Places with a story
Blaafarveværket
Blaafarveværket in Modum preserves the industry that turned cobalt into blue pigment for glass and porcelain. Historic production buildings, art exhibitions and the nearby mines connect material, labour and landscape in a broad museum experience.
About the place3
The pigment factory stands at the foot of Haugfossen, while the cobalt mines are about 8 kilometres away. Mining the ore and manufacturing pigment were different stages of the same enterprise, carried out in different parts of Modum. A visit to one location therefore explains only part of this industrial process.
History and local connections12
Ore was discovered at Skuterudåsen in 1772, and the royal cobalt works was founded in 1776. Its pigment supplied the glass and porcelain industries internationally. The operator's historical timeline traces technological and economic changes, including competition from synthetic pigments that altered the works' position in the nineteenth century.
What to look for23
Explore the industrial buildings alongside exhibitions that place art within the former production environment. At the mines, guided interpretation reveals a different working landscape underground. The two sites together show how a mineral extracted from a hillside became a colour used in objects far from Norway.
Plan your visit3
Check the museum's current programme before selecting buildings, exhibitions or a mine tour. The main works and the mines require separate route planning, and underground experiences have their own arrangements. Use the official visitor page for current access, parking and provisions for visitors with particular mobility needs.
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