NÆS JERNVERKSMUSEUM (MUSEO DELLA FUCINA)

Næs Ironworks Museum is located by the river Storelva in Holt, i Tvedestrand, Southern Norway. The museum is only a short distance from E18. This is the only one of the old ironworks museums in Norway where the majority of the production buildings and equipment is preserved. The most important part of the museum is the blast furnace, and other parts of the ironworks, and the mechanical workshop has historical exhibitions in both floors. The operations at Storelva date back to 1665, and since the works was operational until 1959, much is preserved as it were when the production was closed down. This opens up for a unique opportunity to see how an ironworks was organized, how people lived and worked at the ironworks, and how iron and steel was produced back in the day. All tours start with an introductory film about the iron production in the old days, in particular at Næs Ironwork. Then visitors get a tour of the area, and inside the production facilities, where the guide tells you about how the work was done, and demonstrates the rebuilt bellows. The museum also displays an exhibition of iron stoves and a historical exhibition with models and pictures from the life at the ironworks. In addition to regular tours, the ironworks has many events and activities during the season; walks in the romantic park Lunden and the cultural landscape, exhibitions, family Sundays, blacksmith meets, seminars and mining tours. Jacob Aall is the most famous of the ironworks' owners. He lived at the farm Storegård from 1799 until his death in 1844, and he was renowned as a politician, member of the national assembly at Eidsvoll, author, and and active and visionary businessman. The romantic park Lunden was established while Aall and his wife Lovise Andrea lived on the farm and is today part of the museum. The museum has a national responsibility for research concerning ironwork history in Norway. So in 2014 a research project about Jacob Aall resulted in a biography and 9 other publications. The Solberg mine is a iron mine approximately 1,5 km from the museum (marked with signs along the road at Fiansvingen). The mine was operative in the 18th century and closed down in the 1860-ies. The mine delivered iron ore to the blast furnace at Nes and is approximately 150 meters deep. Guided tours in the mine every day in July. Nes Verk is a special national attraction, and a walk along the river Storelva, in the park and on the golf course gives a good picture of this historical area. There is also a nice playground and arranged activities for the children throughout July.  Guided tours every hour from 11-1600. Open from Mid-May until end of August.