Moseløkken Stenbrudsmuseum

Useful Information

Location:	(55.273732, 14.776744)
Open:	Week 17 to SEP Mon-Fri 9-16. [2023]
Fee:	Adults DKK 90, Children (0-12) DKK 80. Groups (10+): Adults DKK 80. [2023]
Classification:	Open Cast Mining
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Moseløkken Stenbrudsmuseum, Moseløkkevej 9, 3770 Allinge, Tel: +45-56-48-04-68. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Geology

The granite diapir is an intrusion of magma into the surrounding crystalline rock, which is 1.7 Ga old. As it stuck and cooled very slowly, the components separated by solidifying at different temperatures. That's the general way how granite is formed. The cranite is crossed by cracks which contain diabase and are much younger.

Description

The Moseløkken Stenbrudsmuseum (Moss Loop Quarry Museum) is a granite quarry museum which explains the local granite extraction. Denmark has only one single site with granite, that's the island Bornholm, which is an eroded granite diapir. As a result the Danish merchants were interested to mine granite and ship it to the big cities of Denmark. This quarry was opened at the shore of the island, an artificial ditch or gorge to the shore, and a harbour which was built only for the shipping of granit in front of the quarry made this operation quite efficient. Many granite buildings and sculptures in Denmark were made with granite from Bornholm, for example the Carlsberg elephants, at the entrance of Christiansborg, the pavement in the Amaliehaven of Copenhagen, and the columns at the entrance of the National Museum.

A Bornholm stonemason explains the visitors how granite was mined during the last 150 years, and he demonstartes many techniques. There is a museum about the history of the quarry and usage of the rock. Visitor can mine some granite themselves and try out the drilling machines and granite hammer. The souvenirs in the stores are produced by the museum's own stonemasons.

The quarry museum is operated by the non-profit Stenbrudsmuseets støtteforening (quarry museum association) which consists mostly of local stonemasons. The quarry is actually the last working granite quarry on the island.