Between the towns of Molde and Kristiansund, along Norway's notorious Hustadvika channel, lie innumerable islands which until quite recently could be reached only by ferry. The construction of the Atlantic Highway, exactly 8,474m/9,268yd long, has been not only a vital improvement in the infrastructure in this maze of skerries but also a great attraction for anglers, diving enthusiasts and visitors who want to get as close as possible to the sea. This new road, one of the most fascinating coast roads in the whole of Europe, with eight bridges of varying length, has opened up a paradise whose particular charms lie below the surface of the sea. On a windless day there are magnificent views of the open sea, while when a strong northwest wind is blowing there is an awe-inspiring display of the wild forces of nature.
Address: Møre og Romsdal Reiselivsråd, Box 467, N-6501 Kristiansund, Norway
On the Norwegian mainland north of Molde is the Trollkirka ("Trolls' Church"), the largest and most impressive of the many limestone caves in this area: 70m/230ft long and up to 7m/23ft high, with a waterfall.
Tips: Visitors should have stout footwear and a flashlight.
On either side of the Atlantic Highway are fiskevðr (fishing villages) in which visitors can rent houses. At the turn of the century the countless little islands supported a population of around 120 living solely from fishing, but now the life of the islands is dominated from spring to autumn by hosts of holidaymakers and anglers. Within easy reach of the Atlantic Highway are excellent facilities for camping, bathing and walking.
The island of Bjørnsund, northwest of Bud, can be reached in summer by motorboat. As late as 1950 it was still an important center of Norway's fish trade. Now it is inhabited only in summer.
In the commune of Frðna, on the south side of Norway's Atlantic Highway, is the little fishing village of Bud, where in 1553 Norway's last archbishop called together the Norwegian Diet of peasants and burghers in order to liberate Norway from its dependence on Denmark. The attempt failed, and four years later the archbishop was forced to flee from Norway. The wooden village church dates from 1717.
Bud also became part of the German's Atlantic Wall, in anticipation of an Allied invasion during WW II.
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