Heddal Stave Church
Norway's largest stave church, built in the Middle Ages (probably the 13th century) near Notodden. It is still a parish church; tours in summer.
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Telemark: what to see, where to go
Between coast and high plateaus: stave churches, a canal and UNESCO-listed industrial heritage.
Information checked on 10 October 2026.
Worth seeing
Rjukan and Notodden industrial heritage
Listed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2015: this is where Norsk Hydro made fertiliser using power from the waterfalls. In Rjukan, deep in a valley without winter sun, a cable car (Krossobanen, 1928) took residents up to the light; today mirrors reflect it onto the town square.
Telemark Canal
From Skien to Dalen, 105 km of waterway and 18 locks, completed in 1892. In summer, historic boats such as the Victoria make the full crossing in a day.
Gaustatoppen
A 1,883 m summit above Rjukan; on a clear day you can see about a sixth of Norway. Walk up, or ride Gaustabanen: a small train and then a funicular, both inside the mountain.
Photos
- Heddal Stave Church — The Soul Driver, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
- Rjukan and Notodden industrial heritage — Linus Folke Jensen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Telemark Canal — Morten Nærbøe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Gaustatoppen — Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)