visit norway evje

Evje Og Hornnes

The Nature Trail Evje - round trip 4,8 km

Verksvegen 4, Evje Og Hornnes, Evje

[email protected]

Forest area

Marked trails

Short hikes (1-4 hours)

Effort Level : Medium

Duration : 1 hour

Landscape : Forest area

Season : Summer

The Nature Trail starts at Oddeskogen and passes through woods and fields to the Evje Mineral Trail (Evje Mineralsti).

Along the trail there are posters with information about various trees and other nature-related topics. The trail follows a developed path and the final section is along a road leading to the Evje Mineral Trail. Recommended footwear: good hiking/training shoes.

Last updated: 12/19/2023

Source: Setesdal

Your recently viewed pages

Your browser is not supported for this experience. We recommend using Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari.

E-Newsletter

Evje and hornnes, evje, the southernmost part of setesdal.

Explore this interesting area only one hour by car from Kristiansand. The gateway to Setesdal offers a number of activities and is also renowned for its minerals. Rafting, climbing, angling and swimming are some of the things you can do. There are also several marked walking and hiking trails in the area. The are various types of accommodation in the district, and the centre of Evje has a variety of shops.

Eat and sleep in Evje and Hornnes

Dølen hotel.

Dølen Hotel is situated in the center of Evje ans is the oldest hotel in the valley of…

Kilefjorden Camping

Cabins, boats and fishing. Kilefjorden, a 3-star campsite, is located along highway 9 in Setesdal…

Hornnes Camping

Hornnes Camping was established in 1934 and have been affiliated with NAF (Norwegian Automobile…

Odden Camping

Campsite in beautiful natural surroundings! Located by the river Otra, in walking distance from…

Accommodation at TrollAktiv rafting centre

TrollAktiv is located 7 Km north of Evje and has accommodation in cabins, high standart cabins…

Activities in Evje and Hornnes

Family rafting at trollaktiv in evje.

Family rafting at TrollAktiv in Evje is a super fun experience for the entire family. The trip…

TrollAktiv Bike Park in Evje

The TrollAktiv Bike Park offers exiting activities for every age group. The exciting Bike Park…

TrollAktiv Evje Adventure Pass

Welcome to TrollAktiv's new product! Adventure Pass Evje - A.P.E A package that fills the whole…

Climbling park at TrollAktiv Evje

TrollAktiv Evje has three climbing courses for children over 120 cm and a total of five for everyone…

Places nearby

The southernmost mountains in Norway. Åseral contains of a landscape with beautiful…

Explore Setesdal

Explore Evje

Plan Your Trip to Evje: Best of Evje Tourism

Essential evje.

Evje Is Great For

The great outdoors.

• Odden Camping
• Dølen Hotel
• Oddestemmen Steinsliperi og Camping
• Evje Park Apartments
• Smil Thai Mat
• Jet Burger & Pasta
• Spisekroken Evje
• Odden Vertshus
• Tip Top Burger & Sant
• Evje Mineralsti
• Hiking in Evje and Hornnes
• Evje Og Hornnes Geomuseum Fennefoss
• Gokartbanen Evje
• Evjemoen Defence Museum

• 2 Get around

Evje is a inland town in South Norway . It's a very small roadstrip town with not much interest in itself, especially when it packs up with tourists in the summer. But it's a good place to stop to get equipment and supplies, and north of town there's whitewater rafting. Further up Setesdal you can find beautiful areas both down in the valley and up in the hills.

Get in [ edit ]

By bus [ edit ].

From the bus terminal in Kristiansand there are several buses each day operated by Setesdal Bilruter [1] , and a few by Nor-Way [2] . A handful daily routes continue on to Haukeli, with connections to Bergen.

By car [ edit ]

Usually you arrive in Evje by car from Kristiansand . If you drive from Oslo , take road 9 from Arendal . If you arrive from Stavanger , the quickest is to go around through Kristiansand .

Bicycle is also a popular alternative, but the main north/south road can be a bit trafficked.

Get around [ edit ]

See [ edit ]

Do [ edit ].

• 58.550378 7.776025 1 Mineralparken ( 5 km south of the town ). Amusement park with water activities and tree climbing, offers accomodation ( updated Feb 2024 )
• 58.635463 7.808169 2 Trollaktiv Evje ( 7 km north of the town ). Outdoors activities, provides both guiding and rental for whitewater and mountain activities. ( updated Feb 2024 )

Buy [ edit ]

Eat [ edit ], drink [ edit ], sleep [ edit ].

Not too much to choose from.

• 58.58731 7.80504 1 Dølen Hotel . Located in the town center has 12 decent rooms, a la carte restaurant on site. From NOK1600 . ( updated Feb 2024 )
• 58.635463 7.808169 2 TrollAktiv Evje . Located 7 km north of Evje, with various cabins and possibility for camping. Has several activities on site. From NOK500 . ( updated Feb 2024 )

Connect [ edit ]

Go next [ edit ].

• Flekkefjord

• Has custom banner
• Has mapframe
• Has map markers
• All destination articles
• Outline cities
• Outline articles
• City articles
• Has Geo parameter
• Pages with maps

Navigation menu

Norway , 

Introduction 

The Evje Iveland area is located in the southern part of Norway in the Vest Agder region  about 60 Km north of Kristiansand where a regular ferry service with Denmark exist. The district is famous for its welth of minerals. There are old mines and  hundreds of small quarries originally opened for feldspar and quartz. The actual landscape and morphology of the area was formed by the glacial processes during the last ice age. The last remnants of the great inland icecap melted away from the Evje and Hornes area no more than 9500 years ago. The Setesdal valley has a marked "U" form, characteristic of glacial valeeys. Large quantities of sediments were washed out by the melting ice and the the Otra river was much bigger than today. The sediments from this process form, today, wide areas of pine-covered plains along the valley floor. Landscape forms and moraines show the story of the ice age, forming kettle holes, eskers and terrasses, Dåsvassdalen valley close to Evje is very rich in several "ice age" landscapes. 

                                                                                                             Area Map 

For what concern  mineral collecting  some of the classic  localities are today  open to collectors. Additionally there are beautiful mineral collections exhibited. All this is in a beatiful natural setting, forests, mountains, rivers and lakes.There are also excellent opportunities for fishing and outdoor activities. In the forests one may meet moos, roedeer, beaver and woodland birds. 

The Evje Iveland area has become quite popular among mineral collectors and mineralogical scientists thank to the peculiarity of its mineralisation. In the thousand of pegmatites crossing the area more than 100 different mineralogical species have been identified during the years several of which very or extremely rare.  The area is also extremely well developed  for what concern the Mineralogical tourism since it offer mineralogical museums, minerals shops, organised mineral trekking paths and other geological attractions for a broader public fun of naturalistic attractions. 

Histrory of  Mineralogical Exploitation  

                                                                                 The Flåt Cu-Ni Mine

The exploitation of Copper and Nickel resources    

Mineral Exploitation  in the area began in the 1844 with the opening of the Flåt Mine . The Flåt mine at the beginning of its history  was a copper mine then from 1872 it was operated for Nickel. The English Company H.H.Vivian worked the mine from 1884 to 1894. After a short stop Colonel Henriksen re-started up the mining activity in 1899 again for the Nickel. 

Exploitation was so succesfull that in 1910 a nickel refinery was built in Kristiansand whilst all the works and plants in Evje were heavily modernised. Electricity, with a wire way, signed the end of horse transport to the smelter in Evje. In this period the mine provided work up to 350 men. In 1927 the Company Refininwork Ltd. toke control of opeartion in the Flåt Mine. 

Despite the previous intensive work 3,2 million tons were extracted until 1946. The main lod was around 450  m deep and went well below the sea level. 20200 tons of Nickel and 14500 tons of copper had been refined in Kristiansand by the time the mine closed down definetively in 1946. 

Alltogether 75% of Norway' nickel was produced by Evje and for several decades the Flåt Mine was the Europe's largest nickel mine. 

The Quartz and K - Feldspar Exploitation 

 During the end of the 19th Century also the exploitation of the  pegmatite bodies started. There are several hundred quartz and feldspar mine in the Evje Iveland district. The information available says that around 1880 the famous Landsverk mine was among the first to be taken in industrial exploitation. In this period until the first world war the mining objective was the quartz to be used for smelters of the Flåt Nickel Mine. 

In 1896 the famous Setesdal railroad was taken into use. The existance of the railway also made profitable the exploitation of the potassium feldspar. The Norwegian feldspar company (1913) , ran mines, and bougth from farmer who worked their owns mines in winter time. Transport was done by horse and sledges up to the railway station in Evje.  Several new quarries entered into operations and the Feldspar was transported by train to Kristiansand as well as the copper-nickel mineral . Over the years, more than 100 different minerals, many extremely rare, were accumulated on the dumps of the mines. Thedor Gautestad was one of the first collector in the area. He began collecting ans study the area minerals in 1937 at his collection is now at the Fennefoss Museum in Evje. 

The main markets for K-Feldspar  were Germany and England were the mineral was utilised for production of ceramic and porcelain. The historical record say that alone in the Landsverk mine (the large one) 20.000 tons of K-Feldspar were exploited in the period till 1928. 

Geology of Evje - Iveland district  

TTheT The main rocks of the Evje area were formed in the orogenic phase of the Sveconorwegian period as far as back as 1200 million years ago. The high grade metamorphic rocks foun here, formed at considerable depth under elevate temperature and pressure and have now been exposed by the erosion after this long period of time. In the Evje and Iveland districts the main outcropping rocks are Precambrian amphibolites. In particular the area is characterised by a distinct amphibolite body, 35 km long and 10-15 Km wide. This body undergone several phases of mineralisation. These amphibolitic rocks has been dated to 1.1 - 1.2 Billion years age. In these maphic polimetamorphosed formation granitic magmas and solutions have been later intruded. The age of this intrusions  is relatively younger (900 million years). These acid intrusions formed granites and granitic pegmatites.

 Thousand of pegmatitic bodies occur in the Evje Iveland district. Especially in the northern part of the area is it possible to observe the pegmatites as ridges in the woody landcape. In general the major pegmatite bodies follow the layering of the amphibolite rocks, but also often they cut the amphibolite layering.  

Type of Pegmatites

We may list two main different types of Pegmatite in the Evje - Iveland area . The most widespread are microcline-quartz veins of magmatic origin. The second type are constituted by cleavelandite and quartz veins of late hydrothermal origin. The first type is by far the most common. 

The size and thickness are aslo usually far larger than the hydrothermal veins. The magmatic pegmatites are constituted by pink - red or gray perthitic microcline, gray white / yellowish palgioclase, quartz, biotite and muscovite. The most common accessory minerals are Beryl and Garnets.  

The largest pegmatites are found at the borderzone of the amphibolite, in the southern and northern parts of Iveland and all around Evje. The big pegmatite bodies are often very coarse grained and contain huge individual crystals. What makes the Evje-Iveland district quite peculiar is that more than the common constituents of the pegmatites such as Quartz, Plagioclase, Beryl, these pegmatite bodies also contain huge crystal of very rare minerals. 

Cryptic (graphic) granite is quite common at the contact of the pegmatite with the amphibolite, while in the central zones feldspar crystals of several meters were quite common during the industrial exploitation . 

Most of the Pegmatites are usually small, lense- shaped and very irregular. The largest pegmatite bodies can be found at the borderzone. 

Mineralogy  

In the list reported hereinafter we just mention the main rare minerals that made the Evje-Iveland district famous to all the worldwide mineralogical collectors . A complete  list over the minerals from this district is far too long to describe all the minerals individually. Therefore we will focus on the more classic species and some of the peculiar typical pegmatite minerals of the area. Overall we will focus our interest on the minerals containing Rare earth Elements such as Cerium, Yttrium, Lantanium, Scandium, Beryllium, Uranium and Thorium. These are really the minerals that make the district a distinctive reality in the worldwide mineralogy. The pictures come from authors collection, museums, or other private collections

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Aeschynite -  (Y) - ( Blomstrandine )  

(Y, Ca, Fe, Th) (Ti, Nb) 2 (O, OH) 6

It is one of the more characteristic minerals of the district where it occurs in beautiful orthorombic idiomorph crystals sometime of outstanding size. Well developed crystals  up to 30 cm have been encountered when some of the quarrys were in operations. The typical localities are Vestre Frikstad,  Kabuland, Ljosland all in Iveland area. The most outstanding xls occur at the contact between biotite and K-Feldspar matrix. The Mølland occurrence provided the best worldwide specimen for the mineral

Ancylite (Ce)

Sr, Ce (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) *  H 2 0

This rare mineral occurs in orthorombic xls inside the K-feldspar. It is quite widespread in the area but the best occurrencies are  Våanne and Hornnes in the Evje area. The typical shape are elongated xls of orange-brown colours embedded in K-feldspar often associated with Garnet.

Be 3 Al 2 Si 6 O 18

It is definitely one of the most widespread and imposing minerals in the district. Crystal of few cm are estremely common but also huge crystal are reported in the district weighing up to 3 tons. The largest crystals several meters long come from the Iveland area. The bigger known xl had a length of 3,2 meter and a diameter of 1,1 m. The colour of most of xls is pale yellowish, but nice deep blue coloured acquamarine are also reported sporadically from several quarries. The best acquamarine has also been used for cutting remarkable gemstones. 

( Ca, Na, U) 2 (Ti, Nb, Ta) 2 , O 6 (OH)

It has been sporadycally reported in cubhotaedrons xls up to 1 cm in Ljoslandsåase (Iveland) and in the Landsverk quarries (Evje) . The district never provided outsdanding specimens for the mineral  

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It has been reported in Birkeland (Iveland) and Liheia (Evje). 

Bismuthinite

The minerals has been reported in Tveit and Eptevann (Iveland) and Rumpetrollsynken (Evje). It occurs has large mass or also pseudo idiomorph xls up to 15 cm in lenght embedded in K-Feldaspar amd Quartz It has been reported in Birkeland (Iveland) and Liheia (Evje). 

1 ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bi 2 (CO 3 )O 2

The minerals has been reported in granular masses or pseudo idiomorph tetragonal xls in Kjent and Liheia (Evje) and Eptevann, and Rossås in Birkeland (Evje) . 

Cerianite (Ce)

(Ce +4 , Th)O 2

Fe +2 Nb 2 O 6

Columbite has bee reported in well  developed outstanding xls  up to 8 -10  cm in several localities. Probably on the most famous occurence is that of Brattekleiv (Evje), where the minerals is found in beautiful idiomorphic xls often associated with yellow beril.   

YPO 4 *2H 2 O

This rare Yttrium phospate  has been reported in landåas (Iveland) inside a clevelandite pegmatite. It occurs in brown masses or pseudo idiomorphic xls often associated with topaz . 

Davidite (La)

(La, Ce)(Y, U, Fe +2 )(Ti, Fe +3 ) 20 (O, OH) 38

Davidite is known from  Frigstad and Birkeland in Iveland. It occurs as brown masses with metallic luster or in well developed idiomorphic xls up to 10 cm in size. Unfrequent  

Euxenite (Y)

(Y, Ca, Ce, U, Th)(Nb, Ta, Ti) 2 O 6

This rare mineral occurs unfrequently in well develop idiomorphic xl of brown luster inside K-Feldspar or Mica biotite matrix. Xls up to 20 cm have been reported. The richest occurence is probably in the Iveland area near Birkeland. Tuftan quarry provided remarkable samples during operations  

Fergusonite (Y)

This rare Ytrium Niobate occurs unfrequently on several quarries. The richest occurrences of crystallised Y-fergusonite are Rossås in Iveland and Høgetveit in Evje, where idiomorphic xls up to 10 cm in size has been recovered . It is very difficult to recover intact xls due to the fragility of the mineral.  Fergusonite masses with typical fat brown luster occur also in Landsverk quarries.  

Ferrocolumbite

Ferro - Columbite has bee reported in well  developed outstanding xls  up to 30  cm in several localities. Probably one of the most famous occurence is again the Brattekleiv quarry  (Evje), where the minerals is found in beautiful idiomorphic xls often associatedwith yellow beril.   Other remarkable occurrences are those of Kjente and Eftevann quarries near Iveland as well as also Landsverk in Evje. 

(Ca, Ce, Na)(Nb, Ta, Ti) 2 (O, OH, F) 6

Often associated with Fe-Columbite is reported mainly from landsverk area in millimetric masses spread into the K-Feldspar  or in well developed idiomorphic xls up to 6 cm in size. Rare

Fluorapatite

Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 F

Fluorapatite occurs in several localities in the area  such as Knipane (Iveland) Skripeland (Iveland). For sure the quarry that provided the most outstanding xls (up to 30-40 cm) is Knipane (Iveland). Fluorapatite xl are of a deep blue colour with a well developed prismatic habitus and typical exhagonal xl shape. The Xls are embedded in Mica Biotite or Quartz matrix

Gadolinite (Y)

Y 2 Fe +2 Be 2 Si 2 O 10

Together with Thortveitite and Aeschynite It is among the most interesting and outstanding minerals of the district. When the quarries were active Gadolinite xls from the district may reach 30-40 cm in length and weigh several kgs.  Xl colour is deep brown or black and the monocklin xls are  usully embedded in K-Feldspar and/or quartz. The best specimen have been provided by the Frigstad area in Iveland district. 

Garnet (Spessartina and Almandine)

Mn 3 Al 2 (SiO 4 ) 3 

Garnets are quite frequent in the district pegmatites but rarely have outstanding showing. Some remarkable spessartine xls up to 3-4 cm in size are reported from Tveit (Iveland). The xls are embedded in quartz and K-Feldspar and have a deep red - brown colour. In the same locality also Almandine garnets occur in beatiful xl up to 3-4 cm in size.

Ilmenite 

Fe +2 TiO 3

Ilmenite xls are quite unfrequent in the district. Quality also is never oustanding. Xl up to  1 - 1,5 cm embedded in Quartz and alkali feldspar are reported from Hilltveit in Iveland and  Kabuland.

Struverite ( Ilmenorutile )

(Ti, Nb, Fe +3 ) 3 O 6

The district provided sporadic but oustanding Struverite xls occurrences. Well developed xls up to 10 cm have been reported. The localities are : Landsverk (Evje), Tuftan and Knipane. Probably the most  outstanding find is that of Håverstad near Iveland were beautiful xls have been recovered also recently. 

Manganotantalite 

Mn Ta 2 O 6

Manganptantalite xls are reported from several localities but never in outstanding specimens. In general occur in clevelandite pegmatite of Frigstad and Solås in Iveland and of Lihei in Evje. Xl size is in general up to 1 cm max.

Microlite 

(Na, Ca) 2 Ta 2 O 6 (O, OH, F)

Microlite is relatively frequent in the clevelandite pegmatites of the Iveland area as small masses or pseudo idiomorphic xls of 2-3 mm. Well developed  brown octhaedric xls are extremely uncommon. The best specimens probably come from Skirpeland pegmatite (Iveland)

Microcline 

KAlSi 3 O 8

Microklin  is extremely common in the district and sometimes it shows up in well developed idiomorphic xls. Giant xls up to 1 m have also been sporadically reported

Molybdenite

The mineral is quite diffuse in several pegmatites of the district. Some remarkable xls up to 3-4 cm are reported from Landsverk quarries in Evje and from Frosjå in Iveland. 

Monazite (Ce)

(Ce, La, Nd, Th) PO 4

Monazite is well diffused in the granite and clevelandite pegmatites of the district. The area also provided when the quarries were in operations some of the best worldwide monazite specimens. Xls are of a deep orange brown colour, well developed and embedded in K-feldspar or biotite matrix. The most famous localities are Kjente quarry (Rossås, Iveland), Mølland and Ljoslandsåsen (Iveland), Landsverk 1 and Unneland (Evje). The best specimen have xls that can reach 15-18 cm in size. Remarkbale findings of Monazite xls have been reported also recently (y 2000) from Landsverk 1 quarry in Evje. 

 Polykras (Y)

(Y, Ca, Ce, U, Th)(Ti, Nb, Ta) 2 O 6

This rare mineral is quite diffused in the Iveland district. The mineral occurs often in well developed orthorombic crystals up to 2-3 cm in size. The best localities are Hilltveit, Mølland and Håaverstad in Iveland. Occasionaly Polykras is also been reported from Landsverk area. 

Samarskite (Y)

(Y, Ce, U, Ca, Pb) (Nb, Ta, Ti, Sn) 2 O 6

The mineral is not frequent in the area. Usually the typical occurrence is in fibrous or sub-idiomorphic masses with fat luster often associated with Ferrocolumbite  . Well developed idiomorphic xls are extremely rare. The most famous occurence are those of Kjente, Størbrekka, Rossås and Ljosland in Iveland.

Thorite 

This rare Thorium sylicate is reported from several localities of the district.  The best crystallised occurrences are in Håversta and Frigstad from Iveland and from Einerkilenn and Ås in Evje. Xls up to 3 cm in size are reported

Thorogummite 

Th (SiO 4 ) 1-x (OH) 4x

The mineral occurs as pseudomorphosis of Uraninit xls. Yellow cubic terrous xls up to 0,8 - 1 cm in size may be recovered form the cleaveges of the K-Feldspar. The most famous occurences are from Eiberkilen and Rossås in Iveland district.  

Thortveitite 

(Sc, Y) 2 Si 2 O 7

This Scandium sylicate It is probably the most interesting and outstanding minerals of the district. It was discovered in 1910 when a local collector named Olav Thortveit sent an unknown specimen to the Oslo Museum for analysis. In 1911 the mineral  was described as the first scandium mineral found in the world. The name was given in honour of Olav Thortveit. Later it was clear that already in 1903 other collectors have already found samples of Thortveitite naming it Epidote with a question mark. Thortveitite in the most typical occurrence is found as elongated prismatic crystals embedded in pink K-feldspar. The colour ranges from greenish, gray or pale green.The largest described xls weigth more than 200 gr. Occasionally Thortveitite has also been specifically mined in the district for Scandium. This small scale mining went ahead till 1961 when 50 kg of mineral were totally excavated. After that period production almost ceased. Thortveitite has been found in a number of occurrunces in the district but the most famous are Laandsverk1 and 3, Knipane, Ljoslandknipen, Eptevann2, Håverstad, Tuftane etc. 

Tombarthite (Y)

Y 2 (Si, H4) 4 O 12-x (OH) 4+2x  

This rare mineral has been reported from Høgetveit in 1968. Occasionally it has also been reported in Iveland area. It occurs in sub-idiomorphic crystal masses up to 5-6 cm inside mikroklin or biotite. The classic locality id Høgetveit in Evje district. Very rare

Tveitite (Y)

Ca 1-x Y x F 2+x  

This rare Ytrrium and calcium Fluoride after the discovery  in the Tørdal area (Nissedal),  has also been reported from the Iveland district. It occurs in sub crystalline masse up to 5 cm in size  fro, Frigstad (Iveland) . Idiomorphic xls are extremely rare

The mineral is not extremely frequent but is diffused in sub idiomorphic masse of few cm in several pegmatites of the district. idiomorphic xls are quite rare. They may reach 2 cm in size and often are deeply alterated. Pseudomorphosis in Thorogummite are frequent. Xl occurs inside K-Feldspar and Biotite. The most famous locality for crystals occurrence is Einerkelen in Evje. 

Xenotime (Y)

This rare Yttrium phoshate is present in the district  with remarkable specimens. Deep brown  Ochtaedrons  up to 5-6 cm in size have been reported . Often most of the xls are labelled as Zirkon. The most famous occurrences are Hilltveit, Rosåas in Iveland and Ås and Landsverk in Evje.

Yttrialit (Y)

(Y, Th) 2 Si 2 O 7

This rare mineral is reported from Ivedal amd Kåbuland (Iveland) and from Høgetveit (Evje): it occurs as brown masse together with Keivyite. Xls are extremely rare 

Yttrotantalite 

It has been found in nice small idiomorphic xls up to 0,5 - 1 cm in size from Ljosland and Solås (Iveland). It is also reported from Liheia in Evje. Rare

Yttrotitanite 

YCaTiSi 2 O 5

Ytrrotitanite is reported from Iveland area.  The Knipane quarry provided remarkable brown Y-Titanite xls up to 4-5 cm in size embedded in black quartz matrix. 

Zircon is not extremely frequent in the district area, In any case the districyt never provided remarkable specimens. It has been reported from Ljoslandsåasen (Iveland) and Landsverk (Evje) as brown centimetric xls in K-feldspar. Metamiktic amorph zirkon masses may also reach 15 cm in size and were relatively frequent in landsverk and Ljosland quarries. Most of the well developed idiomorphic octhaedrons are Xenotime xls 

Other Minerals 

Hereinafter is a list of the others recognised minerals from the Evje Iveland district. Some of them are also present in remarkable xls in the pegatite of the district:

- Allanite (Ce)

- Analcim 

- Arsenopyrit

- Bastnaesit (ce) 

- Bertrandit 

- Carnotite

- Chabasite 

- Chalcocite

- Chalcopyrite

- Chlinoclor

- Crysoberyl

- Cl0inozoisite

- Coffinite

- Phenakite

- Fluocerite

- Fourmarierite

- Laumontite

- Lepidolite

- Magnetite

- Malacjite

- Montmorillonite

- Muscovite

- Pumpellyite

- Pyrofanite

- Pyrrothite

- Rhabdofanite (Ce)

- Rozenite 

- Rowlandite

- Rutil 

- Schoepite

- Schrockeringite

- Sphalerite

- Stilpnomelano

- Tapiolite

- Tengerite

- Tourmaline

- Tornebohemite (Ce)

- Uranofane

- Vandendriesscheite

- Zinnwaldite

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Today  Collecting  Situation (2002)

The Evje - Iveland district  is still today an attractive area for collecting. The district has probably been one of the first in Norway that toke the  intiative to develop a well organised  Mineralogical tourism since it  offers since the 80s ' mineralogical treks,  mineralogical museums and minerals shops.  Today very few of the quarries and mines are still active and furthermore they are not the most prone of interesting minerals. 

An Evje  classic   is the visit to the Flåt Gruva and to the Evje Mineralsti. Information on this path  are available in the Evje municipality (Evje tourist office) . Camping facilities nearby the collecting areas are also available. 

The Landsverk mine complex are six old mines that have been marked out on a mineral trail specifically opened for collectors. The main quarry is Landsverk I where more than 60 different minerals have been recorded. Landsverk I is probably also today the best place to find different minerals, 

The Evje Mienaralsti  allows the visit of  all the Landsverk  complex quarries  that have been in operation for long time in the Evje district and that provided during several decades beautiful specimens of the classic district minerals.  

With the Evje Mineralisti  trek you can access the Landsverk 1 , Landsverk 2 (Rumpetrollsynked),  Landsverk 3 (Hagebruddet)  and Landsverk 4 (Furulunden)  quarries as well as the complex of Flåt Nickel mine and other feldspar quarryes (Håtfjellet) . Entre fee  per person is very moderate and than you have to pay additional fee for each kg. of collected samples. Despite of the several hundreds of mineralogists visiting  the site every year, good collecting is still possible if you are patient and lucky. In the last years several remarkable samples of Monazite have been colleceted in The Landsverk I quarry. Thortveitite may also be collected with some luck in Landsverk 3 quarry.

 In the nearby area to the organised trek several other quarries exist. Collecting in these areas is restricted or is provided conditional to  land owners permit. Again the municipality may offer useful information about the address of the different land owners that can provide access to the different sites for moderate daily fees.   

The Iveland area i s  less known for most of the mineralogists  but it offers probably  the best possibilities for fruitful collecting. Information again are  available at the Iveland Kommune where a remarkable mineralogical collection is also in exhibition (note that Saturday and Sunday  is closed!). 

Again collecting permits are requested form the various land owners to collect in the different areas/quarries. Some 

areas are definitelky closed for collecting (like the famous Aeschynite occurrence at Mølland) . Once permits have been 

obtained interesting areas to be visited are Brattekleiv, Frigstad, Knipane. The most serious problem is that most of  

the quarries are completely water filled and collecting is therefore limited to the accessible dumps where all of course 

have access and good spots are obvously sporadic.  

Remember some important information if you wish to collect in the Evje-Iveland area: 

- Make sure you have permission from the land owner, 

-  Use the necessary safety equipment and look around for loose overhangs of rock (collecting is under your 

   own responsibility)

- Some quarries  are now specially opened and prepared for collecting minerals

- Tour with a guide  may be arranged contacting the Tourist Office in Evje Kommune 

Museums and Collections

The Museum at Fennefoss is a nice country Museum documenting the local farm culture, educational history and the 

story of mining and minerals in the district. The celebrated Madam Curie used several radioactive minerals from 

Setesdal and some of theses and some of her laboratory equipment are preserved in the Museum. One of the 

Norwegian mineral pioneer was Theodor Gautestad in Evje. His collection of more than 1000 specimens was 

purchased with the help from the State Culture Organisation in 1988. Later the systematic collection of Odd S.H. 

Hansen with 1250 specimens was bought in 1989. The Museum has now over 300 minerals, 700 of which form the 

present exhibition of local and Norewegian specimens.   

Other Museums in the area are the Setesdal Mineral Park Museum at Auensneset (5 km south of Evje) and 

the Mineral  Collection of  Iveland Kommune where than more 200 hundred specimens from local mines are 

in exhibition. In the Iveland Kommune you can also collect additional information concerning the 

mineralogical coolecting possibilities in the area.  

In the areas also several shops for mineralogists exhist. The most famous is probably the Setesdal Mineral 

Park. This tourist attraction is at Auensneset, 5 Km south of Evje. It  consists of a new mineral museum, park 

and open air stone exhibition. Inside the small hill on the background of the entrance 175 m of "mine space" 

has been blasted out in the mountain, to make room for the exhibition of the many minerals from the district, 

the local geology as well as antique mining equipment. Special exhibitions of Norwegian and foreign 

minerals of the highest quality creates an high level of stone culture. 

For more professional mineralogists another good stop is the shop BERYLLEN (BERYLLEN Mineralsenter 

ANS) in Haegeland (about 20 km south of Evje). The shop is owned by two high level Norwegian 

Mineralogists and you may find here a good selection of the most typical material of theEvje and Iveland 

district .

Links 

Useful links if you would like to visit the district are: 

www.iveland.kommune.no

www.e-h.kommune.no

 www.evjeweb.com

www.setesdal.no

References 

Åmli, R.: Sekundaere Uraniums - og Thoriumsmineraler fra Einerkilen, Evje

NGU Årbok 1968

Neumann H. (1985) : Norges Mineraler. NGS Skrifter 1968

Frigstad, O.F.: Amazonitpegmatitter i Iveland - Evje. Bergverksmusset Skrift nr. 15

Flåt Gruver: Sørlandset Geologiforeniongs Skrift 15 år, 1985

Gunnar H.H. (2001), Mineralene i Evje-Iveland 

Kleveland, O.A.: Flot Nikkelgruve-Evje Nikkelverk

Wilke, H.J. (1976): Fundstellen Band 4 - Skandinavian ; Christian Weise Verlag

Werner R., The Evje-Iveland Pegmatite district, NAGS (unfinished article) 

  - Home - E-Mail -

Evje Og Hornnes

Evje Mineral Trail

Almannavegen 19, Evje Og Hornnes, Evje

[email protected]

• View in Map

Stagioni : Estate

The mineral trail covers 5 mines, of which three are of particular interest to collectors. A 2.5 km nature trail forms a connecting link between the mines. Superb for family outings.

Open daily in the period between 15 June and 15 August.  

Last updated: 12/19/2023

Source: Setesdal

Ultime pagine visualizzate

Easily locate those European hidden gems

Select your travel preferences and be ready to explore the unexplored!

Mineralparken, Evje

In the Mineral Park at Evje you find a spectacular collection of minerals and crystals. In the mines, the world's most beautiful minerals shine and sparkle, and the entire adventure park has this exhibition as a basis. Outdoors there is a playground and space for various activities. The gift shop has a large selection of precious stones and sculptures. Visitors can live in a special old house or at a... more

Provided by

• Country Norway
• Region Southern Norway
• Destination Evje
• Provided by Visit Norway

This information is provided by

Accommodations near Mineralparken, Evje

Filter your options

Holiday homes

Nice Home In Hornnes With Wifi And 5 Bedrooms

Beautiful home in Hornnes with 2 Bedrooms and WiFi

Holiday home Hornnes

Dølen Hotel

Beautiful Home In Hornnes With 3 Bedrooms And Wifi

Chalet Espetveit - SOO351 by Interhome

Chalet Flatebygd - SOO355 by Interhome

Things to discover near Mineralparken, Evje

Fennefossfjellet - return trip -5, 2 km

Klatreskogen Grand Park

Evje Mineral Trail

Evjemoen Defence Museum

Furustovhei - round trip 7 km

Vorehei return trip 5 km

TrollAktiv Bike Park in Evje

Geological exhibition in Iveland

Evje lysløype - round trip 8, 6 km

Rafting at trollaktiv in Evje

Abusdalsknuten - return trip 7, 6 km

Hornnes Camping

Himmelsyna - return trip 11 km

Ørnefjell - return trip - 3, 5 km

Horgeknipen - return trip 4 km

National cycle route in Setesdal

Ravlling carefully curates relevant information from the web to translate them into meaningful results. The information is provided by

Share with your friends or family