Olavsgruva is the best-preserved of the old Røros copper mines, located a few kilometres outside town on the Storwartz road. The mine operated from 1650 until 1977, when the company finally went bankrupt after three centuries of extraction. Today guided tours take visitors deep into the mine, where the temperature stays at a constant 5°C year-round — bring a warm layer even in summer.
The tour covers the mine's working history, the tools and techniques used across three centuries, and the conditions the miners endured. The deepest accessible level is about 50 metres underground, and the sheer scale of the excavated chambers gives a visceral sense of the labour involved. The mine also has displays covering the geology of the copper deposit and how the ore was processed.
Tours depart regularly from mid-June through August; the schedule is reduced in the shoulder seasons. The mine is not accessible independently — all visits are guided. The walk or drive out from the town centre adds a useful sense of the landscape around Røros: open plateau, scattered birch trees, and long views in every direction.