Top ecotourism destinations: Røros, Norway

Former mining town of Røros in Norway is one of the top ecotourism destinations suggested by responsibletravel.com ahead of the 11th World Responsible Tourism Awards.

Røros, in the Norwegian county of Sør-Trøndelag, used to be an iconic mining town, famous for its copper reserves and is now “a place of whispering history”.

Despite the place ceasing its mining activity in the 70s, it conserved the characteristic 17th and 18th century wooden buildings, which led the town to become a UNESCO World Heritage site back in 1980.

The town is an attraction itself, but visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities besides admiring the traditional buildings.

Three national parks are located within close distance from the town, as well as forests, lakes and mountains. Røros offers dog sledging tours, for instance with Alaskan Husky Tours, which works to promote ecotourism in the region.

The company is one of the first five certified ecotourism enterprises in Norway and aims to offer a service that respects the environment, the people and the animals.

Fishing, cycling, canoeing, horse riding and walking are also activities available to travellers, who can also enjoy numerous traditional food markets and farms to visit and shop.

The World Responsible Tourism Awards celebrates the ‘heroes’ of responsible tourism; it is organised by responsibletravel.com and is sponsored by the Oman Ministry of Tourism.

Photo:  Femundløpet Presse via flickr

Further reading:

Top ecotourism destinations: Bonito, Brazil

Travel Foundation: sustainable tourism will soon be ‘the only way to do business’

Ecotourism flourishes when local people are engaged with sustainability

Sustainable tourism is an instrument to ‘protect nature and alleviate poverty’

The Guide to Sustainable Tourism 2014