Site visited April 2017. Rjukan – Notodden industrial heritage site is located in the beautiful Norwegian landscape. Sometimes I found the landscapes more interesting than the industrial values. This site needs a bit of background research to really understand it.

There are plenty of industrial sites around Nordic countries. Some of them have been inscribed already: Falun, Engelsberg, Røros and Verla. The first question I had, what makes just this site worth of World Heritage status? What qualities it has that the other uninscribed Nordic industrial sites don’t have?

I had a business trip to Oslo so I decided to make a short side trip to Rjukan and Notodden after my duties. I travelled to Rjukan by bus. The trip took 3,5 hours. I stayed overnight in a small hostel just beside the river and Såheim power plant.

It was a sunny spring morning when I started to explore the city of Rjukan. The first thing I noticed already the previous night was nearby Såheim power plant with its robust grey stone exterior and towers. It is impressive especially during night when it is beautifully lit. It was a nice weather so I decided to walk along the river Måna all the way from Rjukan to Vemork power station and Rjukanfossen waterfall. The trip by foot takes about an hour. Along the route there are lots of original factory buildings from the early 20th century. Lately some of them have been converted to offices and workshop spaces. I think Vemork power station is one of the most important single sites in this WHS so I highly recommend to do this long detour. Vemork power station, which was the world's biggest hydroelectric power plant when it was completed, is really imposing building at its location high above the river valley. The Rjukanfossen waterfall must have been very impressive when there was water flowing but nowadays it is a bit sad sight. It is easy to spend a whole day in Rjukan especially if you walk to Vemork and visit Krosso aerial cableway for nice views over the valley and the town.

I made only a short stop at Notodden so I don't have that comprehensive impression about it. I found the industrial sites in Notodden less interesting than the ones in Rjukan although the town itself seemed more vibrant than sleepy Rjukan. Old factory area is just beside the bus and railway stations so you cannot miss it. The factory buildings didn’t look inviting and most of them are currently used for some small industry, storage and office purposes. I walked via Tinfos power plants to the workers housing area and then back to the factory area. After a short exploring I headed by train back to Oslo airport.

Back to my original question, what makes this complex and geographically large site worth of WHS status. I guess it is mainly the pioneering industrial development related to extensive use of hydroelectric power and the ground-breaking methods to produce artificial fertilizer. The problem is that if you are not an expert on these particular technical methods and substances, the outstanding universal industrial values could seem a bit obscure. Fortunately there are some 'easier' things to understand like the urban communities totally built by this industry for its needs and the innovative transport system between Rjukan and Notodden. In any case, this is a worthwhile inscription if you think it from the 'filling the gaps' perspective that Els mentioned in her review. I think Rjukan – Notodden is comparable to Falun for its qualities and general significance although it is not that well known.

As a nature lover I have a bit mixed feelings for this kind of site. Basically it is all about how man has exploited and altered the nature for its needs. I really like Norway’s untouched nature so I had hard time seeing dry Rjukanfossen waterfall, dams that block the rivers, pipelines that direct water to the power stations and so on. But these things have been done a hundred years ago so there is nothing you can do about it.

It is always a pleasure to visit Norway as I really like its nature, dramatic landscapes and lovely wooden houses. Although especially Rjukan is an interesting little town, the outstanding universal value for just the industrial places is a bit hard to notice without acquiring some background information. But of course there are certain factors that make this site special in the industrial category. I think they should brand this site better and make it clear for visitors why these places are important enough for earning WHS status. All in all, I had nice time visiting the site but it being a WHS is not that self-evident for me.