The town of Kongsberg stands 56 miles west of Oslo, in a hilly rural area along the valley of the river Numedalslågen. It has a heritage as an armament manufacturing and silver mining centre but today is mainly involved with high-tech industries. Visitors who hire a car in Kongsberg will soon note that it also stands at the major junction of the E134 heading to Oslo and Rv4 north to south route. To the south you'll find the Labro museum complex alongside a waterfall. There are museums about roads, hydroelectricity, floating timber and waterways here. At Lagdal there's a more rural museum centre, including an open-air collection of historic farm buildings.
If you hire a car in Kongsberg you can explore everything the town has to offer. The river is a good starting point, with three attractive waterfalls as it flows through the town. You'll find noted museums of both mining and skiing in the town centre, plus the enormous red brick church. The austere façade belies the opulent interior. Hire a car in Kongsberg for easy travel to the popular and extensive ski resort lying just to the west of the town. Try to also visit the rock face overlooking the town known as Kronene i Håvet. Here colourful royal crests have been carved into the rock to celebrate visits by Norway's rulers since the 17th century.
