To avoid engaging a fleet of 25 ships, 400 of King Olav's men and 100 loyal peasant farmers from Romsdal built a road up from the Romsdalfjord which passed through the area that became known as Lesjaverk.

[5] Iron smelting is recorded at Lesjaverk as early as 1614, when King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway authorized the Romsdal Market at Devold on the Rauma river 4 miles upstream of Åndalsnes.

A historical path with signs provides the visitor with an overview of the original operation; the oldest ironworks of this magnitude in Norway.

A 3 metres (9.8 ft) high dam was constructed by the Lesja Iron Works in the 1660s to improve transportation caused the water to also flow eastward into the river Gudbrandsdalslågen.

[8] The lake lies at an elevation of 611 metres (2,005 ft) above sea level and it covers about 5 square kilometres (1.9 sq mi) in area.

The travel distances were great and it could be very difficult in the winter.”[11]During the German invasion of World War II, while retreating from Oslo half the Government stayed for one night at Lesjaverk, eight days before evacuating to London.

[12] King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav traveled over high-mountain roads, leaving Vågåmo on 17 April 1940 and passed through Lesjaverk on the way to Molde.