For almost a thousand years, life along the Drammenselva River has been shaped by the migration of salmon. Below Hellefossen, where the river's power gathers in rapids and pools, a society grew up where nature provided both work, income and identity. The first reliable written sources about salmon fishing date from the 12th century, during the time of King Harald Gill. Even then, the fishing at Djupvik and the areas below Hellefossen was so valuable that the royal power secured ownership. This tells of a fishery of great economic importance – a fishery that laid the foundation for settlement, power and industry along the river.

Throughout the Middle Ages and into modern times, salmon fishing rights became part of the larger power structures in society. First the crown, later the church and again the state had control over the fishing. But it was the people along the river who lived with and from the salmon – fishermen, farmers, boat builders and floaters.

Advanced fishing methods were developed along the banks. Stone settings, bulwarks, nets, flakes and later nets testify to a high level of knowledge about the river's currents and the salmon's migration. Every spring and summer, people gathered at the fixed fishing spots, and the area below the waterfall became a lively meeting place where work, trade and stories went hand in hand.

The society below Hellefossen was not just about fishing. The river was also a means of transport, a workplace and a source of livelihood. Timber rafting, boats, trade and later industry grew up side by side with traditional salmon fishing. Generations of people lived their lives in rhythm with the river – with spring floods, summer fishing and autumn work.

What makes the history of Hellefossen particularly unique is its continuity. What we still see traces of today is a living tradition with roots back to the Middle Ages. The salmon brought people together, created prosperity and shaped a local community that still carries the history of the river within it.