While humans have put manure of fields for millenia, it was never fully understood why that actually worked. It was in the 19th century that a German chemist, Justus von Liebig, showed the benefits of plant nutrients; he is referred to as the "father of the fertilizer industry". The initial fertilizer used in the 19th century was guano which had to be imported from South America and which had limited availability. So, plenty of researchers were looking for a way to produce fertilizers instead of mining them.

At the beginning of the 20th century a Norwegian chemist, Kristian Birkeland, developed a process, the Birkeland-Eyde Process, named after him and his business partner, Sam Eyde. The process required loads of energy and they set about to use hydropower to commercialize it. The first factory was at Notodden close to a hydropower plant. A company town grew around it. Eventually, the energy consumption exceeded what was available at Notodden and production was shifted up into the mountains to Rjukan where more hydropower was available. In the process, the whole landscape between Notodden and Rjukan was transformed. A railway including a rail ferry had to be built, several factories, a company town, hydropower plants... The scope of the business venture is mind boggling. In the end, though, the Birkeland-Eyde process fell out of use. The Bosch-Haberer process required less energy and is what is in use nowadays.

I had the pleasure to have Randi and Svein take me to the site. We started in Notodden, where we also visited the villa on the hill. Then we went to the local hydropower plant. On our way to Rjukan, we stopped at the first ferry terminal and then went all the way to the upper lake at Rjukan where we had a great Norwegian BBQ overlooking the beautiful landscape. Thanks to Randi and Svein!

The highlight of the visit is the Vemork plant where we went after lunch. Stunningly located on the waterfall, it's a huge plant and the factory hall is impressive. We then stopped in Rjukan and took a look around in the company town. Last stop, was a visit to the other ferry terminal. It was a long day, but there simply is so much to see.

Getting There

Getting to Notodden from Oslo is fairly straightforward. The bus station you are aiming for is Notodden skysstasjon which is right in the center of the WHS. Trip takes around 2h. Be sure to check the schedule, though, as departure times and connections may fluctuate wildly depending the weekday. Worst day is Saturday. In Notodden, all sites are reachable by foot and I would recommend starting your visit here as it's the oldest part of the inscription.

From Notodden, you can take a bus to Rjukan. The route follows the core zone. Without your own transport, though, you will probably not be able to visit the stops along the way (ferry terminal, railway station).

To get up to to Vemork in Rjukan, you can catch another bus. So, it's feasible as a day trip using public transport. I was lucky to have Svein and Randi take me by car which is the best option :)

While You Are There

A visit to Heddal Stave Church is a must. It's a bigger stave church than Urnes, very different in feel. It would be a great addition to the list. It's along the bus route, so you should be able to add a stop here.