Røros

Summer is mild and green, with long light evenings, and it is the best time for hiking and boat trips. It is also the wettest season. Winter is long, dark and very cold, but dry snow and clear frosty days make it the most atmospheric time to visit. Spring and autumn are quiet, and snow can fall in any month outside high summer.

The biggest event of the year is Rørosmartnan, the winter market held in late February. Horse-drawn sleighs arrive from the surrounding villages and Sweden, the streets fill with market stalls, and old-time dance music plays in cafés from morning to night. Book accommodation well ahead for market week and for the Christmas market in early December.

Bergstaden Røros is the heart of any visit: a compact grid of timber houses, workers' cottages and merchant yards that looks much as it did in the mining era. Walk the two main streets and look into the courtyards behind them.

Røros Church is a white octagonal stone church from 1784, known locally as Bergstadens Ziir, "the ornament of the mining town". It seats about 1,600 people and is one of the largest churches in Norway, with a richly painted pulpit and altar.

Røros Museum Smeltery is the main museum and World Heritage centre, run by Rørosmuseet on the site of the old smelting house. Its exhibitions explain mining and smelting, the Sami history of the mining town and life in the old copper town.

Slag Heaps are the black and grey heaps of waste slag left by three centuries of smelting. They sit right next to the town centre and give the best view over the roofs and the church tower.

Olav's Mine lies about 13 km from town. A one-hour guided tour takes you 50 m below ground through workings from the 17th and 20th centuries. Bring warm clothes and solid shoes, even in summer.

Røros is at its most distinctive in winter, but every season has something special.

• Rørosmartnan in late February: watch horse-drawn sleighs arrive in town and join the crowds at a winter market held since 1854.
• The Christmas market in early December: stalls of local crafts and food, reindeer in the streets, open fires and carols in the snow.
• Dog sledding: from winter into spring, local operators offer guided rides and trips of one or more days in the snowy valleys around Røros.
• A guided walk through the mining town: a local guide shows you the miners' cottages, the old workplaces and the stories behind the houses.
• Farm visits to local food producers: in summer, taste the cheese, meat and baking the region is known for.

The wilderness around Røros is the main reason to go out of town for a day. A car makes most trips much easier.

• Femunden and Femundsmarka nasjonalpark — Synnervika on Norway's second-largest natural lake is about 30 km from Røros. In summer the boat MS Fæmund II sails the lake every day, and a bus links Synnervika with Røros. The national park east of the lake is a wilderness of pine forest, lakes and rivers. Musk oxen and wild reindeer live there.
• Trondheim — about 2.5 hours by train or car. Go for Nidaros Cathedral and the old wooden wharf houses by the river. It works better as an overnight stop than a day trip.

Røros is part of Trøndelag. These destinations combine well with it:

• North by train: Trondheim is the region's main city, and the trains on the Røros Line end there.
• South along the railway: the Røros Line follows the forests and rivers of Østerdalen towards Hamar and Oslo.
• Mountains to the west: Oppdal is a ski and hiking resort next to Dovrefjell, home of wild reindeer and musk oxen.
• History to the north: Stiklestad is the site of the battle where King Olav fell in 1030.

• By air: Røros Airport is about 2 km from the town, with flights from Oslo of about 50 minutes on most days. There is no bus from the airport, so take a taxi or walk. For more choice of flights, fly to Trondheim and continue by train or bus.
• By train: the Røros Line connects Røros with Trondheim in about 2.5 hours, and with Hamar in about 3.5 hours. From Oslo, change at Hamar; the whole trip takes about 5 hours. The line is run by SJ Norway; plan and buy tickets at Entur.
• By bus: express buses reach Røros from Trondheim in about 2 hours.
• By car: about 2.5 hours from Trondheim via the E6 and road 30, or about 5 hours from Oslo via road 3 through Elverum.

• On foot: the historic centre is small and flat enough to see on foot. The station, the church, the museum and the slag heaps are all within about ten minutes' walk of each other.
• Guided walks: guided town walks run all year, with tours in English in summer.
• Outside the town: there is no public transport to Olav's Mine, and buses to the lakes and national parks are few. Use a car, a taxi or an organised trip.
• Taxi: there are local taxis, but book ahead, especially late in the evening and for the airport.
• In winter: wear shoes with good grip or ice spikes, as the streets are often packed snow and ice.

• Is a car worth it?: not for the town itself, which you can see on foot. A car is very useful for Olav's Mine, Femunden and the national parks.
• Parking: park in the public car parks at the edge of the historic centre and walk in; the narrow old streets have little space.
• Winter: roads are snowy and icy for much of the year. Make sure your car has winter tyres, drive slowly and expect reindeer and moose on rural roads.

Røros is one of Norway's best-known regions for local food. Look for reindeer and other game, mountain trout, organic dairy products and cheese from local farms, flatbread and traditional baking. Many restaurants in town build their menus around produce from the surrounding mountain farms.

The best eating is along the two main streets of the old town and in the courtyards just off them, where cafés, bakeries and restaurants sit in historic timber buildings. Shops there sell local cheese, cured meats and other produce to take home.

Røros is a very safe town, and crime against visitors is rare. The real risk is the cold. Winter temperatures can stay far below freezing for days, so wear proper winter clothing, a hat and gloves, and take care on icy streets.

If you go hiking or skiing in the mountains or national parks, check the weather forecast, tell someone your plans and carry extra warm layers. Phone coverage can be weak in the most remote areas.

Copper ore was found here in 1644, and the mining town grew up around the copper works. In 1646 the Danish-Norwegian king gave the company rights to the forests, rivers and land in a wide ring around the mines. This area is called the Circumference, and it is now part of the World Heritage Site.

Swedish troops burned the town in 1678 and again in 1679, during the Scanian War. It was rebuilt in wood, and that is largely the town you see today. The prosperity of the 18th century paid for Røros Church, finished in 1784. Workers smelted ore by the river. Beside the town, the Slag Heaps grew year after year.

The railway arrived in 1877 and connected Røros with the rest of Norway. Mining continued until the copper works went bankrupt in 1977, after 333 years. Røros became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, and the site was extended in 2010 to include the Circumference. The area has also long been home to Southern Sami reindeer herders, and the town's Sami name is Plaassja.

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