Norwegian Mining Museum

Kongsberg

The Norwegian Mining Museum is a historic museum about the mining history of Kongsberg town and Norway. After the discovery of silver in 1623, the minting of Norwegian Speciedalers moved from Copenhagen to Kongsberg and coins minted there bear the crossed hammers mintamark.

The museum holds many collections: mining tools, weaponry, coin, minerals, maps and blueprints.

Reviews

4/54/54/54/54/5 Interesting museum

By T0r on September 1, 2021

The Norwegian Mining Museum certainly has a lot different, including a display of Norwegian coins. Unfortunately I personally feel the information about the coins themselves is limited, although you learn a lot about the minting process. On another note most of the informational signs are only in Norwegian (foreign tourists will therefore find it hard to understand much).

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Reviews from Google

See at Google: Norwegian Mining Museum (423 ratings: 4.5/5)

5/55/55/55/55/5

By Barbara ELSE on January 10, 2023

Great place to visit- perfect family day out! It’s FREE to get in on Tuesdays! Plus it’s more than just a mining museum: there’s a ski jumping museum and a section on the Royal Mint and coins of Norway too included on site… AND also a geology & science section, a kids climbing area and a war museum downstairs! I never expected all that! My kids aged 10 and 14 really enjoyed it!

4/54/54/54/54/5

By john thomas on August 27, 2022

Free parking. Ear plugs given out due to 28 minute round trip by noisy railway. Remember warm clothing as 6c temperature inside.

Don't see much other than some tunnels and two lifts. But guide said you can hire some special exploration or big dining room inside for parties. No silver visible. Guide said 600kg lump once found, had to be split in order to get it up in daylight as 1 km deep mine. Part of this is on exhibit in mining museum.

Nice guide, not boring. I went with the Norwegian language one, Johannes.

Hard hats given, so you don't hit your head in occasional low ceiling.

History of most mines found 400 years ago, involves two kids and an animal it sounded like.

Real history of discovery, is that locals that found the mine were arrested as all silver belonged to the king, and they were found trying to sell silver.

First, the long hired 300 Germans used to mining in soft stone, now they could only do 10cm per month due to hard gneis rock. But they discovered use of heat to crack the stone at 500c, so tunnels were full of smoke and deadly CO, until dynamite arrived.

Mine is now flooded as water pumps are turned off. But no water at tourist level. Using latters, it took 45 minutes to descend, then 15 minutes with invention of lifts.

Shut down due to low profits, half of all silver has been mined. Age 3 lower age limit.

4/54/54/54/54/5

By Bhushan Joshi on June 17, 2018

Wow it was very nice to be there.Dont forget to visit mine after that.The in bulit prototype mine is amazing.Nice things to buy between 40 to150 krones

5/55/55/55/55/5

By Wolfram Kuerschner on September 28, 2021

Excellent exhibition about mining history in Kongberg and related industries

4/54/54/54/54/5

By Kjell Harald Lund on September 19, 2020

This museum is an interesting museum about Norwegian minting and the silver mines which provides the material of the coin.