The Arvedal Line and the home of Falkberget
| Distance: | Duration: | Terrain: | Level: | Type: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 km | 3 hours | Gravel road, Path | Medium | Hikes |
The rail trail on the Arvedal Line brings you to an exiting mining area north of Røros. You will pass the birth place of the famous author Johan Falkberget and several other cultural monuments.
Loading ramp at Brekket. Photo: Erlend Garåsen
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Rugldalen station
The first two kilometres from Rugldalen to Ratvolden have a solid gravel surface. Here you can take a short detour down to the famous author Johan Falkberget's home. The Arvedal Line continues as a forest trail where you will get a great view of the lake Ruglsjøen to the left.
Brekket station
You will pass a big loading ramp to the left after a couple of kilometres. This is the remains of Brekket station where the breaks on the trucks were activated before they continued the incline to Tyvold, which had a gradient of 4 per cent. To the right you will see the path up to the mine Christianus Sextus. This was the old transportation route where ore was sent by sledge from Sextus to Brekket and further by train to Tyvold. When the railway closed in 1910, the ore was transported by funicular to Harborg station along the Røros Line instead.
Walk on Mars
After a couple of kilometres you will pass a railway bridge over the Orva river. From here you can take a detour to Christianus Sextus by following the signposted road. This is actually where Falkberget started to work when he was 12 years old. You will also get a great view over the Orvsjøen lake in this area. Even thought it looks idyllic, it is unfortunately polluted by heavy metals as a consequence of the mining activity. The railway corridor ends at the former floatation works after a kilometre. You will find an information board at the parking lot if you take the first road to the right. Here you can read about the mining history in this spectacular reddish area, which actually reminds you of Mars!
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How do I get there?
Bus from Røros or Trondheim to Rugldalen station. By car, follow the signposted road to Falkberget/Ratvolden.