The industrial towns of Rjukan and Notodden are Norway’s most recent addition to the World Heritage List. The site was included on the UNESCO list in 2015, and Norway’s Crown Prince Haakon celebrated the occasion with an official ceremony in 2018.
Pioneering work took place in this part of Telemark in the early 20th century, when the transition from coal to hydropower played a key role in what is known as "the second industrial revolution" in northern Europe.
Dams, tunnels, power plants, railways and ferries are the surviving structures of an industrial adventure that took place in Norway’s extraordinary natural environment.
The largest power plants of the time were located in the remote Vestfjorddalen valley, west of Rjukan. The transportation system developed here also contributed to an international model for the operation of electric railways.
