Loos koboltgruva

About the museum

In 1733 Henric Kalmeter was granted permission to work the bismuth deposits at Los. During a visit in 1736 he discovered that the ore contained cobalt, but the cobalt content was low, and the ore reserves began to decline in the 1760s. The mine was worked until 1773, when operations went bankrupt. On behalf of the state, Kalmeter built a smalt works (blåfärgsverk) in Los, where cobalt oxide and smalt were produced from 1745, and the glassworks Sophiendal was established in 1744. In 1751 Axel Fredrik Cronstedt discovered the element nickel in the ore from Los.

The mine became a museum through Föreningen Loosgrufvan (the Los Mine Association), which began work to reopen it in 1989 and has kept it open to the public since the mid-1990s. The mine was named Årets arbetslivsmuseum (Working-Life Museum of the Year) in 2022.

During the visit you go down into the mine on wooden walkways and stairs through tunnels in the rock. In the two wings of the mine building a historical exhibition and a mineral exhibition are shown, and since 2024 the exhibition on the Forest Finns (skogsfinnar) and Forest Finnish folk belief has been expanded. The association also receives visitors at Brynsågen (the Bryn saw) and at the ruins of the smalt works and the Sophiendal glassworks.

Highlights

• Guided tour underground in the 18th-century cobalt mine
• Historical exhibition and mineral exhibition
• Exhibition on the Forest Finns and Forest Finnish folk belief
• Brynsågen with a water-driven saw
• The smalt works and the Sophiendal glassworks

Permanent exhibitions

• Historisk utställning och mineralutställning – In the two wings of the mine building, the history of the mine and a collection of minerals from Los and Hamra are shown.
• Skogsfinnar och skogsfinsk folktro – Exhibition on the lives and folk belief of the Forest Finns, expanded in 2024.
• Guidad tur under jord – Tour through rock tunnels and mine galleries, with stories about Kalmeter, the ore and the miners.

Operated by

Föreningen Loosgrufvan

Admission & discounts

The prices apply to the standard tour with a slideshow (about 45 minutes). Discounts are available for groups of at least 10 people. Brynsågen is about 5 km north of Los and Sophiendal about 8 km from the mine, so a car is needed.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• 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

Underground you walk on wooden walkways and stairs, and the temperature is around 3–4 degrees; the mine lends a limited number of jackets. For those who cannot go down, a recorded tour is shown in the film hall.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

Children and young people have their own prices, and the Geologislingan (geology trail) in the southern part of the area, about stones and minerals, suits both children and adults. During the autumn break, special ghost-story tours are arranged.

Getting there & parking

The mine is in Los in Ljusdal Municipality, about 200 km from Gävle and 374 km from Stockholm. Coordinates (WGS84): 61.74225, 15.15656.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Coffee, ice cream and locally produced soft drinks are sold at the entrance. The mine shop sells local crafts, whetstones (bryne), hand-blown glass and literature. Benches and tables are available for your own packed food.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit