Places with a story
Moholt Jernverk
Moholt Jernverk preserves the physical remains of iron production in southern Siljan. The charcoal store, furnace ruins and smithy reveal how river power, forest resources and skilled labour shaped this rural industrial community.
About the place123
The site was a branch of the large ironworks centred on Larvik. Its surviving masonry shows the scale of an industry often associated only with finished metal objects. Charcoal was an essential and costly input, linking the works to local farmers, forest workers and horse-drawn transport across a wide surrounding district.
History and local connections124
An iron hammer was established here in 1731. Around 1811 a blast furnace introduced a new phase of pig-iron production. The works closed in 1867, leaving industrial traces that later generations gradually uncovered and conserved. The large charcoal cellar became Siljan's millennium site, giving an old workplace a new communal role.
What to look for12
Look for the dry-stone construction of the charcoal cellar, the furnace remains beside the river and the preserved small smithy. Water channels and foundations reveal parts of the production sequence. The historical society's investigations also document workers' housing and discarded household objects, broadening the story from engineering to everyday life.
Plan your visit234
The site lies on the route south from Siljan towards Kvelde. Siljan Historielag offers guided visits for groups and schools, and information boards help explain the outdoor remains. Arrange guiding in advance if you want to understand the less obvious structures. Concerts and historical performances have used the charcoal cellar, but event use does not imply a fixed daily indoor opening.
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