Løkken Verk: Mining History, Monuments and Trails

Løkken Verk combines its mining history with memories of the people who lived and worked there. There is also a marked trail offering views of the centre and the mine workings, as well as a railway line that now serves as a hiking trail. If you are looking for a hotel in Løkken Verk, these different attractions can help you plan your trip, from industrial history and technology to heritage sites and trails.

Mining history at the museum and in the mine

The Orkla Industrial Museum is located in the centre of Løkken Verk. It presents the industrial history of Orkland in Norway from the 17th century to the present day, with a particular focus on Løkken Verk’s 333-year mining history. During guided tours of Gammelgruva, guides explain mining techniques from four centuries and the equipment used. At Gammelgruva, Fagerlisalen can be used for dinners and as a cultural venue for up to 300 guests.

The Thamshavnbanen adds a transport technology dimension to the story: this heritage railway runs between Løkken Verk and Bårdshaug near Orkanger. It was Norway’s first electrically operated railway and the world’s first successful alternating-current railway. If you are planning to take a ride, check the operating days in advance.

Church and homes as historical evidence

At Løkken Church, the bowl of the baptismal font comes from the chapel at Grutsæter (1699–1806). For more than 300 years, miners’ children were baptised in it. This shows how Løkken Verk’s mining history extends beyond technology and extraction to encompass the miners’ religious life.

Most of the homes in Bjørnli Haveby were built between 1915 and 1921. Bjørnli Haveby and its associated buildings are considered worthy of preservation and have been given priority status as a cultural environment in the regional cultural heritage plan for Sør-Trøndelag. The town’s architectural history thus adds another dimension to its mining history.

Monuments: work, community and individual lives

Skeidersken commemorates women workers, often miners’ widows, who separated ore from waste rock on a conveyor belt. Tillitsmannen honours the trade union members who have fought for workers’ interests since 1907—the year the Løkken Miners’ Union was founded.

Other monuments focus on individuals. Bergmannen, a statue by sculptor Per Palle Storm, was unveiled in 1955. OL-mesteren is a statue of Jan Egil Storholt, a working-class boy from Bjørnli who became Olympic champion in the 1,500-metre speed skating event at the 1976 Olympic Games in Innsbruck. Torfinn-Bjørnaas Square in the centre of Løkken Verk is named after war hero Torfinn Bjørnaas (1914–2009), who took part in sabotage operations by the Linge Company during the Second World War.

Exploring on foot

The small mountain Gråhåmmårn lies just south of the centre. A marked trail leads to the top, where you can look out over the centre and the mine workings of Løkken Verk. In Bjørnli, the never-completed tramway route also continues as a hiking trail. The two routes offer quite different experiences: one leads to a viewpoint, while the other follows a line that was never developed as a railway.

Planning your trip

When planning your trip, you can distinguish between local history and outdoor activities: the museum, mine, railway and monuments explore different aspects of mining and the people who lived here, while the trails lead outdoors. Consider which focus you want to shape your stay, then base your search for hotels in Løkken Verk on that.

Discover more destinations: Meldal, Storås, Drogsetmoen.

Go to the main travel overview: Meldal.