Flogbergets gruva

About the museum

Iron ore has been mined at Flogberget since the 1500s, as the many deep mine pits bear witness. Extraction on a larger scale began in 1873, was closed down in 1899 and resumed in 1906, when Crown Prince Gustaf, later Gustaf V, inaugurated the mine. It had electricity, a new ore-dressing plant and a briquette works designed by the metallurgist Gustav Gröndal, where slimes ore (sligmalm) was pressed into small briquettes. The briquettes were transported by cableway to Hagge station. In 1918 the mine was closed for good and the equipment was sold.

The mine lies on a rocky summit between the lakes Leran and Hillen, with some fifteen larger and smaller open-cast pits. The water is led away through an adit (stollgång), so that no pumping was needed. Here you can see traces of three mining techniques: fire-setting (tillmakning), blasting with gunpowder and blasting with dynamite. In the mid-1980s Flogberget opened as one of Sweden's few visitor mines, and today it is part of Ekomuseum Bergslagen.

The mining families lived cramped in Flogbergskasernen (the Flogberg barracks), and both women and children worked in the mine. The mine house (gruvstugan), which today houses the summer café, was moved here from Östanberg and has an exhibition on the history of the mine on the upper floor.

Highlights

• Open-cast pits and underground passages that can be visited with a guide
• Traces of fire-setting, gunpowder blasting and dynamite
• Adit that drains the mine without pumps
• Café in the old mine house from Östanberg with a view over Leran
• The Romboleden, the pilgrimage route Köping–Trondheim, passes Flogberget

Permanent exhibition

• Guidad visning av Flogbergets gruva – Guided tours of the open-cast pits and underground passages about the history of the mine from the 1500s, with stories about the gruvfru (mine lady), the Flogberg dragon and the everyday life of the miners.

Operated by

Smedjebacken kommun

Admission & discounts

Tickets for the summer guided tours are booked via Nortic. Payment for visits outside the café's opening hours is by invoice or Swish, and when the café is open also by card.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The guided route goes via stairs, slopes and paths with roots, so you must be able to climb stairs. Parking for people with reduced mobility is near the mine house, and an accessible ramp leads into the café. Toilets, one of them accessible, are in the outbuilding next to the mine house. The mine area, the car parks and the road up are not paved. There is no induction loop.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The summer visits are aimed at the whole family and build, among other things, on the stories of the mine lady and the Flogberg dragon.

Getting there & parking

The mine lies on a rocky summit by the village of Lernbo, about 7 km west of Smedjebacken, with a view over Lake Leran. The site is well signposted.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Café Gruvstugan in the old mine house from Östanberg is open in summer. On the upper floor there is an exhibition on the history of Flogberget.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit