Långbans gruvor

Langban Mines - Langban Mining Village


Useful Information

Location: Hyttbacken, 682 92 Filipstad.
Långban, 15 km north of Filipstad.
(59.854060, 14.261083)
Open: Exhibition: Mid-JUN to end-AUG daily 10-18.
Guided Tour: Mid-JUN to end-AUG Mon-Fri 10:30, 14, Sat, Sun 14.
[2022]
Fee: Exhibition: Adults SEK 60, Children (-25) free.
Guided Tour: Adults SEK 40, Children (-25) free.
Both: Adults SEK 80, Children (-25) free.
[2022]
Classification: MineIron Mine
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:  
Guided tours:  
Photography:  
Accessibility:  
Bibliography: Gustav Funk (1926): Långban and its Minerals, American Mineralogist, Volume 11 pages 195-199, 1926. Mineralogical Society of America. online
K. Boström, H. Rydell, O. Joensuu (1979): Långban - An exhalative sedimentary deposit? Economic Geology: 74: 1002-1011.
F. Blatter (1997): Bergbau in Langban, Sweden. Aufschluss 48 (2), 97-123. (in German).
D. Holtstam, J. Langhof, eds. (1999): Langban: The mines, their minerals, geology and explorers Swedish Museum of Natural History and Raster Förlag, Stockholm & Chr. Weise Verlag, Munich, 216 pp.
Address: Långban Gruv- och Kulturby, Långban, 68291 Filipstad, Tel: +46-54-701-19-46. E-mail:
Reservation, Tel: +46-590-22115.
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

14th century first mining in the area.
1667 first written mention, iron deposit discovered by Anders Malm.
1930s end of ore mining, smelter closed down.
1957 begin of dolomite mining.
1972 end of dolomite mining.

Geology

The iron ores at Långban are skarns, manganese-iron with an extremely complex structure, metamorphized and neighboured by pegmatites. This result is an extreme amount of different minerals found in this mine. Of about 270 minerals found here, 70 minerals were found here for the first time, which means this is the locus typicus (type locale). About a dozen minerals are found only here, this is the only known location. The newest discovery is the mineral Långbanshyttanite, which was approved in 2011. The area is considered one of the richest sources of minerals on the entire planet. There are two more similar but less important deposits at Jakobsberg and Harstigen, which are related to Långban.

During the mining operations 970.000 t of iron ore and 510.000 t of manganese ores were mined. Concerning iron ores it was among the middle-sized deposits, but it was the main producer of manganese ores in Sweden for some time. During the 15 years of dolomite mining about 870.000 t of solomite were mined.

Description

The Langbans Mining Village includes numerous attraction. First there is Långbans gruvor (Langban Mine), which may be visited on guided tours. In the mining village are three different exhibitions, one of course about local minerals. There are two tours daily for the village itself and another two tours for the blast furnace. The Langbans Inn offers excellent food, so this is a place to stay the whole day.

Due to the enormous amount of unique minerals the site is also popular among mineral collectors. Collecting rocks and minerals on the slag heaps is allowed, but fenced areas are off limits. Collecting there is only allowed with a permit which requires scientific research.