Molde – Bud fishing village (round trip)

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Molde - Bud - Molde Less than an hour from Molde, situated on the ocean’s edge, you find the small fishing village of Bud. In the 16th and 17th century, Bud was the biggest trading post between Bergen and Trondheim. Today, Bud is still an active and charming fishing village. In Bud you can enjoy the sight of beautiful boathouses, visit some of the small shops or one of the cafés or restaurants. You may also visit Bud Coastal Museum. Bud Coastal Museum contains the Ergan Coastal fort - a German built WW2 coastal fort, which today is a war memorial museum, and the Coastal Culture Centre, which is an exhibition about the cultural history, marine biology and maritime archaeology from Bud and the region. You can buy entrance tickets to Bud Coastal Museum here: romsdalsmuseet.trekksoft.com. Ergan also has exceptional views over the fishing village of Bud and the waters of Hustadvika. Another great possibility in Bud is to take a walk along “Kyststien” (the coastal path). This path goes mainly along the sea front and takes you through Bud and along the coast with a fantastic view to the great ocean. The estimated time to complete the path is 45 minutes (7 kilometers). https://travellikethelocals.trekksoft.com/en_GB/activity/81224/rundtur-til-fiskevaret-bud

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Points of interest

#1

Tussen tunnel

We are now entering Tussentunnelen, which is almost 3 kilometres long and was completed in 1990. The tunnel is referred to as either Tussentunnelen or Tustentunnelen, but the correct name is Tussentunnelen. The reason for the confusion is that the area is called both Tussen and Tusten by the locals. Above the tunnel is Tussen mountain. In the olden days, it served as a lookout post for local farmers who took turns keeping watch from a cairn or perhaps a hut at the top. This way, they could warn everyone in the immediate area, or other watchmen on the surrounding mountains, of impending danger. If enemies approached or danger arose, the watchmen lit fires on the mountain tops to warn others. The last use of this system was recorded in 1808, when the English attacked Kristiansund. The sound of cannon fire could be heard just north of the mountain, so the watchmen ran up and lit the fire.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#2

Elnesvågen

You are now in Elnesvågen, a town and administration centre in Hustadvika municipality. It is actually the second largest community in Romsdal after Molde, closely followed by Åndalsnes. This idyllic location, between beautiful fjord views and the lush fields at the foot of the surrounding mountains, is equally breathtaking to both locals and tourists. The roughly three thousand hardy dwellers of Elnesvågen are at one with their natural surroundings, and manage their resources in a sustainable way. Hustad Marble, one of the town's main employers, operates mining in the area, and Tine Dairies produces the world-famous cheese, Jarlsberg, with milk from local cows. There are many activities on offer for the fit and adventurous. Across the fjord you can see Jendemsfjellet, which rises to 633 metres above sea level. From its peak, there is a unique view of large parts of Romsdal and the mouth of the fjord to the west. In the other direction is Trollkirka, which is not a 'kirke' (church), as might be supposed, but three exciting marble and limestone caves complete with underground streams and waterfalls. If you see a spot of mist on top of Jendemsfjellet, then hold on to your hat. An old legend says that there will be a storm if the mountain has its 'hat' on.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#3

Norwegian farms

You can see them everywhere; smaller or larger farms with white farmhouses and red barns. Norway is a nation of people who harvested the resources where they lived. Farmers and fishermen laid the foundation for the cultural landscape you see on this trip. A traditional farm usually consists of a farmhouse and at least one or more outbuildings in the form of a barn, livestock shed or storehouse. In 1950, there were over 200,000 active farms in Norway, most of them very small. Today, this number has been drastically reduced, and there are now just over 38,000 farms. Farms today are considerably larger. The closure of many small farms has, especially in recent years, led to significant areas of cultural landscape being lost as forests and scrub take over previously cultivated cropland. And you might be wondering why all the barns are red? This is because red paint was the cheapest paint available in olden days, so farmers could save money by painting their large farm buildings red. In their vanity, though, they used expensive white paint on their homes. What was once necessity, has today become a tradition.

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#4

Tornes

Tornes is a little pearl in Romsdalen with plenty of history. It was previously the administration centre for what was then Fræna Municipality. The characteristic nose ('nes') shape of the village, which points out towards the island of Gossa, is the reason for its name. In the immediate vicinity there are beautiful mountains, and it is not far to Elnesvågen, Molde and Atlanterhavsveien. So this is a top choice for anyone who wants to experience the very best of Romsdal. As you can see, there are fertile farms here, one after the other; these have provided a solid livelihood for their inhabitants for millennia. A trip to Tornes fjord camping is balm for the soul. The sea, the beaches, the fresh air and the beautiful view offer peace of mind and a perfect playground for the children. In the same area you will find the marina - one of well over 1000 in Norway. The 90-metre guest harbour offers visiting boat tourists everything they need, including access to bathroom and shower facilities. If you're one of Norway's 750,000 leisure boat owners, Tornes is an excellent choice for your next trip.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#5

From whales to gas

Across the fjord you can witness a real Norwegian gas adventure. Nyhamna, on the island of Gossen in Aukra municipality, is one of Northern Europe's largest gas terminals and is the landing site for gas from Ormen Lange. This process plant provides gas supplies to the UK and other countries in Europe. The Ormen Lange field is the confirmed second largest gas field in operation off the Norwegian coast and on the Norwegian continental shelf. From Nyhamna, gas is exported via the world's second longest subsea gas pipeline, Langeled, which extends approximately 1200 km from Nyhamna to Easington in England. Ormen Lange produces approximately 70 million cubic metres of natural gas per day. In Nyhamna, a whale station was built at Slettsanden, a bay with a sandy beach, in 1924. This was later called Kvälbukta (whale bay). The whaling station was closed in 1938. Whaling along the coast of Norway was actually banned in the period 1904-1924. During this time, however, Norway continued extensive whaling in the Southern Ocean. Today, whaling has largely ceased worldwide, although Norway and Iceland still carry out some sperm whale hunting.

Audio guides available in:

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#6

From stone to salmon

We now pass Indre Harøya, where there used to be a crushing plant that made gravel, stone and sand. The peninsula is now the site of a new, innovative venture where one of Europe's largest land-based fish farms is being built. At full capacity, the plant here can produce an enormous 70,000 tonnes of farmed salmon. A huge pumping system ensures that the salmon get the same nutrient-rich fjord water as sea-based fish farms. A land-based operation avoids the danger of farmed fish escaping and mixing with the wild salmon, which has at times been a major problem. Wild salmon hatch and spawn in fresh water, but otherwise live in salt water. Farmed salmon, on the other hand, live in captivity and never experience spawning in fresh water and rivers. Hatching takes place on land, where the salmon grows to a somewhere between 50 and 150 grams in weight before being released into seawater. After hatching, salmon are called fry, and they are called smolts when they approach 100 grams. Today, approximately 300 million farmed salmon and trout are harvested each year, to a value of 70 billion kroner. Most are exported and end up in restaurants and shops all over the world. You may wonder why salmon meat is red. The colour comes from their diet. Astaxanthin, a dye, occurs naturally in the crustaceans that wild salmon eat, so this is added to the feed of farmed salmon.

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#7

Moldegård

(Photo: Romsdalsmuseet / Digitalt Museum, moldegaard.com) In front you now, you can see Moldegård. Originally, the estate was called Molde, supposedly from Norse "moldar", plural for "mold". Molde became the home of Captain Johan Fredrik von Beverlov, commander of the Romsdal military Company. He settled there and acquired the main farm, in approximately 1677. During his time, the suffix -gård (literally "farm") was used to differentiate between the growing town and the surrounding farms, including Reknes. Moldegård was the County Governor's house from 1705 to 1729, in addition to two short periods in the 1750s, and was supposedly the inspiration for Ibsen's 1886 drama Rosmersholm. The main farm house has been the property of the Møller family since 1789 and was registered in the cadastre of Bolsøy until the two municipalities were joined in 1964.

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#8

Klippfisken

We are now passing Kipersundet, whose name comes from 'kiper' (cooper), a person who made barrels. There was a great need for coopers, because barrels for storing and transporting fish were in demand in the fishing industry. Cod and herring were the most important fish species for the fisheries, but haddock, halibut, saithe, cusk and ling were also valued. It was said that cod was for the money and herring for the stomach, and if you had three barrels of herring in the back room, you could get through the winter. Cod has had the greatest economic significance, and stockfish (dried, unsalted fish) was the most important Norwegian export in the Middle Ages. Klippfisk (salt cod) arrived in the 18th century and largely replaced stockfish. Producing salt cod is a far more laborious process than making stockfish. First, the fish had to be gutted, folded and pressed, then layered with lots of salt. Finally it had to be dried on rocks, so the heather was torn off all the rocks in and around Bud so that they could be used for drying. In the evening and before rain showers, the fish had to be taken in and stacked until the next day. Klippfisk is enjoyed as a dish in its own right or as the main ingredient of bacalao.

Audio guides available in:

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#9

Bud - the fishing village

We are now at the well-known fishing village of Bud, in the municipality of Hustad, where a stunning seascape meets an equally stunning coastal landscape. Ancient history exists side by side with modern society here. This highly charming village attracts tourists from all over the world, for obvious reasons. It is a place where all can enjoy the tranquility of nature in fantastic surroundings, and enjoy local, fresh food from the village's several restaurants. Bud has a rich history, and in the 16th century it was one of the main trading places on the route between Bergen and Trondheim. Archaeological excavations show that there was activity in Bud as early as the 10th century, and that Bud was probably a fishing village in Viking times. Here you can explore Ergan Kystfort, a war history museum built around a German coastal battery from World War II, and the Coastal Museum, which is a cultural-historical exhibition spread over two floors. In the middle of Bud is a bird mountain that is home to a colony of kittiwakes during breeding season; it is a popular motif for photographs. At the far end, towards the sea, there is a coastal path spotted with information posts that tell the story of Bud. The name 'Bud' is derived from the word 'fiskebu' (fishing hut), and many such places are still referred to as 'buda'.

Audio guides available in:

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#10

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.

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#11

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

#12

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:

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#13

Malme

The village Malme has about 500 inhabitants located at the end of Malmefjorden, the innermost part of Frænfjorden. The village has a significant production facility for refrigeration systems used in industry, fishing, and aquaculture. The name Malme comes from the Norse name "Malmr", which means 'sandy moor' or 'gravel field'. The fjord is a favorite place for ice skating fans. As the fjord freezes over during winter, it turns into a fantastic skating rink which extends for several kilometers. When conditions are safe, it is possible to spend many hours on the ice and enjoy both nature and the food you bring along for a nice day out.

Audio guides available in:

English (British), Norsk bokmål

#14

Sylte

The village Sylte has just a little over 300 inhabitants. It is located next to Sylteelva about six kilometers east of the city center of Elnesvågen (Fræna municipality). Here you will find a residential area surrounded by farmland looking down toward Sylteosen and Fræneide, and a shieling cottage up toward Kvannfjellet, the highest mountain in Fræna municipality. Sylte has its own elementary school, linked with Malme School, four kilometres away. First to fourth graders attend Sylte School, while fifth to seventh graders go to Malme School. Sylteelva is a popular destination for anglers.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#15

Fannestranda and Villa Retiro

For a long time, Fannestranda has been a popular location for the summer villas of wealthy merchants from Kristiansund. Villa Retiro was built around 1875 as the Kristiansund consul Christian Johnsen's summer residence on Fannestranda. The trend at the time was to build these summer villas in scenic surroundings. Newly-rich merchants from Kristiansund created a paradise here at Fannestranda in the late 1860s. Summer villas lay like pearls strung out along the avenue. Christian Johnsen had been in the Buen Retiro Park in Madrid in his youth. He had been overwhelmed by the beauty of the park, but was turned away because it was closed to 'ordinary' people. There and then, he decided to create an equally beautiful park when he became a rich man, and that that park should be open to all. Consul Christian Johnsen indeed became very rich, and duly created a summer villa with an adjoining park. He called the property Villa Retiro. Everyone was allowed into the park to relax and admire beautiful sculptures, fountains, exotic flowers and trees. A children's playground, croquet court and gymnasiums were set up. Everything in the park was made available for both the poor and the rich. Today, the old park is dilapidated. But Johnsen's idea of a park where everyone is welcome lives on and the property is still a recreational area for the people of Molde. Not long ago, a diving tower was set up through a public/private partnership. Molde council has created a man-made beach on Retiro, with a pleasant green area beyond. Visitors are welcome.

Audio guides available in:

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#16

Trollkirka

Trollkirka (the Troll Church) is a exciting marble and limestone cave, and it is a popular hiking spot. Trollkirka is the largest cave in southern Norway, with underground rivers and waterfalls. The main cave is 70 meters long. The uppermost cave consits of long passages, whereas the two other caves forms Trollkirka (the Troll Church). Trollkirka has a waterfall that falls 14 meters into a white marble pool. Trollkirka is located almost 500 meters above sea level. From the parking lot, a 90-minute walk along a marked path leads up to the cave. At the start the terrain is fairly moist, then gradually it becomes steep and rocky. A ladder leads down to the cave opening. When you get close to the cave opening you may feel a cold breath of air. Maybe it's the trolls inside the cave that breath on you? When you get inside, you hear the hypnotic sound of the waterfall. Follow the sound that drags you in. The inside is magical. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the troll dragon that is said to be living in the cave.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

Molde – Bud fishing village (round trip)

Points of interest