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Roros

A perfectly preserved copper-mining town of black timber houses on a bleak mountain plateau - a UNESCO site that turns into a winter fairy tale.

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Illustrative image - a scene in the spirit of the place, not a photograph of it. Real photos are below.

UNESCO World Heritage

Typeold town

WhereTrondelag

Nearest cityRoros

Best seasonDecember to February for the winter town; summer for walking

Time to allowHalf a day

Getting thereOn a high plateau in central Norway; train and flights, or a long drive from Trondheim

EntryFree to walk; mine and museum charge

Roros grew around a copper mine on a bleak high plateau, and when the mines closed the whole timber town survived, a UNESCO ensemble of tarred black wooden houses, turf roofs and a great stone church, still lived in. In the deep cold of winter, with smoke rising and snow underfoot, it becomes a genuine fairy tale.

What you actually see

The wooden streets - the black-tarred timber houses and turf roofs of the mining town.
Roros church - the great stone church that towers over the wooden town.
The smelting works and mines - the industrial heritage that built the town, now museums.
Winter Roros - the snow-bound town, at its most magical in the cold and dark.

When to go

Deep winter for the fairy-tale snow, smoke and cold, the town at its most atmospheric; summer for easy walking and the surrounding plateau. The winter market in February is a highlight.

Honest expectations

It is high, remote and can be brutally cold, minus forty has been recorded, so winter visits need serious warm clothing. It is small and quickly walked, a place to absorb rather than a list of sights. Reaching it takes real travel, by train, plane or a long drive.