Telemark, Norway · Europe
Rjukan is worth a stop: 40 minutes from Sauland, 47km from Heddal Stave Church.
Rjukan is a town located in Telemark, Norway. With a population of 3,568, it is an important destination in Europe.
On a road trip, Rjukan sits in Norway, where you drive on the right. It's in the Europe/Oslo time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Rjukan to your route.
Rjukan (Norwegian: [ˈrʉ̀ːkɑn]) is a town in Tinn Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The town is also the administrative centre of Tinn Municipality. The town is located in the Vestfjorddalen valley between the lakes Møsvatn and Tinnsjå. The municipal council of Tinn declared town status for Rjukan in 1996. TheRead more
town is located about ten kilometres (six miles) to the west of the village of Miland and about 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the northwest of the village of Tuddal (in Hjartdal Municipality).
The 2.59-square-kilometre (640-acre) town has a population (2021) of 3,003 and a population density of 1,160 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,000/sq mi).
The town was essentially "built from scratch" due to the industrial developments by Norsk Hydro in the 1910s and 1920s. It got its name from the Rjukan Falls west of the town. At its peak, Rjukan was a significant industrial center in Telemark. It became a World Heritage Site under the name Rjukan–Notodden Industrial Heritage Site on 5 July 2015. The town is perhaps best known for the heavy water sabotage operations at the local Vemork hydroelectric power plant during World War II.
Rjukan does not get any direct sunlight between September and March because the low sun is blocked by the tall Gaustatoppen mountain located directly to the south. In 2013, at a cost of 5 million kr, an art project called the Sunmirror in Rjukan built several large mirrors on the northern mountainside above the town to reflect the Sun down into the town during these dark months. The mirrors illuminate a small portion of the town square each day.
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Rjukan offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Rjukan is located in Telemark, Norway, Europe. The coordinates are 59.8789 latitude, 8.5941 longitude.
Rjukan has a population of approximately 3,568 people, making it a town in Norway.
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Essential numbers in Norway
Many toll roads use automatic plate recognition (AutoPASS). Headlights required at all times.
Full driving guide for Norway2 notable places within an hour's drive.
museum
The 1911 Vemork power plant outside Rjukan, target of the WWII heavy-water sabotage raids that crippled the Nazi atomic programme, now the Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum. Part of the Rjukan–Notodden UNESCO site.
6 km · about 10 min drive
cathedral
Norway's largest stave church, a triple-naved wooden cathedral raised around 1200 and still the parish church of Notodden. Its tiered shingled roofs rise like a dark pagoda beside route E134 through Telemark.
47 km · about 55 min drive
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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