Kvernberget
Encyclopedia
Kvernberget is a barren mountain formation with a maximum elevation of 205 metres (672.6 ft), on the island of Nordlandet
in the town of Kristiansund
in Møre og Romsdal
county, Norway
. Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
, which sits nearby, takes its name from the mountain.
For a number of years, Kvernberget and the surrounding area have been popular for hiking
and simple mountaineering
activities, and the summit is Kristiansund's most popular hiking destination. From the summit, much of the Nordmøre
district of Møre og Romsdal
county may be seen in fair weather. A drinking water reservoir is located inside the mountain.
, a long time before 1742, the year Kristiansund became a town. The most important urban area of Nordmøre in the Middle Ages was the fishing village of Grip
, an island in the ocean north of Kristiansund. For the fishermen in the area, it was important to find their regular fishing places, so they observed the land and used mountains such as Kvernberget and other landmarks to find their way.
mariner, described this part of the Norwegian coast in 1791–1803. He tells that Kvernberget was used by the navigators onboard ships just outside Trondheimsleia. He mentions all the mountains on shore: Tustna
, Stemshesten, Magnillberget, Freikollen, Quærn-Bierget (an old-fashioned way to spell Kvernberget), and Plak-Myssen.
The name Kvernberget is probably a thousand years old, and refers to the mountain's resemblance to a medieval Quern-stone
of a form which is still used in North Africa
today. Fishermen working in the sea off of the island and fishing village of Grip
navigated by the mountain, which they named after the tool they had at home, the hand mill
for grinding corn
to flour
.
A lot of mountains along the Norwegian shore are obviously named because they look like something. Bjønnahaugen (the bears hill), on Nordlandet
in Kristiansund, looks like a sleeping bear. On Averøya
, west of Kristiansund, is a mountain that is called Bremsneshatten, which is thought to look like a hat. Løwenørn calls it Plak-Myssen (a kind of seal), in the Middle Ages it was probably Brimill. The mountain looks like the head of a seal sticking out of the seabed.
Nordlandet
Nordlandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is located just east of the city center of Kristiansund, and is one of the boroughs of the city...
in the town of Kristiansund
Kristiansund
Kristiansund is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway, in the Nordmøre district of Møre og Romsdal county. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund...
in Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
county, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget is a small size international airport located next to the small mountain Kvernberget, east southeast or from the town center of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, opened in 1970 and caters to the county's northern district, Nordmøre. The airport...
, which sits nearby, takes its name from the mountain.
For a number of years, Kvernberget and the surrounding area have been popular for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
and simple mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
activities, and the summit is Kristiansund's most popular hiking destination. From the summit, much of the Nordmøre
Nordmøre
Nordmøre is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund, Averøy, Tingvoll, Surnadal, Rindal, Aure, Halsa, Eide, Sunndal, Gjemnes, and Smøla...
district of Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
county may be seen in fair weather. A drinking water reservoir is located inside the mountain.
Navigation
By the early Middle Ages, there was already a need to navigate the ocean north of NordmøreNordmøre
Nordmøre is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund, Averøy, Tingvoll, Surnadal, Rindal, Aure, Halsa, Eide, Sunndal, Gjemnes, and Smøla...
, a long time before 1742, the year Kristiansund became a town. The most important urban area of Nordmøre in the Middle Ages was the fishing village of Grip
Grip, Norway
Grip is an archipelago, a deserted fishing village, and a former municipality about northwest of the city of Kristiansund. It is located in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway...
, an island in the ocean north of Kristiansund. For the fishermen in the area, it was important to find their regular fishing places, so they observed the land and used mountains such as Kvernberget and other landmarks to find their way.
History
Løwenørn, a DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
mariner, described this part of the Norwegian coast in 1791–1803. He tells that Kvernberget was used by the navigators onboard ships just outside Trondheimsleia. He mentions all the mountains on shore: Tustna
Tustna
Tustna is an island and a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The administrative centre was Gullstein. The island is located in the present-day municipality of Aure. The island lies between the islands of Golma and Stabblandet and Solskjel .-History:Tustna was originally a...
, Stemshesten, Magnillberget, Freikollen, Quærn-Bierget (an old-fashioned way to spell Kvernberget), and Plak-Myssen.
Name
Quern-stone
Quern-stones are stone tools for hand grinding a wide variety of materials. They were used in pairs. The lower, stationary, stone is called a quern, whilst the upper, mobile, stone is called a handstone...
of a form which is still used in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
today. Fishermen working in the sea off of the island and fishing village of Grip
Grip, Norway
Grip is an archipelago, a deserted fishing village, and a former municipality about northwest of the city of Kristiansund. It is located in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway...
navigated by the mountain, which they named after the tool they had at home, the hand mill
Quern-stone
Quern-stones are stone tools for hand grinding a wide variety of materials. They were used in pairs. The lower, stationary, stone is called a quern, whilst the upper, mobile, stone is called a handstone...
for grinding corn
Corn
Corn is the name used in the United States, Canada, and Australia for the grain maize.In much of the English-speaking world, the term "corn" is a generic term for cereal crops, such as* Barley* Oats* Wheat* Rye- Places :...
to flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
.
A lot of mountains along the Norwegian shore are obviously named because they look like something. Bjønnahaugen (the bears hill), on Nordlandet
Nordlandet
Nordlandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is located just east of the city center of Kristiansund, and is one of the boroughs of the city...
in Kristiansund, looks like a sleeping bear. On Averøya
Averøya
Averøya is an island in the municipality of Averøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located north of the Romsdal peninsula surrounded by the Kornstadfjord on the west and the Kvernesfjord on the south and east...
, west of Kristiansund, is a mountain that is called Bremsneshatten, which is thought to look like a hat. Løwenørn calls it Plak-Myssen (a kind of seal), in the Middle Ages it was probably Brimill. The mountain looks like the head of a seal sticking out of the seabed.