The Skålberget limestone quarry was declared a nature preserve on Dec. 13, 1994 in order to preserve the unique geology of the area. It is owned and administered by the municipality of Rättvik. You are welcome to visit the quarry, but please respect the law.
§ Within the protected area it is forbidden to:
-
dig or mine
-
blast, break loose or alter the exposed bedrock with tools
-
remove stone samples from either solid rock or loose material
-
dump or fill the area in any way that affects the exposed bedrock
Slaked lime began to be used in Sweden about the time that there was a marked increase in church building. It is therefore likely that the construction of the Rättvik church in the 13th century gave rise to the first lime processing in open pit ovens here in the Rättvik area. In the 16th and 17th centuries plastered fireplaces became more common. This resulted in an increase in the local production of lime. The processed, slaked lime was mixed with sand and water to make plaster, which hardened and held the stones together.
Travellers in the Dalarna countryside in the 18th century described the processing of lime as a supplementary occupation to farming§. Slaking took place in winter, when the farmers had extra time. The slaked lime was sold throughout large areas of Dalarna and even up in Hälsingland. During the 19th century lime slaking continued to be an important supplement to agriculture in those parts of Rättvik and Boda where there was limestone bedrock.
The advent of the railroad at the end of the 19th century brought new possibilities for a more industrialized lime production. The merchant J.H Munktell of the Grycksbo Paper Mill provided the indirect impulse for several residents from the Gränd villages who joined together to start the Kullsberg Lime Factory in 1898. Lime was needed for paper processing. Originally the slaked lime was used mostly for plaster, fertilizer and in the paper mills. Later by far the biggest customer of lime was the Domnarvet,where lime was used in the manufacture of iron.
In 1927 two farmers from Västberg founded the New Rättvik Lime Factory at Skålberget. A shaft furnace was built, part of which is still standing. Two open pit ovens were also used. The company soon failed and in 1929 it was taken over by Kullsberg . During the 1930´s
production here at Skålberget was at its height. Mining in the Skålberg quarry continued until the 1940´s, when it was discontinued because the limestone contained too much iron pyrite to make lime that was acceptable for use in steel mills. The furnace at Skålberget continued to be used during peak periods until the 1960´s, it processed limestone from the Draggäng quarry.
