Paeskatun Slate Quarry

OVERVIEW

Discover how Alta’s highly prized slate is quarried at Paeskatun, a family-owned company that operates high in the mountains. It is believed that slate was extracted in the Alta area beginning in the Stone Age and used for making knives, spearheads and arrowheads. These prehistoric quarries drew people from far and wide who gathered for rituals and created rock carvings near the head of the fjord, where Alta is now located. Founded about 25 years ago, Paeskatun is a modern slate company. While touring the production hall, you will learn how slate is quarried, stored and shaped to make everything from roof tiles to furniture to billiards tabletops. It is a fascinating process that hasn’t changed enormously over time. The slate is still split into thin slabs using hand tools. Even the thinnest of the slabs is strong and durable. If you stroll the grounds, you may see replicas of 19th-century slate worker homes.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit a quarry in the mountains where huge quantities of premium slate are extracted.
• Gain insight into the qualities of slate that make it such a desirable building material.
• Learn a bit about the history of slate and how it is still split using hand tools.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.