There are only 20,000 inhabitants in Kongsberg today, but for 300 years it was Norway's silver town. The mines are now closed.
The region of Telemark put another town on the Norwegian map: Rjukan. This was the site for Norway's entrance into modern technology, with hydroelectric power. "Heavy water" made this town very important during the World War II, and the film "The heroes of Telemark" made it famous, dramatizing the sabotage of the factory which thwarted German efforts to develop an atomic bomb.
The Mines of Kongsberg are 8 kilometers (5 miles) outside Kongsberg, toward Notodden. Guided mine tours include a 2.3 kilometer (1.4 miles) ride on the mine train into Kongsgruvene (The King's mines) and a ride on the first personnel elevator. The trip takes more than an hour, and it is quite chilly down there, about 7 C (43 F).
Telemark is the birthplace of skiing as we know it today [read an article about this], as well as the birthplace of many ancestors to Norwegian-Americans, for the poor farmers of the region were among the first to emigrate to the United States during the 19th century.
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From the silver mines at Kongsberg,
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From the silver mines at Kongsberg,
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 Elgsjø, close to Notodden - 68 KB
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