The view of the 87 peaks of the Romsdal Alps is worth the trip to Molde. The most scenic and most dramatic peaks are the Romsdalshorn, at 1,559m (5,114 ft.), and the Troll Tinder, at 1,905m (6,248 ft.). The best vantage point for all of this wonder is the Belvedere Varden, rising 396m (1,299 ft.) over Molde. Visitors can take a taxi up and ask the driver to wait for 20 minutes or so while you absorb the view. An alternative way for the more athletic is to walk up a marked trail from the center. We prefer this climb to a taxi, although you must allow about an hour of huffing and puffing to reach the top. Once here, you should be able to take in the island-studded Romsdalfjord as well as the peaks.
Part of the previously explored Romsdal Museum, the Fiskerimuseet (Fisheries Museum; tel. 93-42-54-06) lies on the island of Hjertøya. Its collection consists of more than two dozen buildings moved here from the western coast of Romsdal, including dwellings, boathouses, a mechanic's workshop, and other maritime buildings. There's a number of authentic old fishing boats and gear, and you can see how the Norwegian coastal fishermen, sealers, and whalers lived in olden times. A water taxi leaves from the marketplace, Torget, in the center of Molde during the museum's open hours. The round-trip fare is NOK60 ($12/£6) for adults and NOK40 ($8/£4) for children. Trip time is 10 minutes. The Fisheries Museum keeps the same hours as the Romsdal Museum ; your ticket to the major museum entitles you to visit this attraction as well.
Another attraction, Trollkirka (Troll's Church), near Eide, is a natural wonder with seven underground caves and grottoes. There's also a 14m (46-ft.) waterfall. Going through these grottoes, with their subterranean streams, is a mystical experience. To reach the gateway to the cave, you have to walk up from the signposted main road, a distance of 2.5km (1 1/2 miles). Because it's a scenic walk, it's most pleasurable. Allow about 1 hour to make the trip and wear sturdy shoes. Bus no. 241 goes to the site two to seven times per day. The area is an open site and can be explored at any time.
To wander back into the past, you can visit Vey Stone Church, dating from the 11th century, on Vey Island. The little village of Kaupangen on the island was the center of Romsdal until the 14th century and has a rich Viking past. If you'd like to visit, make your request through the Molde tourist office, which will give you a key to the church. You're taken here by a boatman for a cost of NOK90 ($18/£9) per person, although each boat must have at least four people.
Finally, motorists, armed with a map and directions from the tourist office, can drive 2 hours up Langfjorden and along the lake Eikesdalsvatneet to the waterfalls at Mardalsfossen. At one time, this was the highest waterfall in the world, a two-level cascade dropping 655m (2,148 ft.). Its greatest single drop is 297m (974 ft.). Mardalsfossen flows only between mid-June and mid-August. (How did Mardalsfossen lose its status among the top waterfalls of the world? Its power was extinguished by a hydroelectric project in the 1970s, which was constructed in spite of massive protests by Norwegian environmentalists.)
Memories of the Literati -- Today the famous Moldegård house, Fannestrandveien 40, lying 1km (1/2 mile) east of Molde, is privately owned and can be viewed only from the outside. It was the main house of the original Molde farm, built in 1710 by Hans Nobel. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, who wrote Norway's national anthem, among other poems, often visited here, taking his last trip to Moldegård in 1907. The cottage's more famous association is with Henrik Ibsen, who lived here in 1885 and used this beautiful rococo building for the setting of one of his best-known plays, Rosmersholm.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
