Anne Grimdalen Memorial Museum is a district museum.
Grimdalstunet, the farm where the sculptress grew up lies at Skafså on
highway 45 just where the road begins its climb up to the mountain pass to
Setesdal. The farmyard has storehouses dating back to medieval times. Nearby
a modern museum building housing many of Anne Grimdalen's works has been
built by the townspeople. The exhibits range from plaster casts to original
animal sculpture and portrait busts. Exhibitions of the works of
contemporary Norwegian artists are held every summer.
The Dalen Hotel, or the "Establishment," as it once was known, is one of the few hotels in
"Swiss style" still standing in its original form. It was finished in 1894.
The public rooms include a magnificent lobby and dining salon. This monument
to the golden age of passenger traffic on the Telemark Canals is undergoing
an extensive program of restoration.
Eidsborg Stave Church lies on highway 45 between Dalen between Dalen and Høydalsmo. It was built
sometime during the 1200's. Until 1850
a figure representing St. Nicolas of Bari, patron saint of travelers, hung
in the church. It was reputed to work wonders and pilgrimages were made to
the church from miles around. The church was enlarged both in 1826 and 1845.
The wall paintings and borders date from 1604 and 1649.
"The Church Cottage", next to Eidsborg church, was built in the 1800's and formerly used as a
schoolhouse and a meeting place.
The Lårdal Bygdetun (District Museum) was created by silversmith Eivind Tveiten and his wife, Hæge. The museum is built around
the two Vindlaus farms, both of which stand on
their original sites. These have been supplemented with buildings
usually found on a farm. There are 22 different buildings on the museum
grounds. The oldest building has a runic inscription which has been dated to
1300. In addition a modern museum building has been built to house the
unique collections. The contrast formed by the Stave Church, the Church
Cottage, and the District Museum is remarkable not only to Telemark, but to
the country as a whole.
Eidsborg Whetstone Quarry is the oldest industrial establishment in Norway. The quarry was started in
the Viking Age and continued to be worked until after World War II. In
addition to normal use for sharpening knives, the stones were also used as
throwing weapons. Whetstone was the first product to be shipped down the
Telemark waterway for export. The quarry has always meant an extra income
for it owners. All were local people who met once a year at a "stone-parliment"
to decide just how much stone was to be taken out that year.
Mo Church was build on the site of a former stave church. It was consecrated in 1839
and restored in 1960. The altarpiece from the stave church, restored by
artists
Henrik
Sørensen, Harald Kihle and Finn Krafft, was placed in the newer church. A
15th-century crucifix and a chandelier from 1766, also from the stave
church, were also installed in the new church. It is the burial place of the
folksinger Torbjørg Ripilen, who preserved medieval ballads and related them
to other folklorists.
The Ravne Gorge (Ravnejuvet) is at the end of a hiking path leading from the District Museum. This is an
impressive lookout point at the edge of a 200-meter cliff. If you throw a
light object such as paper or a handkerchief over the cliff, the rising air
currents will bring it right back to you again. The gorge can be reached by
car, taking the side road from Liosvingen to Gøytil.
The Tokke Hydroelectric Plant is one of northern Europe's
largest power plants with a production of some 440,000 kilowatts. It
utilizes the fall from Lake Vinje to Lake Bandak Lake Bandak (394 meters).
The plant is built into the mountain about 800 meters south of the boat
wharf. It is open for group tours by appointment.
Høydalsmo Church dates back to about 1750.
Aamdals Verk Mining Museum offers
exhibits and guided mine shaft tours. Mining activities were carried on in
Telemark from 1540 to 1945.
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