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Gaustabanen is powered by a frequency-controlled motor with just over 100 horsepower.
The steel cable that pulls the carriages is 30.5 mm in diameter and approximately 1,120 meters long.
The drive wheel in the engine room has a diameter of 3.5 meters.
The steel cable is looped in three figure-eight patterns around a matching wheel, which ensures that weight differences between the cars are balanced and unnoticeable.
At all times, about 70 meters of steel cable is wrapped around the drive wheels in the engine room.
The funicular is radio-controlled and can be operated from the engine room, the brake station, or from inside the cars.
The staircase running alongside the vertical track has approximately 3,500 steps.
The temperature inside the vertical tunnel remains constant between 5 and 8 degrees Celsius year-round.

THE MOUNTAIN FULL OF SECRETS

Gaustatoppen is well known to many, especially through the long-standing interest of artists who have been inspired by its striking form over the years.

What fewer people know is that a secret facility was built inside Gaustatoppen after World War II. Developed by the Norwegian Armed Forces, the facility played a significant role in NATO communications, helping to protect shared interests during the Cold War.

In the accompanying images and descriptions, you can see how the facility is laid out. The areas marked in red are located inside the mountain, while the blue areas are visible on the surface.

1 – Lower Station The Armed Forces once had both storage and a workshop at the entrance to the tunnel. Today, the emergency generator is located here.
In the oval building above the entrance, there were originally three bedrooms, a small living room, and a kitchen for military personnel. Today, the space is used as offices and a break room for Gaustabanen staff.
From the tunnel entrance, it’s approximately 20 meters to the tram.

2 – The Tram The first stage of the journey is by tram, running 850 meters horizontally into the mountain. To help drain groundwater from the tunnel, there is a five-meter elevation drop along the route.
Originally, the tram carried 10 passengers, but when Gaustabanen was opened to tourism, a replica was built. The two trams are now connected and can transport a total of 24 passengers.

3 – The Transfer Station (Brekket) Here, you leave the tram, walk up a small staircase, and transfer to the main funicular.

Gaustabanen is a funicular railway, identical in principle to the Fløibanen in Bergen – the main difference is that Gaustabanen runs inside the mountain. Both were delivered by the Swiss company von Roll. The system operates with a car at each end of a long steel cable – as one car goes up, the other comes down.

4 – The Funicular
The cars on Gaustabanen are original from 1958, but have been extended to accommodate more tourists.
The funicular track runs 1,050 meters from the transfer station (Brekket) to the upper station, with a steep incline of 39 degrees. The elevation gain from Brekket to the top is 670 vertical meters.
The ride to the summit takes approximately eight minutes

5 – Upper Station
When you exit the funicular at the upper station, you'll find the engine room. This is where the main motor that drives the cars is located.
The railway is radio-controlled, which means it can be operated not only from the engine room, but also directly from one of the cars.
Outside the upper station, there is a long tunnel out to the viewpoint. Here are benches where you can sit and wait for the next departure.

6 – Tuddalstippen
To reach the exit at Tuddalstippen, you walk through a 110-meter-long tunnel from the upper station.
At the exit, you'll find restrooms and our supply stand "Provianten", where you can buy refreshments, gear and souveniers.
From here, a 180-meter stone staircase leads you past the Gaustatoppen Tourist Cabin (Turisthytte) and up to the main viewpoint at the summit.

7 – The Radio Line Room
For 50 years, the station at Gaustatoppen was a key hub in Norway’s military radio line network, and much of the equipment was located right here.
Today, the space has been repurposed for private events and food service – this is where you’ll find the Kongeloungen Café.

8 – The King’s Elevator Kongeheisen – or King’s Elevator – is barely large enough for four people and was completed just before King Olav visited the facility in 1977.
The elevator changes direction partway through the ride, and with a steep incline of 47 degrees, it runs from the Radio Line Room up to the office and apartment building at the very top.
The elevator is not open to the public, but you can see it when visiting the Kongeloungen Café.

9 – The Telenor Facility
This facility was built and funded by Televerket (now Telenor) in the early 1970s. It is still in use today and not open to the public.
While much of the structure is technically visible, large parts are covered with stone. Some of the building can be seen from below, and the roof serves both as a helipad and a viewpoint for hikers and visitors.

10 – The Tower
Gaustatoppen still plays a vital role in Norway’s communications network. The 64-meter-high tower is packed with antennas for radio, TV, and mobile networks, and also serves as a communication hub for air traffic control and emergency services.
The tower is not open to the public.
From here, it takes about 20 minutes to walk along the ridge to the highest point of Gaustatoppen – 1,883 meters above sea level.

11 – The Military Apartment
Until the early 1970s, Gaustatoppen was staffed around the clock. A team of four to five personnel worked here at any given time, and this area includes offices, bedrooms, a common room, and a small kitchen.
Today, the apartment is no longer in use for operations and is not open to the public – except during guided tours.

The story behind...

Gaustatoppen 1883 – A Mountain, Nature, and People

Many consider Gaustatoppen to be Norway’s most beautiful mountain, standing majestically above Rjukan and the Vestfjord Valley. The first recorded ascent of Gaustatoppen was described in a book in 1810. From the early 1800s, artists were drawn to the mountain’s distinctive shape, and their work soon inspired tourists to visit both Gaustatoppen and what was then known as the world’s highest waterfall – Rjukanfossen.

This growing interest led the Norwegian Trekking Association (Den Norske Turistforening) to establish two of its first cabins in Tinn municipality – one by Rjukanfossen in 1887 and one on Gaustatoppen in 1893. The Gaustatoppen Tourist Cabin was built using stone from the mountain itself.

In the early 1930s, during the rise of alpine skiing, the very first alpine races were held on Gaustatoppen. Later, national championships followed in the spectacular Gaustaløypa – a 5,500-meter course with a vertical drop of nearly 1,600 meters that truly tested even the best skiers.

In 1935, Gaustatoppen became part of Norway’s modern meteorological history when a dedicated weather station was established on the summit at 1,840 meters above sea level, with a full-time meteorologist on duty.

On April 1st, 1939, the local newspaper Rjukan Dagblad reported that a passenger lift would be built inside Gaustatoppen. Norway had been awarded the 1940 Alpine World Championships, and the plan was to use the Gaustaløypa. As it turned out, the story was an April Fool’s joke – but twenty years later, the idea became reality when Gaustabanen was officially opened.

Top Secret Area

After World War II, the Norwegian Armed Forces set out to build the world’s most advanced communication system — a radio link network based on microwave and wireless communication.
They searched for strategic locations for central stations, and with its elevation of 1,883 meters, central position in Southern Norway, and a view covering one-sixth of the country, Gaustatoppen became a natural choice.

The challenge, however, was how to establish a station at the summit. Should they build a road or an external gondola? The solution was a cable railway — built inside the mountain. Financing also posed difficulties. The Norwegian Telegraph Service (now Telenor), NRK, and the Norwegian Trekking Association were natural partners, but tourism was originally intended to be the main source of funding.

In 1948, Norway became a member of NATO. As the Cold War escalated, NATO pushed to accelerate the development of the radio line system in Norway. Gaustatoppen took on an even more critical strategic role, and by the time the first blast was set off inside the mountain, NATO had taken full control of the project.

In the autumn of 1953, NATO allocated 2 million dollars to the project — with one condition: the facility was to be a closed military area with no access for tourists. Gaustatoppen was to become a central hub in Norway’s military radio network.
Although much of the information remains classified to this day, there is no doubt that Gaustabanen played an important role during the Cold War.

The construction of Gaustabanen was no easy feat — and may never have been completed without the backing of a strong player like NATO. Work began in early 1954. The railway starts at Langefonn (1,150 meters above sea level) and ends 650 meters higher, at 1,800 meters. This was an engineering masterpiece, built under harsh conditions that included permafrost, large temperature fluctuations, and constant reinforcement work.

Gaustabanen consists of an 850-meter horizontal tram tunnel leading to Brekket, where passengers transfer to a funicular that climbs 1,050 meters at a 39-degree incline. The facility was completed in autumn 1958 and officially opened in June 1959.

From 1958 well into the 1990s, Gaustatoppen remained an active military site. It was considered the most advanced radio relay station in the world — a showcase for Norway’s allies. In the 1950s and ’60s, 12–14 military personnel worked inside the mountain in secret chambers. When off duty, they spent their time in apartments just below the Gausta communications tower.

The people of Rjukan knew little about what was hidden inside the mountain. And those who did know — didn’t talk about it.

Gaustabanen for Everyone

After years of preparation and test runs, Gaustabanen finally opened to the public in 2010 — nearly 60 years after the idea was first introduced. Today, the railway transports close to 100,000 visitors to and from Gaustatoppen each year.

Gaustabanen offers groups the chance to step into what feels like a time machine, experiencing the facility in its original setting, brought to life through engaging and immersive storytelling.
Guided tours and private events can be booked in advance.

ABOUT GAUSTABANEN

THIS IS THE FACILITY

THE MOUNTAIN FULL OF SECRETS

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The story behind...

Top Secret Area

Gaustabanen for Everyone