Molde and the Estrada do Atlântico

Molde lies on the north shore of the Romsdalsfjord, in the county of Møre e Romsdal, facing a row of mountains that rise on the far side of the fjord. It is the administrative seat, a medium-sized town with a modern centre rebuilt in the mid-20th century, and flowered gardens that earned it the nickname Cidade das Rosas. In July, the Molde Jazz Festival, one of the oldest in Europe, fills the streets.

The town's postcard view is the Molde panorama: from the Varden viewpoint on the hill behind the centre you can count 222 peaks around the fjord, many with snow into the summer. To the west of the town, the Museu de Romsdal brings together old houses from the region in an open-air museum. To the north, on the way to the coast, the marble cave Trollkirka contains a waterfall inside the rock.

About an hour's drive away, the Atlanterhavsveien, the Estrada do Atlântico, links the coast between Vevang and the island of Averøy via 8.3 km of causeways and eight bridges over islets and reefs, with the open sea on one side. The Storseisundet bridge, tall and curved, is the best-known image. Near the start of the road is Bud, a fishing village on the Hustadvika coast. In the opposite direction, Trollstigen is about an hour and a half from Molde.

The Hurtigruten stops in the town. Winter is usually wet and dark, with storms on the coast that make the Estrada do Atlântico more dramatic; summer is generally mild with very long days.

This destination brings together 1 city: Molde.