Rjukan — the town between the mountains

Rjukan was built in the early 20th century around hydropower and industry. Norsk Hydro established itself in the valley to harness the power of the Rjukanfossen waterfall, and the entire town grew almost overnight — complete with workers' housing, a hospital, a cinema, and a church. In 2015, the Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an outstanding example of an industrial community from the first half of the 20th century.

The town lies deep in the Vestfjorddalen valley, surrounded by steep mountainsides. For half the year — from September to March — the town has no direct sunlight as it lies in shadow. This inspired both Krossobanen (Northern Europe's first cable car, opened in 1928 so workers could get up into the sun) and the modern Sun Mirror, which since 2013 reflects sunlight down into the town square.

Today, Rjukan is a popular destination for those who want to experience both world-class Norwegian nature and one of the most important stories from World War II — the Heavy Water sabotage at Vemork.

At Vemork — just outside Rjukan — some of the world's first Heavy Water was produced. During World War II, Germany occupied the plant to produce Heavy Water for its nuclear weapons program. The Norwegian resistance movement, together with the British SOE, carried out one of the most daring sabotage operations of the war in 1943 — Operation Gunnerside — which prevented the German development of an atomic bomb.

Today, the Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum is located at Vemork, where you can experience the dramatic history at the very site where it happened. The museum is ranked as one of Norway's best.