Molde - Åndalsnes (one way)

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Photo: Mattias Fredriksson Photography AB - Vistinorway.com Molde - Åndalsnes This trip goes from Molde to Åndalsnes and corresponds with train departures from Åndalsnes. Åndalsnes is a nice town, majestically situated between the fjord and the mountains. Around Åndalsnes you have all possibilities to experience various activities, from stand-up paddling in the rivers to mountain hikes at all levels. The bus goes via the Sølsnes - Åfarnes ferry to Åndalsnes. The bus goes on the ferry and continues to Åndalsnes. The tour price includes the ferry ticket. https://fram.trekksoft.com/en_GB/activity/79646/enveistur-molde-aandalsnes

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Points of interest

#1

Åndalsnes train station - Raumabanen

Raumabanen - the Rauma Railway - is the only railway serving stations in Møre og Romsdal. This railway runs between Dombås and Åndalsnes, and is 114 km long. (Dombås station is also served by the Dovre railway.) There are six stations on Raumabanen. The railway was opened in 1924. The journey from Dombås to Åndalsnes takes about an hour and a half. The Raumabanen train takes you into a dramatic fairytale landscape. Among other sights, the train passes beneath Trollveggen and Romsdalshorn. The train runs over a renowned bridge called ‘Kylling bru’ (Chicken Bridge), which forms an arch over the river Rauma at a farm called Kylling. The bridge represents a pinnacle of engineering for its time. It is in solid stone and is 76 metres long with a main span of 42 metres. The stone used in the bridge was quarried from a mountain nearby. When Norway was occupied by Germany in April 1940, it became a matter of urgency to move Norway's gold reserve out of the country and into safe hands. The gold was transported from the Bank of Norway in Oslo to Lillehammer in lorries. From there, the gold went by freight train to Åndalsnes. The Rauma Railway had a leading role in the rescue of Norway's 49 tonnes of gold. Åndalsnes station was opened in 1924 when the Raumabanen railway was completed. In addition to regular regional trains, there are tourist trains in the summer between Dombås and Åndalsnes. Since its opening, the railway has been very popular with tourists from abroad.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#2

Fannefjord tunnel

For as long as people have lived here, they have had to cross over the fjord to do errands, conduct business, and visit their relatives and friends. The fjords were the main thoroughfares in the past, and boats of different sizes were the means of transport. As vehicles became more common, car ferries came into use. Commercial, private and tourist traffic have increased over the years. Ferry transport is no longer a sufficient option on some fjord routes, so in recent years both bridges and tunnels have been built. The Fannefjord tunnel on the FV 64 road goes under Fannefjord near Årø, between Molde and Bolsøya. At its deepest, the tunnel sinks to 101 metres below sea level. It is 2743 metres long and its steepest gradient is 10%. The tunnel was opened as a toll road in 1991, and financing of the costs was covered by 2005. The tunnel is part of Skålavegen (Skåla Road), which was a replacement for the ferry routes Molde-Bolsøya and Lønset-Grønnes.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#3

Bolsøy Bridge

Between Bolsøya and Grønneset, on the mainland, the Bolsøy Bridge crosses Bolsøysundet. The bridge was opened in 1991 as part of Skålavegen (Skåla Road). This is a 555 metre-high concrete beam bridge. It has 11 spans, the longest of which is 55 metres. The maximum clearance height from the sea is 16 metres. What is the view from the bridge on a clear day? To the south, you can see the majestic Romsdalsfjella and to the north, Fannefjord. Driving across the bridge can be tough if there is heavy wind and rainfall. It has become popular to dive at the Bolsøy Bridge, especially at night, because the marine wildlife is more abundant at night than during the day. Here you can see pollack, cod and eel, as well as eight-armed squid, sea sausages, crayfish and lobsters. Dead man's fingers grow underwater on the bridge pillars. The current can be strong here in the channel. A song was written about the Bolsøysund Bridge in 1994. The lyrics are by Leif Bjarne Fylling, who was from Grønnes. There four verses, but the last verse contains the line: "There is a bridge over Bolsøysundet where stormy waters often flow, it is a tie that binds the new to the olden days."

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#4

Røvik Church

Røvik Church is located in Røvik on the Skåla Peninsula. The church was inaugurated in 1905. This is a long Swiss-style church, a typical style for the period. It has seating for 280 people. The architect was Gabriel Smith, who also designed Røbekk church. Bolsøy parish was divided in 1896, and Røvik became a parish in its own right. Until 1905, the old church on Bolsøya was the parish church. But from then on Røvik church became the parish church, and the church on Bolsøya was demolished in 1907. The inventory from the old Bolsøy church was transferred to Røvik church. The items that were moved included an altarpiece, baptismal font, pulpit and church bells. The altarpiece was carved by a local artist in 1730. The architecture of this church is in an updated style from the early 1900s, but the church interior has retained its traditional form.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#5

Grand Hotel Bellevue Andalsnes

Åndalsnes has been a port for cruise ships since 1883, attracting tourists interested in salmon fishing and rock climbing and drawn by the magnificent views. Over time, tourism grew and the need for more accommodation became pressing. The Grand Hotel was built in 1890; by this stage, tourism was already an important industry here. Guests can still soak up the historic atmosphere of the hotel, even though it has been revamped and rebuilt at several stages. There are historical photographs on display on all floors of the hotel, and some of the rooms are decorated with wall-sized photographs from days gone by. There are also photographs of celebrity guests who have stayed here. Åndalsnes was bombed in 1940 and the hotel was burnt down. It was later rebuilt, and stands in about the same location as it was originally. The hotel currently has 86 rooms. The views from the hotel, which is located in the center of Åndalsnes, are breathtaking.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#6

Veøy old church

The old church on Veøy is located in Veøy and Røvik parish in the municipality of Molde. This church is also called St. Peter's Church, because it was dedicated to St. Peter. The building is a medieval church built in stone. It was built around the year 1200 and it is a listed building. The earliest written record of Veøy old church is in a will from 1309. The church is a ‘langkirke’ (long church) with seating for 400 people. The name Veøy itself means ‘holy island’. During the Viking era, Veøy was a market town - a trading center - and Veøy was an important hub in Romsdalen until the late 1600s. Veøy church has been a county church for the entire area, and it served as a parish church until 1907. The church is built in Romanesque style with round arches. Both exterior and interior walls are whitewashed. The interior dates from the 17th century, and at that time Veøy old church had income from 88 farms and was considered one of the richest churches in Norway. This church provided funds for the restoration of Nidaros Cathedral. The parsonage dates from 1742 and is also listed. Veøy is one of the key stages along the coastal pilgrimage trail from Egersund to Trondheim. There is a guided tour in cooperation with Romsdal Museum each summer.

Audio guides available in:

English (British), Norsk bokmål

#7

Veøy Church

Veøy church, situated by the bend near Sølsnes Ferry Quay, is a ‘long church’ in wood, and it was erected in 1907. Many such churches were built in the early 1900s. The church is a long dragon-style church. ‘Langkirke’ means that the main room is large, while the trancepts have a lower ceiling height in relation to the nave. The dragon style was an architectural design intended to express national independence and uniqueness. This was important in the years following Norway's liberation from Sweden in 1905. The church is built of notched beams with a panelled exterior. The church is painted red, but most churches from this period are white-painted. Inside, the colours are light ochre with darker browns on the skirting boards and moldings. There is seating for 212 people in the church. The architect was Karl Norum.

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#8

Sølsnes farm

As a child, and again as a pensioner, this was the home of the now largely forgotten Norwegian adventurer, businessman and consul Jonas Marius Lied. He lived from 1881 to 1969 and was a diplomat and an industrial entrepreneur. He was a collector of Russian art, and at Lied's family farm one can see art treasures from the Tsarist era in Russia. His life was, to put it mildly, an adventurous one, and from 1910 to 1931 he was involved in various enterprises in the USSR/Russia. Lied had one main project: The Siberian Company, founded in Oslo in 1912. He opened an Arctic sea route between Western Europe, via the Arctic Ocean and Asian Russia, to the interior of Siberia. Success was assured when Fridtjof Nansen agreed in 1913 to participate in Lied's second expedition from Tromsø to Siberia. Nansen portrayed this journey in his book ‘Through Siberia’. But the company's property was confiscated by the Bolsheviks in 1918. From 1914, Lied was Norwegian consul in Krasnoyarsk, and was named ‘hereditary Russian citizen of honor’ by Tsar Nicolas II. Lied then settled in London, but in 1920 he returned to the Soviet Union, this time as an international businessman. In the 1920s he bought many Russian paintings and prints. He worked as Senior Vice President of the Canadian company, Aluminum Union Limited, until he retired to Romsdal on retirement. He wrote two books about his dramatic life – ‘Over the High Mountains’ and ‘Birth of A Sea Road’.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#9

Bolsøya - Vardholmen (age limit 18 years)

Vardholmen is located just north of Bolsøya. It is an old court where death sentences were carried out. The last execution in Norway was in 1876. In the 18th century, the death sentence was commonly applied in cases of the killing of children born out of wedlock. Here in Romsdal are recorded several such judgments from about 1780. But before those convicted were executed, they were often tortured. They were mutilated with glowing tongs, and had their arms and legs cut off before being beheaded with an axe. After death, the corpses were affixed to wheels, and these wheels were put on stakes and then exhibited for a long time to terrify and warn people passing by. Vardholmen was a court in 1777 when Anne Echerhagen was executed by beheading here. She had killed her husband in 1775, but as she was pregnant, they had to wait until the innocent child was born before they could execute Anne. She was convicted of having added arsenic to her husband's liquor, which, unsurprisingly, killed him. Before the execution itself, she was tortured and had her right hand cut off. After the execution, both her head and her hand were put on a stake. The remains of Anne Echerhagen were on display for a long time at Vardholmen.

Audio guides available in:

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#10

Rødven stave church

Rødven Stave Church is a medieval stave church at the Rødven farm. There are only two medieval churches in Romsdal today, at Veøy and Rødven. When Rødven Stave Church was built is somewhat uncertain, but experts believe it dates from around the year 1300. Inside the church there is a crucifix in actual body size, and this has been dated to the latter part of the 13th century. Rødven stave church is supported by eight posts. There are weatherboards on the exterior and the roof is of stone today, making the church untypical among Norway's most famous stave churches. But once inside, one can clearly see that this is a stave church. One can see the characteristic features of stave construction, with posts and beams forming frames that are filled in with upright planks. There are also runes inscribed in the woodwork, which say: ‘Øystein wrote. To God I will’. The decorations inside the church were probably made in the first half of the 17th century. The altarpiece and pulpit are from 1712. The church has been restored repeatedly after suffering damage by storms and woodpeckers. It was in use until 1907. The following year, it became a listed monument. Today, the church is used for special occasions such as baptisms and weddings.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#11

Norwegian Mountaineering Center

Norsk Tindesenter attracts mountain climbers and regular tourists alike. Its main focus is on Norway's mountaineering history. Inside the center, you can start your visit with a cinematic experience allowing for floor-to-ceiling movie viewing. Here, stunning trekking films combined with short historical narratives take you on an exciting adventure trip. The center has a number of interesting installations showing different aspects of the climbing sport, and the driving forces motivating mountaineers. Both children and adults are invited to learn and participate interactively. Real stories have been dramatized and old equipment displayed alongside so you can study the challenges of the climbing pioneers. If you feel up to it, you can test your own climbing skills. Norway's highest indoor climbing wall – Carl's Hall – is here at Norsk Tindesenter. It has routes up to 21 meters. Norsk Tindesenter also has its own children's bouldering cave suitable for children from 3 years of age and upwards.

Audio guides available in:

English (British), Norsk bokmål

Langfjorden Sølsnes - Åfarnes ferjestrekning

#12

The Sølsnes - Åfarnes ferry route

The Sølsnes - Åfarnes ferry route was opened for car traffic in 1931. At that time, the ferry took only 4-5 passenger cars at a time, and one had to book in advance as there was not yet a regular timetable here. In the 1930s, about 1,000 cars were transported each year. During the occupation of 1940-1945 the ferry was out of commission. Today, this crossing is much busier, and right here is where the world's first gas-powered ferry was taken into use. This ferry route also had an important role to play in WWII. Norway's gold reserves of 49 tonnes were transported from The Bank of Norway in Oslo to Dombås and down Romsdalen valley to the Romsdal coast. At Åndalsnes, the gold was loaded from railway wagons onto lorries. The gold was headed for Molde for further transportation, out of Norway and into safe hands. This involved a dramatic race against time, as the Germans were not far behind the lorry convoy, bombing several cities, towns and quay areas in the area. The lorries with the gold had to get up a very steep hill from the quay at Sølsnes, as the quay was a few metres further west of its present location. The situation was made more dramatic by the fact that the ferries could not take many lorries at a time. Two ferries were requisitioned, and it took six hours to transport all of the lorries across. The ferries had to go back and forth countless times. The happy result was that Norway's gold holdings were saved, taken via England to the USA and Canada.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#13

Isfjorden - History of clothing

Isfjorden is often referred to as the cradle of the fashion industry in Norway. Here, production of ready-made clothing was already happening in the 1860s, quite uniquely for that time. Trondheim and Bergen had lost their exclusive right to trade in Northern Norway at the beginning of the 19th century, which opened up the market to other districts. The inhabitants of Isfjorden seized their chance. They began selling ready-made clothing and shoes to fishermen along the coast. This trade became known as Nordlandhandel (Nordland trade). It started with small factories and workshops, but eventually larger factories grew, and the clothing industry flourished. One of the pioneers of the industry was Knut Mestad Hatlen. Another well-known clothing factory was Oddfred Tokle's, which operated from 1938 to 1982. The Nordland trade laid the foundation for the development of the clothing industry in Romsdal, and it became important in a national context as well. Around 1950, 55% of the workforce in the Isfjorden worked in clothes production. Why did this industry flourish right here? There are several reasons. There were raw materials, such as wool and leather; labour was available, together with long experience and professional knowledge; and there were people with enough capital to invest. The geographical location was favourable for transporting goods both south and north by sea, and to eastern Norway across the mountains. In April 1940, the factories in Isdalen managed to quickly switch production to large quantities of white camouflage clothing for Norwegian soldiers, who were fighting against German invasion.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#14

Trollpila - The Trollarrow

Bolsøy was an important farm in the Iron Age and the Middle Ages. The obelisk ‘Trollpila’ on the farm is visible evidence of that. Such standing stones were often to be found on large, central farms. This farm early on became a church site in the Middle Ages, which in itself indicates that a prominent family lived here. Trollpila is about five meters long, narrow and thin and resembles a large arrow. The stone is one of Norway's tallest standing stones. There is a legend attached to Trollpila, which the playwright Henrik Ibsen recorded. The legend says that Olav the Saint anchored his ships at Bolsøya. He thought it a suitable place to set up a church. Rumors that a church was being built reached a female troll up the Skåla mountain, about a mile away. She strongly disapproved of this churchbuilding, and decided to put an end to it. When the church was almost finished, she shot an arrow at it. The arrow did not reach its target, but remained planted in the ground some distance from the cemetery. The troll’s arrow (‘trollpila’) remains where it landed to this day.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#15

Isfjorden - Vengedalen and Romsdalseggen

Romsdalseggen is reminiscent of a huge cock’s comb, with its spikes rising high into the sky. The mountain ridge consists of several peaks and is 10 km long. Vengedalen is the starting point for the trip over Romsdalseggen. There is a daily bus from Åndalsnes to Vengedalen, there and back, between July 1 and September 30, or you can go with your own car. The trip over Romsdalseggen is not too tasking, but one should be in good physical shape and have the right equipment. It rises 970 metres and is graded ‘red’. If the weather is bad, the trip is not recommended. It takes about 8 hours to walk across Romsdalseggen, which is a marked trail with steel steps at some of the more difficult stages. It can be difficult to ascend, but once you get up to Romsdalseggen you are rewarded with an impressive view of the mountains in Romsdal. From here you can see the Troll Wall (Trollveggen), Romsdalshorn, the King (Kongen), the Queen (Dronningen), the Great Trolltind and the Great Venjestind. From the peak you can also see out to sea, and to the town of Molde. Below, in Romsdalen, you can see the river Rauma. The highest point of the tour reaches 1216 metres above sea level. In 2011, Lonely Planet called Romsdalseggen one of the most beautiful mountain hikes in the world.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#16

Bolsøy Bay

On beautiful Bolsøya there are many cultural monuments. It is likely that a powerful chief lived here, and there is a meeting place, or ‘tingsted’ that can be traced back to the Viking age. Viking graves, of two women and one man, were discovered at Tingneset in 1922, and there are burial mounds from the same period in several places on the island. In addition, a treasure trove from the Viking Age was found buried here on the island in 1847. It was probably buried around the year 1000. The treasure consists of three large silver rings. It was common for Vikings to melt down foreign silver coins in order to make jewellery. These three silver rings are made in Scandinavia. There was a medieval church a little further inland on the island. The church was rebuilt several times, but in 1906 it was demolished and removed. Remains of the church are still visible, and its cemeteries remain upkept. It is said that the church was built on the orders of Saint Olav (Olav Haraldsson) after he supposedly visited Bolsøya. Traces of the boathouse which housed the chieftain’s large ship, and/or a leidang ship, can be seen a few metres north of the road as it nears the Bolsøy bridge. The latter type of ship was used for defensive purposes in the period from about 800 AD to the 15th century. The ship in this case was probably about 14 metres long and 4 metres wide. Such vessels commonly had at least 20 rowers, and twice as many fighters, on board. The sail of the leidang ship was stored in the nearest church; in this case, the church here on the island. The Hansa burned down the boathouse in the 1300s or 1400s.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#17

Mountain history of Romsdalen

At the end of the 19th century, horse-drawn carriages carrying English tourists were a common sight in Romsdal. A 19th-century tourist reportedly said of Romsdalen that it was ‘an Eldorado that beats both Switzerland and California!’ The first tourist boats were English, and both sail and steam powered. Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany visited Romsdalen frequently in the period from 1889 to 1914. The emperor expressed his enthusiasm for these magnificent landscapes. His ship, SMS Hohenzollern, visited Romsdal each year until 1914. Wilhelm II was known as a ‘friend of Norway’, and in 1905 he played an important role in persuading the Swedish king, Oscar II, not to attack Norway. There was a danger that Sweden would attack in reaction to Norway's declaration of independence from Sweden in 1905. The mountains of Romsdal have attracted mountaineers for more than a hundred years. Many considered it impossible to climb Trollveggen, which with its 1000 metres is Europe's tallest vertical mountain wall. But in 1965, climbers managed to scale it. It took 14 days for them to complete the climb. From 1980, base jumping became popular here. Several parachutists died and many were injured in these jumps, and in 1986 the activity was prohibited.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#18

The ropewalk

The Banehaug area takes its name from the ropewalk that was here in earlier times. The area was ideal for the ropemaking craft, a necessity in a coastal city. In Reperbana they produced strings and ropes. Molde Byes Vel (a voluntary association formed to maintain the recreational areas of Molde) had originally planned to make a park here but this plan was never realized. During the Second World War the Nazi occupants erected bunkers here. The owners of the Reperbana brought in ropeworkers for the production process, or they rented out the entire Reperbana with buildings and equipment. In 1802 the track itself was 64 ells long (about 40 metres). New owners came in and made the pitch bigger. In the end it was about 60 metres at its longest. It was also possible to manufacture ropes in the open, allowing for unlimited lengths to ropemaking. In an article in the Romsdalsmuseet`s 2002 Annual Book we can see that the first known ropemaker in Molde was named Jens Olsen Øye.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British), Deutsch , Español

#19

Brunvoll Motor factory

The Brunvoll quarter now consists of apartments and some business activity, but was until recently the location for the Brunvoll factory. The Brunvoll Bros.’ factory was founded on Harøya by the brothers Andreas and Anders Brunvoll. The workshop’s primary purpose was to repair and build motors for fishing vessels. Brunvoll also produced diesel engines and propellers. In 1918 production was moved to Molde when the brothers bought Engstrups Motorfabrikk, located at the ferry port. In 1965 Brunvoll Motorfabrikk delivered its first side propellers, also known as thrusters. This product’s technology would turn out to be the bright future of the company. Over the years, they have delivered thousands of advanced propeller systems to thousands of ships. Many Norwegian industrial companies chose to produce in low-cost countries, but Brunvoll has chosen to go against the flow and manufactures their products in Norway. In the period 2014-14 Brunvoll moved all their activities in Molde to Årø, by the airport, including a state-of-the-art competence centre. Brunvoll is among the largest private companies in Molde with about 330 employees in Molde. In addition, the company has facilities in Volda and Dalen.

Audio guides available in:

English (British), Deutsch , Español, Norsk bokmål

#20

Årø Airport

(Photo: fjordnorway.com) Molde’s airport Årø was financed by the Molde municipality and inaugurated in 1972. A lengthy discussion whether there should be a common airport for Romsdal and Nordmøre ended with the development of two airports, one in Molde, the other in Kristiansund. Årø serves more than 500,000 passengers annually. Fylkesvei 64 goes through the Fannefjord tunnel just under the runway. Over time the airport has undergone a series of improvements to meet the needs of both leisure and business travelers. The largest development was the extension of the runway from 1601 to 1980 meters. The additional runway was added during summer 2008.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

Molde - Åndalsnes (one way)

Points of interest