Gursli & Liland mines & Hattesteinan

How to get there

Parking: Parking along FV 1 to Gursli.

Accessibility: Easy to moderate to Gursli, more challenging to Hattesteinane. Marked trails.

Duration: 3 hours to Gursli and back.

Special conditions:

• Park at the parking place and show respect for private land.
• Show respect to animals along the trail.
• Don’t forget to close gates behind you so that animals would not get away.
• Dogs have to be on leash.
• Leave nothing but footprints!

Culture and history

Molybdenum mining at Gursli took place from 1915 to 1919. Molybdenum is a metallic element whose most important use is to strengthen and harden steel. The mine at Gursli was active to supply molybdenum for steel production during World War I. In 1917 there were about 100 employees at Gursli; at peak times there were up to 160 men processing the ore. After the war the price of molybdenum crashed and the mine closed in 1919. You can still find remains of the many buildings constructed at lake Gullvannet during the active period at an outdoor museum of mining culture. The buildings include a house for the mining manager and his staff, three barracks with room for 60 men, a toilet, two smithies, an enrichment plant with a crusher, mills and a flotation unit, several outhouses, a tool shed and a store for explosives. During the mining period there were several boats and a ferry taking care of lcarrying ore, equipment and people across lake Gullvannet. The 3.5 km long road from Gursli farm up the hill to the mine was constructed for use by the mining company.

Geology and nature

Molybdenum was mined at Gursli in the beginning of last century and it is possible to turn back time and see how life was at the mines a hundred years ago. You can combine a visit to the historical mining site with a walk to the top of Gjegningheia mountain that reaches 553 meters above sea level. The trip passes a nature’s own monument – huge rocks piled on top of each other, called Hattesteinene, which is surrounded by beautiful scenery.

If you would like to find out more about the geology in the area, you can book a tour with Magma Geopark’s guides.