easy to reach, and if you're not able to hike to the top by your own, the Gaustabanen can carry you to the top.
Tinn municipality has several viable communities: Miland, Tinn Austbygd, Atrå, Tessungdalen and Hovin. Several villages have preserved the rich cultural traditions of music, rose painting, costume stitching, and knife work. Several mountain pastures farms offer a taste of local traditional food and also produces for sale.