Trondheim, historic port, central Norway. It lies on a sheltered peninsula on the southern shore of the deeply indented Trondheims Fjord at the mouth of the Nidelva (river), 23 miles (37 km) southeast of the Norwegian Sea.
Norway: The old mining town of Røros
The traditional mountain village of Røros in Trøndelag is one of the oldest towns of wooden buildings in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Røros came into existence in 1644, after the first copper discovery in the area. Over the years, it became one of the most important mining towns in Norway.
Today, we were headed into even more rural parts of Norway. Even the weather was playing ball, at least for now.
The first part of our route took us along the main highway, and as we were passing by one village Karen spotted a sign for a wooden stave church. We’d seen the stave church at the Folk Museum in Oslo, so we had now started to become a bit addicted to seeing more.
During the Middle Ages, immense stone cathedrals were constructed in many parts of Europe. In Norway, a similar technique was used for building in wood, although on a much smaller scale.
The churches’ wooden doors and finials are often beautifully carved. The decorations feature an intriguing combination of Christian motifs and what is often assumed to be pre-Christian Viking themes with animals and dragons.
There are several types of stave churches, but what they all have in common are corner posts (“staves”) and a framework of timber with wall planks standing on sills. These walls are known as stave walls, hence the name “stave church”.
Once present all over Norway, today only 28 remain.
This stave church was Ringebu Stavkirke, which originates from 1200. The original church was renovated in the 17th century when the distinctive red tower was added, and while at one stage the interior was painted white, the original colouring has since been restored.
The church was in an amazing location, set in open fields with a background of verdant hills. It was picture-perfect! We walked around the church and through the graveyard, which was typically Scandinavian, neat and tidy.
We were very happy with our visit to the Ringebu Stavkirke and set off to explore more of the Norwegian countryside along the route to our main destination of the day Røros, an old mining town which is now a UNESCO world heritage site. Our journey took us onto to high plains, which reminded us of the moors in North Yorkshire, covered in low scrub and heather. I would imagine that it is bleak up here in the winter months. Here in early August, we had broken clouds and pleasant temperatures. We had our first sightings of traditional single-level houses, painted red, with green-turfed roofs and wildflowers growing atop.
The roads were narrow, so progress was slow. We also made frequent stops to admire the stunning scenery, so it was mid-afternoon before we finally arrived in Røros. This small town was established back in the 17th century to exploit the copper that was discovered in the area. Mining only stopped in the area in 1977, which meant 333 continuous years of operation. The invading Swedish army destroyed the town in 1679, but it was rebuilt, and today it contains over 2000 of the original one and two-storey houses and a smelting house. Many of these buildings have preserved their blackened wooden façades, giving the town a medieval appearance. The town and its copper smelter were inscribed on the register of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1980, which was expanded to cover some of the surrounding area in 2010.
The weather had been a bit iffy for most of the day, but we were lucky because the sun was shining brightly when we pulled into Røros. We didn’t have much of a plan for our visit, so we just decided to walk the streets and see what we found. When I think of mining towns, the word quaint does not come to mind – oppressive, ugly, and depressing yes. But Røros is quaint. There are many wooden houses with blackened wooden façades, yet the town has many buildings painted in reds, yellows and blues. It was lovely to walk the streets among these houses.
We made our way across to the museum and the old copper smelter. After some deliberation, we decided not to go in, and instead continue walking around. We walked across towards the mining area where the land had been permanently scarred by hundreds of years of mining. There were several large spoil tips where the debris of the mining had been piled. We didn’t go across to these, but we could see people climbing on them in the distance.
Inside the museum there are several exhibits covering the history of copper mining in the area and life in mining community here through the ages.
It is also possible to visit one of the mines, called Olav’s Mine, with a guided tour on Thursdays and Saturdays at 15:00.
It was nice just to walk around the streets of Røros, taking photos along the way. The place is understandably focused on tourism, which is probably the biggest part of the local economy – so the streets were mostly filled with restaurants, cafes and craft & gift shops.
Planning your visit to Røros
BY BUS
You can catch a bus every day to and from Trondheim.
BY TRAIN
There are several departures by train to and from Oslo/Hamar and Trondheim.
BY PLANE
Røros Airport is situated 50 minutes by plane from Oslo Airport Gardermoen. We have flights to and from Røros every day except Saturdays.
Trondheim Airport Værnes has connecting flights with other Norwegian airports every day. You can get a direct flight to and from Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Berlin, London, Riga, Tallinn, Gdańsk, Kraków and Reykjavik.
BY CAR
Oslo – Røros:
It will take approx. 5 hours by car or bus from Oslo to Røros. Go by E6 and RV3 via Elverum.
Alternative routes:
RV28 via Trysil and the beautiful Femundsenden (“Lake-end”).
Nasjonal Turistvei Rondane via Alvdal follows RV27 from Enden to Folldal.
From Folldal to Alvdal, Tynset and finally Røros.
Trondheim – Røros:
It will take approx. 2 hours by car or bus from Trondheim to Røros (RV30).
Alternative routes:
FV705 – the beautiful road between Stjørdal and Røros, passing over the mountains from Stugudal to Brekken.
It’s a 2 1/2 hour drive from Værnes/Hell to Røros.
FV705 – feel free to drive via the gravel road between Stugudal and Ålen, before getting to Røros. Summertime only!
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The best time to visit Norway
The best time to visit Norway in the northern region is in the fall, which brings thinner crowds, cooler weather between 5°C to 10°C, and glorious foliage.
The best time to visit Norway in the southern region is between May and August, when the days are long, the landscapes are green, and the weather is warm, between 16°C and 22°C. This is a popular time to explore the region, so expect to see a few more visitors around. In northern Norway, you can hike under the midnight sun at this time of year.
The two regions have very different climates, so when you visit Norway will likely depend both on what you want to do when you’re there and where you want to go.
Starting in late November and running until February or March, the whole country turns into a wintry playground, especially the northern region. If you’re comfortable with frigid temperatures, this is an excellent time to visit the Arctic Circle, where you can watch the northern lights and enjoy the deep snow that blankets the landscape.
The best time to visit the fjords is in April, May or June, which are perhaps the most photogenic months when the fruit orchards on the shoreline explode into pastel bloom. However, this area of the country offers a milder climate which makes it an excellent destination year-round.
Where to stay in Røros
1. Bergstadens Hotel
The hotel offers lovely, well-furnished guest rooms, as well as a number of suites. All rooms come with a bath/shower, multi-channel TV, radio, telephone and hair-dryer.
All in all, the hotel has 90 rooms(203 beds), of which 4 are suites and 3 junior suites, at all times ready for our guests. We can also offer superior rooms, which are upgraded rooms with bathtub and balcony. 60 rooms are newly refurbished to a high standard. All our rooms are non-smoking and we can offer special rooms for allergy sufferers and for those who wish to bring pets. With us you will find a room for any occasion.
2. Røros Hotell
Only a 10-minute walk from the centre of Roros, this is one of the largest hotels in the area, with 157 comfortable rooms of different sizes. It is also a family-friendly hotel.
There is a 27-metre-long pool, where kids can enjoy themselves in a separate part of the pool. There are several smaller pools, an outdoor pool and a jacuzzi. You can use several different saunas.
3. Erzscheidergården Hotell
This cosy, little hotel is right next to the beautiful church in Røros.
The soul of the mining town Røros, one of only a few UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Norway, is evident in Erzscheidergården – a building from the 17th century.
There are several comfortable rooms – each one is unique.
Wake up to the smell of waffles in the morning, and enjoy our famous breakfast with local produce and homemade food.
More to Explore
