ETR // Stage 12 // Kristiansund - Molde

63°06'41.6"N 7°44'00.5"E
63.111558, 7.733484
Kristiansund - Molde
VR EXPO - 60 Stages
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Distance

Kristiansund - Molde
Radius 100 km
126 km

Highlights

Nordmøre Museum
Bremsnes Cave
The Atlantic Road
Storseisundet Bridge
Hustadvika
Varden viewpoint
Romsdal Museum
Molde Cathedral
The Rose Maiden
Molde Town Hall
Molde Jazz Festival
More & Romsdal Art Center

Ride The Atlantic Road

ETR takes you to The Atlantic Road - with amazing viewpoints along the road, wild nature and sharp turns, this spectacular specimen of Norwegian municipal infrastructure provides an unforgettable riding and driving experience.

The world-famous Atlantic Ocean Road, or Atlantic Road (Atlanterhavsveien) is one of the great sections of the ETR in Møre og Romsdal. An 8.3-kilometer section of Norwegian County Road 64 which runs through an archipelago in the Norwegian Sea, between the villages of Kårvåg on Averøy and Vevang in Eida, linking the larger towns of Molde and Kristiansund.

Exposed roads and bridges

The Atlantic Road consists of a series low bridges over the sea, and a total of seven bridges chain the small islands together, and in winter storms, the stretch of ocean around Hustadvika really becomes wild and unpredictable..

The Atlantic Road is a Cultural Heritage Site, and is classified as a National Tourist Route which thousands of motorcyclists, and possibly millions of other types of tourists travel far to experience, every year.

Architectural engineering and seascaping

An unbelievable blend of nature, engineering, landscape and seascape, the Atlantic Road has been awarded the status national tourist route because of the architecture of the road and the bridges, and the incredible coastline it passes through.

It has been declared the “Worlds Best Road Trip” by the Guardian Newspaper, and been awarded the title as "Norwegian Construction of the Century”. In 2009, the Atlantic Ocean Tunnel opened from Averøy to Kristiansund, forming a second fixed link between Kristiansund and Molde.

Treacherous viewpoints along the road

There are both panoramic viewpoints and rest areas along the road, along with some stops for fishing at these areas. The Storseisundet Bridge has a dramatic and beautiful curve in the middle, and almost brings an artistic perspective into the technique of building bridges. Be aware of rough storms if you go here during the autumn, especially on your motorcycle, as the seawater blows up out of the sea, and onto the road. The construction workers experienced many of these situations during fierce hurricanes, while they were constructing the road.

Photos

Dave O'Byrne
European Touring Route AS

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Experiences and activities in the area

Along this road, you will get both a natural, marine and architectural experience. You will see the Atlantic Ocean, some spot seals, birds, and maybe one spot whale, if you’re lucky. Fishing tours are arranged on a daily basis through the summer, and there are many businesses offering these kinds of experiences. There are also many sea-sports centres, for those of you who want to dive. Wind-surfers dreaming of large waves and plenty of wind, can realise their dreams at the Hustadvika Bay.

Molde - Get the overview

From the Varden viewpoint (407 metres) there is a great view over Molde, the fjord, islands and the famous Molde panorama with its 222 partially snow-covered peaks. On a clear day you can see as far as the fishing village of Ona and the wild waters of Hustadvika.

Viking Sagas from the Molde region

The site of present-day Molde was first mentioned in the sagas by Snorri Sturluson as the location of the Battle of Sekken in 1162, where king Håkon the Broad-shouldered was killed fighting the aristocrat Erling Skakke, during the Norwegian civil wars. However, settlement in the area can be traced much further back in time through evidence from two rock slabs carved with petroglyphs found at Bjørset, west of the city center. The current city location dates from Medieval times, but the settlement at Veøya probably dates from the Migration Period.

Visit Romsdal Museum, More & Romsdal Art Center, The Rose Maiden, Molde Town Hall and Molde Cathedral, and during the summer, you can catch the famous Molde Jazz Festival.