Wanderyn
Røros
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
city · NO

Røros

Recommended stay: 2 days
Getting around: Røros has its own train station with a scenic line connecting to Trondheim (about two and a half hours) and to Hamar/Oslo to the south, making it one of the easier remote Norwegian towns to reach without a car. The old town itself is compact and walkable, its wooden streets built for foot and cart traffic rather than cars, and most sights are within a 15-minute walk of each other. A car becomes useful mainly for reaching the surrounding countryside and old mining sites outside the immediate center.
Hours: Winters in Røros are genuinely severe — this is one of the coldest inhabited places in Norway, with temperatures regularly dropping well below -20°C — so pack accordingly if visiting outside summer; some mining-related attractions and tours run reduced schedules or close entirely in the off-season.

Røros is a former copper-mining town, UNESCO-listed since 1980, whose old center survived largely intact because the mining company that built it went bankrupt in 1977 rather than modernizing the town out of existence — the result is one of the best-preserved wooden mining towns in Europe, with roughly 80 protected buildings including miners' cottages, smelting works, and the striking stone Røros Church, built in 1784 and unusually large for a town this size, a reflection of the mining wealth that once flowed through it.

The mining operation ran for 333 years, from 1644 to 1977, and its scars and infrastructure are visible throughout the surrounding landscape, including the Old Smelting Works (Smelthytta), now a museum, and slag heaps that have become part of the local topography. Røros sits at high altitude on a treeless, exposed plateau, which explains both its brutal winters and its distinct visual character compared to Norway's fjord towns.

The town works well as a two-day stop, combining a walk through the protected old center with a mining-history museum visit, and it has a genuinely strong food scene tied to its rural surroundings, including local reindeer and game specialties reflecting its position near Sámi reindeer-herding areas.

Røros FAQs

How many days should I spend in Røros?

Two days works well, combining a walk through the protected old mining town with a museum visit and a proper sampling of the local food scene.

Do I need a car to reach Røros?

No, it has its own train station with a scenic line to Trondheim and connections south to Hamar and Oslo, making it reachable without driving. A car is mainly useful for exploring the surrounding countryside.

How cold does it get in Røros?

Genuinely severe — it's one of the coldest inhabited places in Norway, with winter temperatures regularly dropping well below -20°C, so pack accordingly if visiting outside summer.

Why is Røros UNESCO-listed?

Its old center survived largely intact because the mining company went bankrupt in 1977 rather than modernizing the town away, leaving roughly 80 protected wooden buildings from its 333-year mining history.

Is Røros worth visiting in winter?

Yes for the atmosphere and snow-covered old town, but some mining-related attractions and tours run reduced schedules or close entirely in the off-season, so check ahead.

Your travel graph
Ready to plan Røros?Planning a trip soon? Add it to build an itinerary.

Reviews/Comments

No comments yet — be the first.