Molde
Encyclopedia
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal
county
, Norway
. It is part of the Romsdal
region
. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula
, surrounding the Fannefjord
and Moldefjord
. The city is located on the northern shore of the Romsdalsfjord
on the Romsdal Peninsula
.
The city of Molde is the administrative center of Møre og Romsdal
county, the administrative center of the municipality of Molde, the commercial hub of Romsdal
, and the headquarters of the Diocese of Møre
. Other main population centers in the municipality include Hjelset
, Kleive
, and Nesjestranda
.
Molde has a maritime
, temperate climate, with cool-to-warm summers, and relatively mild winters.
It is an old settlement which emerged as a trading post in the late Middle Ages
. Formal trading rights were introduced in 1614, and the city was incorporated through a royal charter
in 1742. Molde was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
)
The city continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming a center for Norwegian textile
and garment industry, as well as the administrative center for the region, and a major tourist destination.
After World War II
, Molde experienced accelerated growth, merging with Bolsøy
and parts of Veøy
on 1 January 1964, and has become a center for not only administrative and public services, but also academic resources and industrial output.
The medieval township on Veøya
, an island outside present day Molde, was first mentioned by the historian 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—evidence given by two rock slabs carved with petroglyphs found at Bjørset, west of the city centre.
At the eve of the 15th century, Veøy had lost most of its influence, and the island was eventually deserted. However, commercial life in the region was not dead, and originating from the two settlements at Reknes and Molde (later Moldegård), a minor port called Molde Fjære (Molde Landing) emerged, based on trade with timber and herring to foreign merchants.
The town gained formal trading rights in 1614. During the Swedish
occupation of Middle Norway, 1658–1660, after Denmark-Norway's devastating defeat
in the Northern Wars
, the town became a hub of resistance to the Swedes. After the rebellion and liberation in 1660, Molde became the administrative headquarter of Romsdalen Amt
and was incorporated through a royal charter
in 1742. Molde continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries, becoming a center for Norwegian textile and garment industry. Tourism became a major industry: Molde saw notabilities such as the German emperor Wilhelm II
of Germany
and the Prince of Wales
as regular summer visitors. Molde consisted of luxurious hotels surrounding an idyllic township with quaint, wooden houses, lush gardens and parks, esplanades and pavilions, earning it the nickname the Town of Roses. This was interrupted when one third of the city was destroyed in a fire on 21 January 1916. However, Molde recovered and continued to grow in the economically difficult interbellum period.
A second fire, or series of fires, struck from the German
air-raids in April and May 1940, and destroyed about two thirds of the town. Molde was the capital of Norway for a week after King Haakon, Crown Prince Olav, and members of the government and parliament arrived at Molde on April 23, after a dramatic flight from Oslo. They were put up at Glomstua, at the western outskirt of the town. The Norwegian gold reserve was also conveyed to Molde, and was hidden in a clothing factory.
However, German intelligence was well aware of what was going on, and on April 25 the Luftwaffe
started a series of intense attacks. For a week the air-raid siren on the chimney of the dairy building announced the repeated attacks. April 29 turned out to be the worst day in the history of Molde, as the remainder of the town was transformed into a sea of flames by incendiary bombs. Until then the church had escaped undamaged, but in the final sortie a firebomb got stuck high up in the tower, and beautiful wooden church was obliterated by fire.
After World War II, Molde experienced tremendous growth. As the modernization of the Norwegian society accelerated in the post-reconstruction years, Molde became a center for not only administrative and public services, but also academic resources and industrial output. After the consolidation of the town itself and its adjacent communities in 1964, Molde became a modern city, encompassing most branches of employment, from farming and fisheries, through industrial production, to banking, higher education, tourism, commerce, health care, and civil administration.
). It was surrounded by the rural municipality of Bolsøy
. On 1 July 1915, a part of Bolsøy (population: 183) was transferred to Molde. On 1 January 1952, another part of Bolsøy (population: 1,913) was transferred to Molde. On 1 January 1964, the urban municipality of Molde (population: 8,289) was merged together with the Sekken
, Veøya
, and Nesjestranda
part of Veøy
(population: 756), all of Bolsøy
municipality (population: 7,996), and the Mordal area of Nord-Aukra
(population: 77) to form a new, larger Molde municipality.
: Moldar). The name is the plural
form of either mold which means "fertile soil" or moldr which means "skull
" or "mold
" (thus in reference to the rounded peaks in Moldemarka
).
Pronunciation varies between the standard Molde and the rural Molle. A person from Molde will refer to him/herself as a Moldenser.
was granted on 27 June 1742. The arms show a whale
chasing herring
into a barrel, symbolizing the founding industries of the city: the export of fish and timber. Molde was never a whaling port; the image is merely a repesentation of the whale chasing (and not following) the schools of fish into the fjord
s at certain times of the year.
Although the fjord outside Molde has schools of both pilot whales and orca
, the whale depicted is a baleen whale
, which is no longer found in the area.
, an arm of the Romsdalsfjord
, on the Romsdal peninsula
. The town is sheltered by Bolsøya
and the Molde archipelago
, a chain of low-lying islands and islets, and the wood-clad hills to the south. The town center is located just west of the river Moldeelva
, which runs into the town from the north, originating in the Moldevatnet
lake, through the valley Moldedalen. Despite the river being minor and seasonal, it supported several sawmill
s in the 16th and 17th centuries. This gave rise to the town itself through a combination of a good harbor, proximity to the sea routes, vast timber resources, and a river capable of supporting mills. In 1909, the river housed the first hydro electric power plant capable of providing sufficient electricity for the town. The upper reaches of the river still provides drinking water for most of the city.
The panoramic view of some 222 partly snow-clad peaks, often called the Molde panorama
, is famous, having been one of the attractions drawing tourists to the town in the 19th century. Molde is nicknamed the Town of Roses, a name which originated during Molde's era as a tourist destination of international fame in the late 19th century.
Neighboring municipalities are Aukra
, Gjemnes
, Nesset
, Eide
, Averøy
, and Midsund
, and neighboring towns and townships are Åndalsnes
in Rauma
, Elnesvågen
in Fræna
, and Vestnes
.
falls in winter, but this snow is usually wet as the winters are usually mild.
A natural phenomenon
occurring in Molde and the adjacent district, are frequent winter days with temperatures above 10 °C (50 °F), sometimes even above 15 °C (59 °F). This is due to foehn wind from south and south-east. Combined with a steady influx of warm, moist south-westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean
, warmed by the Gulf stream
, it gives Molde a climate much warmer than its latitude
would indicate. The sheltered location of the city, facing south with hills to the north, mountains to the east and mountainous islands to the west, contributes to Molde's climate and unusually rich plant life, especially among species naturally growing on far lower latitudes, like maple
, chestnut
, oak
, tilia
(lime or linden), beech
, yew
, and others.
, sea trout and sea char
are found in the rivers of the area, especially the Rauma, Driva
, and Eira, already legendary among the British gentry
in the mid-19th century. Trout
is abundant in most lakes. Cod
, pollock
, saithe, mackerel
and other species of saltwater fish
are commonly caught in the Romsdalsfjord, both from land and from boat. Skiing
is a popular activity among the inhabitants of Molde in the winter, on groomed tracks, in resorts or by own trail. There are several popular rock climbing
, ice climbing
, bouldering
, glacier
and basejumping areas in the immediate surroundings of Molde.
The Atlantic road was voted the Norwegian Construction of the Century in 2005. It is built on bridges and landfills across small islands and skerries, and spans from the small communities of Vikan and Vevang to Averøy
, an island with several historic landmarks, such as the Bremsnes cave with Mesolithic
findings from the Fosna culture, the medieval Kvernes stave church
, and Langøysund, now a remote fishing community, but once a bustling port along the main coastal route. Langøysund was the site of the compromise between King Magnus I
and the farmers along the coast in 1040. The compromise is regarded as Norway's Magna Carta
, and is commemorated though the Pilespisser (Arrowheads) monument.
Trollkirka (English: lit. Troll Church) is a marble grotto leading up to an underground waterfall. The grotto is situated 30 minutes outside Molde, followed by a 1 hour hike up a steep trail. Trollveggen is Europe’s tallest vertical, overhanging mountain face, with several very difficult climbing routes. Trollstigen
is the most visited tourist road in Norway. The road twists and turns its way up an almost vertical mountainside through 11 hairpin bends to an altitude of 858 m (2,814.96 ft). Mardalsfossen is the highest waterfall
in Northern Europe
and the fourth highest waterfall in the world, cascading 297 metres down into the valley. The total height of the waterfall is 655 m (2,148.95 ft).
Bud
is a fishing village on the very tip of the Romsdal peninsula
. It gained importance during the Middle Ages
as a trading post, and hosted the last free Privy Council
of Norway in 1533, a desperate attempt to save the country's independence and stave off the Protestant Reformation
, led by Olav Engelbrektsson
, archbishop of Nidaros (today Trondheim). The massive Ergan coastal defences, a restored German coastal fort from World War II
, and a part of the Atlantic Wall
, is situated in Bud. The fishing communities of Ona, Bjørnsund and Håholmen are located on remote islands off the coast, only accessible by boat or ferry.
. The area has a network of paths, walking trails and skiing tracks. Forest roads enter the area from several directions. There are bulletin boards with maps and information about local plants and wildlife, as well as signposts along the trails. Marked trails lead to a number of peaks, sites and fishing lakes and rivers. A fishing permit is required to fish in the lakes.
Varden, 407 metres (1,335 ft) above sea level
is a viewpoint directly above Molde, with a good view of the city, the fjord
with the Molde archipelago
and the Molde panorama
.
. The closest railway station is Åndalsnes
, the terminus for Raumabanen
.
The city's airport at Årø
has several daily flights to Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim, as well as weekly flights to other domestic and international destinations.
Three of the four great Norwegian authors spent time, stayed or lived in Molde. Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
spent his childhood years at Nesset
outside Molde, and attended school in the city. Henrik Ibsen
frequently spent his vacations at the mansion Moldegård, visiting the family Møller, and Alexander Kielland
resided in the city as the governor of Romsdals amt
. Ibsen's play Rosmersholm
is inspired by the life at Moldegård, and The Lady from the Sea
is also set in the city of Molde, although never being mentioned by name. Other authors from or with ties to Molde include Edvard Hoem
, Jo Nesbø
, Knut Ødegård
, and Nini Roll Anker
, a friend of Sigrid Undset
.
The Romsdal Museum
, one of Norway's largest folk museum
s, was established in 1912. Old buildings originating from all over the region have been moved here to form a typical cluster of farm buildings including "open hearth
" houses, sheds, outhouses, smokehouses and a small chapel. The "town street" with Mali's Café shows typical Molde town houses from the pre-World War I period. The Museum of the Fisheries is an open air museum located on the island of Hjertøya, 10 minutes from the center of Molde. A small fishing village with authentic buildings, boats and fishing equipment, the museum shows local coastal culture from 1850 onwards.
The local newspaper is Romsdals Budstikke
.
has five parishes within the municipality of Molde. It is part of the Diocese of Møre
and the Molde domprosti (Deanery
).
jazz
festival is held in Molde every July. Moldejazz is the largest and oldest jazz festival in Europe, and one of the most important. An estimated 40,000 tickets are sold for the more than a hundred events during the festival. Between 80,000 and 100,000 visitors visit the city during the one-week long festival.
Every August, Molde and Nesset
are hosts to the Bjørnson Festival
, an international literature festival. Established by the poet Knut Ødegård in connection with the 250-year anniversary of Molde, the festival is named in honour of the Nobel Prize in Literature
laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
(1832–1910). It is the oldest and the most internationally acclaimed literature festival in Norway.
In addition to the two major events, a number of minor festivals are held annually. Byfest, the city's celebration of itself, is an arrangement by local artists, coinciding with the anniversary of the royal charter of 29 June 1742.
offers a wide range of academic opportunities, from nursing and health related studies, to economics and administrative courses. The school is one of Norway's leading colleges in research and academic programs in information technology, logistics and transport economics, with degrees up to and including PhD.
Molde University College is also one of the country's leading institutions in international student exchange and programs conducted in English.
team, Molde FK, which is playing in the Norwegian Premier League
. Home matches are played at Aker stadion
, inaugurated in 1998, which holds a record attendance of 13,308. The team are the reigning league champions, are two-time Norwegian Cup winners (1994 and 2005), and has numerous appearances in European tournaments, including the UEFA Champions League
. The club was founded in 1911, during Molde's period of great British and Continental influx, and was first named "International", since it predominantly played teams made up from crews of foreign vessels visiting the city. Ole Gunnar Solskjær
is their current manager and they captured the league title in 2011 for the first time in their history.
In addition to a number of international players, the city has also produced several ski jumpers, cross-country and alpine skiers of international merit.
Other sports include the accomplished team handball
clubs (SK Træff
, SK Rival), athletics teams (IL Molde-Olymp
), skiing clubs, basketball and volleyball teams.
, Denmark
Borås
, Sweden
Mikkeli
, Finland
Česká Lípa
, Czech Republic
Bardejov
, Slovakia
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
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
, 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...
. It is part of the Romsdal
Romsdal
Romsdal is the name of a traditional district in the Norwegian county Møre og Romsdal, located between Nordmøre and Sunnmøre. The district of Romsdal comprises Aukra, Fræna, Midsund, Molde, Nesset, Rauma, Sandøy, and Vestnes. It is named for the valley of Romsdalen, which covers part of Rauma.The...
region
Districts of Norway
The country Norway is historically divided into a number of districts. Many districts have deep historical roots, and only partially coincide with today's administrative units of counties and municipalities. The districts are defined by geographical features, often valleys, mountain ranges, fjords,...
. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula
Romsdal Peninsula
Romsdalshalvøya, sometimes translated as the Romsdal Peninsula is a peninsula located in the Romsdal district of Møre og Romsdal county in Norway...
, surrounding the Fannefjord
Fannefjord
Fannefjorden is a fjord located in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is a long extension of the Moldefjord, running east-west near the south side of the Romsdal peninsula. The fjord begins just east of the city of Molde on the north shore with the island of Bolsøya...
and Moldefjord
Moldefjord
The Moldefjord is a fjord in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is a long branch of the Romsdalsfjord, running past the city of Molde in and east-west bound direction from Julsund to the west, north of the Molde archipelago and Bolsøya, and continuing east into the...
. The city is located on the northern shore of the Romsdalsfjord
Romsdalsfjord
Romsdalsfjord is the ninth longest fjord in Norway. It is long and located in the Romsdal district of Møre og Romsdal county. It flows through the municipalities of Midsund, Haram, Vestnes, Molde, Nesset, and Rauma...
on the Romsdal Peninsula
Romsdal Peninsula
Romsdalshalvøya, sometimes translated as the Romsdal Peninsula is a peninsula located in the Romsdal district of Møre og Romsdal county in Norway...
.
The city of Molde is the administrative center 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, the administrative center of the municipality of Molde, the commercial hub of Romsdal
Romsdal
Romsdal is the name of a traditional district in the Norwegian county Møre og Romsdal, located between Nordmøre and Sunnmøre. The district of Romsdal comprises Aukra, Fræna, Midsund, Molde, Nesset, Rauma, Sandøy, and Vestnes. It is named for the valley of Romsdalen, which covers part of Rauma.The...
, and the headquarters of the Diocese of Møre
Diocese of Møre
The Diocese of Møre is a diocese in the Church of Norway which geographically consists of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its bishop and cathedral are located in the county administrative center of Molde...
. Other main population centers in the municipality include Hjelset
Hjelset
Hjelset is a village in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on the north shore of the Fannefjord, about west of Kleive and about east of the city of Molde. The highway runs through the village on its way northeast from Molde to Batnfjordsøra. The ...
, Kleive
Kleive, Møre og Romsdal
Kleive is a village in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Fannefjord, about east of Hjelset. The village has a population of 474....
, and Nesjestranda
Nesjestranda
Nesjestranda is a small village situated along the Romsdalsfjord in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located along the highway on the Romsdal Peninsula facing the islands of Sekken and Veøya, just north of the mouth of the Langfjorden. The village has a...
.
Molde has a maritime
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
, temperate climate, with cool-to-warm summers, and relatively mild winters.
It is an old settlement which emerged as a trading post in the late Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. Formal trading rights were introduced in 1614, and the city was incorporated through a royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1742. Molde was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
)
The city continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming a center for Norwegian textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
and garment industry, as well as the administrative center for the region, and a major tourist destination.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Molde experienced accelerated growth, merging with Bolsøy
Bolsøy
Bolsøy is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Bolsøy encompassed the area around the Fannefjord including most of the present-day municipality of Molde, excluding the city of Molde...
and parts of Veøy
Veøy
Veøy is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. It initially consisted of Vestnes, as well as the southern part of Molde and the northern part of Rauma. Vestnes was demerged in 1838, later the same year the municipality was established. From 1964, the municipality was split between Molde...
on 1 January 1964, and has become a center for not only administrative and public services, but also academic resources and industrial output.
History
Veøya
Veøya is an island in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located at a junction of the three main branches of the Romsdalsfjord between Sekken and the mainland near the village of Nesjestranda. Veøy consists of one larger and two smaller islands...
, an island outside present day Molde, was first mentioned by the historian Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson
Snorri Sturluson was an Icelandic historian, poet, and politician. He was twice elected lawspeaker at the Icelandic parliament, the Althing...
as the location of the Battle of Sekken
Sekken
Sekken is an island in the Romsdalsfjord, at the mouth of the Langfjorden, in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island lies about south of the island of Bolsøya and about west of the island of Veøya. There are no road connections to the island except for a ferry...
in 1162, where king Håkon
Haakon II of Norway
Haakon II Sigurdsson , also known as Haakon Herdebrei, was King of Norway from 1157 until 1162 during the Civil war era in Norway.-Biography:His nickname, Herdebrei, means broad-shouldered...
the Broad-shouldered was killed fighting the aristocrat Erling Skakke
Erling Skakke
Erling Skakke was a Norwegian Jarl during the 12th century. He was the father of Magnus V, who reigned as King of Norway from 1161 to 1184....
, during the Norwegian civil wars
Civil war era in Norway
The Civil war era of Norwegian history is a term used for the period in the history of Norway between 1130 and 1240. During this time, a series of civil wars were fought between rival kings and pretenders to the throne of Norway. The reasons for the wars is one of the most debated topics in...
.
However, settlement in the area can be traced much further back in time—evidence given by two rock slabs carved with petroglyphs found at Bjørset, west of the city centre.
At the eve of the 15th century, Veøy had lost most of its influence, and the island was eventually deserted. However, commercial life in the region was not dead, and originating from the two settlements at Reknes and Molde (later Moldegård), a minor port called Molde Fjære (Molde Landing) emerged, based on trade with timber and herring to foreign merchants.
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
occupation of Middle Norway, 1658–1660, after Denmark-Norway's devastating defeat
Treaty of Roskilde
The Treaty of Roskilde was concluded on 26 February or 8 March 1658 during the Second Northern War between Frederick III of Denmark–Norway and Charles X Gustav of Sweden in the Danish city of Roskilde...
in the Northern Wars
Northern Wars
Northern Wars is a term used for a series of wars fought in northern and northeastern Europe in the 16th and 17th century. An internationally agreed nomenclature for these wars has not yet been devised...
, the town became a hub of resistance to the Swedes. After the rebellion and liberation in 1660, Molde became the administrative headquarter of Romsdalen Amt
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:...
and was incorporated through a royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
in 1742. Molde continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th Centuries, becoming a center for Norwegian textile and garment industry. Tourism became a major industry: Molde saw notabilities such as the German emperor Wilhelm II
William II, German Emperor
Wilhelm II was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia, ruling the German Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia from 15 June 1888 to 9 November 1918. He was a grandson of the British Queen Victoria and related to many monarchs and princes of Europe...
of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
as regular summer visitors. Molde consisted of luxurious hotels surrounding an idyllic township with quaint, wooden houses, lush gardens and parks, esplanades and pavilions, earning it the nickname the Town of Roses. This was interrupted when one third of the city was destroyed in a fire on 21 January 1916. However, Molde recovered and continued to grow in the economically difficult interbellum period.
A second fire, or series of fires, struck from the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
air-raids in April and May 1940, and destroyed about two thirds of the town. Molde was the capital of Norway for a week after King Haakon, Crown Prince Olav, and members of the government and parliament arrived at Molde on April 23, after a dramatic flight from Oslo. They were put up at Glomstua, at the western outskirt of the town. The Norwegian gold reserve was also conveyed to Molde, and was hidden in a clothing factory.
However, German intelligence was well aware of what was going on, and on April 25 the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
started a series of intense attacks. For a week the air-raid siren on the chimney of the dairy building announced the repeated attacks. April 29 turned out to be the worst day in the history of Molde, as the remainder of the town was transformed into a sea of flames by incendiary bombs. Until then the church had escaped undamaged, but in the final sortie a firebomb got stuck high up in the tower, and beautiful wooden church was obliterated by fire.
After World War II, Molde experienced tremendous growth. As the modernization of the Norwegian society accelerated in the post-reconstruction years, Molde became a center for not only administrative and public services, but also academic resources and industrial output. After the consolidation of the town itself and its adjacent communities in 1964, Molde became a modern city, encompassing most branches of employment, from farming and fisheries, through industrial production, to banking, higher education, tourism, commerce, health care, and civil administration.
Municipality
The city of Molde was established as a urban municipality on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). It was surrounded by the rural municipality of Bolsøy
Bolsøy
Bolsøy is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Bolsøy encompassed the area around the Fannefjord including most of the present-day municipality of Molde, excluding the city of Molde...
. On 1 July 1915, a part of Bolsøy (population: 183) was transferred to Molde. On 1 January 1952, another part of Bolsøy (population: 1,913) was transferred to Molde. On 1 January 1964, the urban municipality of Molde (population: 8,289) was merged together with the Sekken
Sekken
Sekken is an island in the Romsdalsfjord, at the mouth of the Langfjorden, in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island lies about south of the island of Bolsøya and about west of the island of Veøya. There are no road connections to the island except for a ferry...
, Veøya
Veøya
Veøya is an island in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located at a junction of the three main branches of the Romsdalsfjord between Sekken and the mainland near the village of Nesjestranda. Veøy consists of one larger and two smaller islands...
, and Nesjestranda
Nesjestranda
Nesjestranda is a small village situated along the Romsdalsfjord in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located along the highway on the Romsdal Peninsula facing the islands of Sekken and Veøya, just north of the mouth of the Langfjorden. The village has a...
part of Veøy
Veøy
Veøy is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal, Norway. It initially consisted of Vestnes, as well as the southern part of Molde and the northern part of Rauma. Vestnes was demerged in 1838, later the same year the municipality was established. From 1964, the municipality was split between Molde...
(population: 756), all of Bolsøy
Bolsøy
Bolsøy is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Bolsøy encompassed the area around the Fannefjord including most of the present-day municipality of Molde, excluding the city of Molde...
municipality (population: 7,996), and the Mordal area of Nord-Aukra
Aukra
Aukra is a village and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Romsdalen. The administrative centre is the village of Aukra....
(population: 77) to form a new, larger Molde municipality.
Name
The city is named after the original settlement on the farmstead of Molde (Old NorseOld Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: Moldar). The name is the plural
Plural
In linguistics, plurality or [a] plural is a concept of quantity representing a value of more-than-one. Typically applied to nouns, a plural word or marker is used to distinguish a value other than the default quantity of a noun, which is typically one...
form of either mold which means "fertile soil" or moldr which means "skull
Skull
The skull is a bony structure in the head of many animals that supports the structures of the face and forms a cavity for the brain.The skull is composed of two parts: the cranium and the mandible. A skull without a mandible is only a cranium. Animals that have skulls are called craniates...
" or "mold
Molding (process)
Molding or moulding is the process of manufacturing by shaping pliable raw material using a rigid frame or model called a pattern....
" (thus in reference to the rounded peaks in Moldemarka
Moldemarka
Moldemarka is the general term used to describe the hilly and mostly wooded recreational area north of the city of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The area is famous for the Molde panorama, with a magnificent view of more than 222 rugged and partly snow-clad peaks, mountainous islands,...
).
Pronunciation varies between the standard Molde and the rural Molle. A person from Molde will refer to him/herself as a Moldenser.
Coat-of-arms
The coat-of-armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
was granted on 27 June 1742. The arms show a whale
Whale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
chasing herring
Herring
Herring is an oily fish of the genus Clupea, found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Three species of Clupea are recognized. The main taxa, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring may each be divided into subspecies...
into a barrel, symbolizing the founding industries of the city: the export of fish and timber. Molde was never a whaling port; the image is merely a repesentation of the whale chasing (and not following) the schools of fish into the fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s at certain times of the year.
Although the fjord outside Molde has schools of both pilot whales and orca
Orca
The killer whale , commonly referred to as the orca, and less commonly as the blackfish, is a toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family. Killer whales are found in all oceans, from the frigid Arctic and Antarctic regions to tropical seas...
, the whale depicted is a baleen whale
Baleen whale
The Baleen whales, also called whalebone whales or great whales, form the Mysticeti, one of two suborders of the Cetacea . Baleen whales are characterized by having baleen plates for filtering food from water, rather than having teeth. This distinguishes them from the other suborder of cetaceans,...
, which is no longer found in the area.
Geography
Molde proper consists of a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) long and 1 to 2 km (0.621372736649807 to 1.2 ) wide strip of urban land running east-west along the north shore of the MoldefjordMoldefjord
The Moldefjord is a fjord in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is a long branch of the Romsdalsfjord, running past the city of Molde in and east-west bound direction from Julsund to the west, north of the Molde archipelago and Bolsøya, and continuing east into the...
, an arm of the Romsdalsfjord
Romsdalsfjord
Romsdalsfjord is the ninth longest fjord in Norway. It is long and located in the Romsdal district of Møre og Romsdal county. It flows through the municipalities of Midsund, Haram, Vestnes, Molde, Nesset, and Rauma...
, on the Romsdal peninsula
Romsdal Peninsula
Romsdalshalvøya, sometimes translated as the Romsdal Peninsula is a peninsula located in the Romsdal district of Møre og Romsdal county in Norway...
. The town is sheltered by Bolsøya
Bolsøya
Bolsøya is an island in the Fannefjord in the Romsdalsfjord in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is connected to the mainland by the Bolsøy Bridge and to the city of Molde by the Fannefjord Tunnel, both on County Road 64. The island is unique due to its long...
and the Molde archipelago
Molde archipelago
The Molde Archipelago is a chain of about 50 tree-clad islands and islets, 2 km south the city of Molde, Norway. The archipelago is public, protected land, and a recreational resort...
, a chain of low-lying islands and islets, and the wood-clad hills to the south. The town center is located just west of the river Moldeelva
Moldeelva
The Moldeelva runs through Moldemarka and through the city of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its origins are found at the lake Moldevatnet. It follows Moldedalen on its way to Moldefjord...
, which runs into the town from the north, originating in the Moldevatnet
Moldevatnet
Moldevatnet is the main reservoir and water supply for the city of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The lake is the source of the river Moldeelva and it is located about north of the city of Molde, and the north end lies about southeast of the municipal border with Fræna....
lake, through the valley Moldedalen. Despite the river being minor and seasonal, it supported several sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s in the 16th and 17th centuries. This gave rise to the town itself through a combination of a good harbor, proximity to the sea routes, vast timber resources, and a river capable of supporting mills. In 1909, the river housed the first hydro electric power plant capable of providing sufficient electricity for the town. The upper reaches of the river still provides drinking water for most of the city.
The panoramic view of some 222 partly snow-clad peaks, often called the Molde panorama
Molde panorama
The Molde Panorama is a general term used to describe the renowned panoramic view of some 222 partly snow-clad peaks, seen from the city of Molde, Norway...
, is famous, having been one of the attractions drawing tourists to the town in the 19th century. Molde is nicknamed the Town of Roses, a name which originated during Molde's era as a tourist destination of international fame in the late 19th century.
Neighboring municipalities are Aukra
Aukra
Aukra is a village and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Romsdalen. The administrative centre is the village of Aukra....
, Gjemnes
Gjemnes
Gjemnes is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway on the Romsdal peninsula. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is Batnfjordsøra, which lies along the Batnfjorden and is a former steamship landing place...
, Nesset
Nesset
Nesset is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway on the Romsdal Peninsula. The administrative centre is the village of Eidsvåg. Other population centers include Rausand, Boggestranda, Myklebostad, Eresfjord, and Eikesdalen....
, Eide
Eide
Eide is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. It is located on the Romsdal peninsula, along the Kornstadfjord and the Kvernesfjord. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Eide...
, Averøy
Averøy
Averøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruhagen. Other villages in the municipality include Sveggen, Bremsnes, Vebenstad, Kvernes, Kornstad, Kårvåg, and Langøy.The...
, and Midsund
Midsund
Midsund is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The administrative centre is the village of Midsund on Otrøya island. The municipality consists of the islands of Otrøya, Midøya, Dryna, and the smaller Midsund is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal...
, and neighboring towns and townships are Åndalsnes
Åndalsnes
is a town in the municipality of Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Åndalsnes is the administrative center of Rauma. The town has a population of 2,207...
in Rauma
Rauma, Norway
Rauma is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The administrative centre is the village of Åndalsnes. Other villages include Vågstranda, Voll, Innfjorden, Veblungsnes, Verma, Isfjorden, Eidsbygda, Rødven, Åfarnes, and Mittet...
, Elnesvågen
Elnesvågen
Elnesvågen is a village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Fræna in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located along the Frænafjorden about north of the city of Molde, east of Tornes, and northwest of Malmefjorden and Sylte...
in Fræna
Fræna
Fræna is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Romsdal. The municipality is located on the Romsdal peninsula surrounding the Frænfjorden, the eastern shore of the Julsund strait, and includes most of the Hustadvika area...
, and Vestnes
Vestnes
Vestnes is a village and a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, a 35 minute ferry ride from the town of Molde. Vestnes is part of the Romsdal region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Vestnes...
.
Climate
Molde has a maritime, temperate climate, with cool-to-warm summers, and relatively mild winters. The annual precipitation is medium high, with an average of 1640 millimetres (64.6 in) per year. The warmest season is late summer. Molde holds the national high for the month of October, with 25.6 °C (78.1 °F) (on 11 October 2005). The driest season is May–June. Due to its geographic location, Molde experiences frequent snowSnow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
falls in winter, but this snow is usually wet as the winters are usually mild.
A natural phenomenon
Natural phenomenon
A natural phenomenon is a non-artificial event in the physical sense, and therefore not produced by humans, although it may affect humans . Common examples of natural phenomena include volcanic eruptions, weather, decay, gravity and erosion...
occurring in Molde and the adjacent district, are frequent winter days with temperatures above 10 °C (50 °F), sometimes even above 15 °C (59 °F). This is due to foehn wind from south and south-east. Combined with a steady influx of warm, moist south-westerly winds from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, warmed by the Gulf stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
, it gives Molde a climate much warmer than its latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
would indicate. The sheltered location of the city, facing south with hills to the north, mountains to the east and mountainous islands to the west, contributes to Molde's climate and unusually rich plant life, especially among species naturally growing on far lower latitudes, like maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
, chestnut
Chestnut
Chestnut , some species called chinkapin or chinquapin, is a genus of eight or nine species of deciduous trees and shrubs in the beech family Fagaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.-Species:The chestnut belongs to the...
, oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
, tilia
Tilia
Tilia is a genus of about 30 species of trees native throughout most of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The greatest species diversity is found in Asia, and the genus also occurs in Europe and eastern North America, but not western North America...
(lime or linden), beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
, yew
Taxus
Taxus is a genus of yews, small coniferous trees or shrubs in the yew family Taxaceae. They are relatively slow-growing and can be very long-lived, and reach heights of 1-40 m, with trunk diameters of up to 4 m...
, and others.
Points of interest
SalmonSalmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
, sea trout and sea char
Salvelinus
Salvelinus is a genus of salmonid fish often called char or charr; some species are called "trout". Salvelinus is a member of the Salmoninae subfamily of the Salmonidae family. Charr may be identified by light cream pink or red spots over a darker body. Scales tend to be small, with 115-200 along...
are found in the rivers of the area, especially the Rauma, Driva
Driva
The Driva river runs through Sør-Trøndelag and Møre og Romsdal counties in Norway. The headwaters lie in the Dovrefjell mountains in the south, from where it flows northward, downward through the valley Drivdalen in the municipality of Oppdal. In Oppdal it turns westward down the Sunndalen valley...
, and Eira, already legendary among the British gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
in the mid-19th century. Trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
is abundant in most lakes. Cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
, pollock
Pollock
Pollock is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock. Other names for P...
, saithe, mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
and other species of saltwater fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
are commonly caught in the Romsdalsfjord, both from land and from boat. Skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
is a popular activity among the inhabitants of Molde in the winter, on groomed tracks, in resorts or by own trail. There are several popular rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
, ice climbing
Ice climbing
Ice climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
, bouldering
Bouldering
Bouldering is a style of rock climbing undertaken without a rope and normally limited to very short climbs over a crash pad so that a fall will not result in serious injury. It is typically practiced on large natural boulders or artificial boulders in gyms and outdoor urban areas...
, glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
and basejumping areas in the immediate surroundings of Molde.
The Atlantic road was voted the Norwegian Construction of the Century in 2005. It is built on bridges and landfills across small islands and skerries, and spans from the small communities of Vikan and Vevang to Averøy
Averøy
Averøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruhagen. Other villages in the municipality include Sveggen, Bremsnes, Vebenstad, Kvernes, Kornstad, Kårvåg, and Langøy.The...
, an island with several historic landmarks, such as the Bremsnes cave with Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
findings from the Fosna culture, the medieval Kvernes stave church
Kvernes stave church
Kvernes Stave Church is a stave church located along the Kvernesfjord in the village of Kvernes in the municipality of Averøy in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was probably built in the first half of the 14th century...
, and Langøysund, now a remote fishing community, but once a bustling port along the main coastal route. Langøysund was the site of the compromise between King Magnus I
Magnus I of Norway
Magnus I , known as the Good or the Noble, was the King of Norway from 1035 to 1047 and the King of Denmark from 1042 to 1047. He was an illegitimate son of king Olaf II of Norway, but fled with his mother in 1028 when his father was dethroned. In 1035 he returned to Norway and was crowned king at...
and the farmers along the coast in 1040. The compromise is regarded as Norway's Magna Carta
Magna Carta
Magna Carta is an English charter, originally issued in the year 1215 and reissued later in the 13th century in modified versions, which included the most direct challenges to the monarch's authority to date. The charter first passed into law in 1225...
, and is commemorated though the Pilespisser (Arrowheads) monument.
Trollkirka (English: lit. Troll Church) is a marble grotto leading up to an underground waterfall. The grotto is situated 30 minutes outside Molde, followed by a 1 hour hike up a steep trail. Trollveggen is Europe’s tallest vertical, overhanging mountain face, with several very difficult climbing routes. Trollstigen
Trollstigen
Trollstigen is a mountain road in Rauma, Norway, part of Norwegian National Road 63 connecting Åndalsnes in Rauma and Valldal in Norddal. It is a popular tourist attraction due to its steep incline of 9% and eleven hairpin bends up a steep mountain side...
is the most visited tourist road in Norway. The road twists and turns its way up an almost vertical mountainside through 11 hairpin bends to an altitude of 858 m (2,814.96 ft). Mardalsfossen is the highest waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
in Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
and the fourth highest waterfall in the world, cascading 297 metres down into the valley. The total height of the waterfall is 655 m (2,148.95 ft).
Bud
Bud, Norway
Bud is a fishing village and former municipality in the present-day municipality of Fræna in Møre og Romsdal county in western Norway. The village is located on the Romsdal peninsula along the Atlanterhavsveien, west of the village of Hustad, north of the village of Tornes, and east of the...
is a fishing village on the very tip of the Romsdal peninsula
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
. It gained importance during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
as a trading post, and hosted the last free Privy Council
Privy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
of Norway in 1533, a desperate attempt to save the country's independence and stave off the Protestant Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, led by Olav Engelbrektsson
Olav Engelbrektsson
Olav Engelbrektsson was the last Catholic Archbishop of Norway. As well as being a religious leader, Olav was also a political figure;...
, archbishop of Nidaros (today Trondheim). The massive Ergan coastal defences, a restored German coastal fort from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and a part of the Atlantic Wall
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
, is situated in Bud. The fishing communities of Ona, Bjørnsund and Håholmen are located on remote islands off the coast, only accessible by boat or ferry.
Moldemarka
Moldemarka, the hilly woodland area north of the city, is public landPublic land
In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries...
. The area has a network of paths, walking trails and skiing tracks. Forest roads enter the area from several directions. There are bulletin boards with maps and information about local plants and wildlife, as well as signposts along the trails. Marked trails lead to a number of peaks, sites and fishing lakes and rivers. A fishing permit is required to fish in the lakes.
Varden, 407 metres (1,335 ft) above sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
is a viewpoint directly above Molde, with a good view of the city, the fjord
Romsdalsfjord
Romsdalsfjord is the ninth longest fjord in Norway. It is long and located in the Romsdal district of Møre og Romsdal county. It flows through the municipalities of Midsund, Haram, Vestnes, Molde, Nesset, and Rauma...
with the Molde archipelago
Molde archipelago
The Molde Archipelago is a chain of about 50 tree-clad islands and islets, 2 km south the city of Molde, Norway. The archipelago is public, protected land, and a recreational resort...
and the Molde panorama
Molde panorama
The Molde Panorama is a general term used to describe the renowned panoramic view of some 222 partly snow-clad peaks, seen from the city of Molde, Norway...
.
Transportation
Hurtigruta visits Molde every day, on its journey between Bergen and KirkenesKirkenes
is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...
. The closest railway station is Åndalsnes
Åndalsnes
is a town in the municipality of Rauma in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Åndalsnes is the administrative center of Rauma. The town has a population of 2,207...
, the terminus for Raumabanen
Raumabanen
The Rauma Line is a long railway between Åndalsnes and Dombås in Norway. Running down the valley of Romsdalen, the line opened between 1921 and 1924 as a branch of the Dovre Line, which connects to Oslo and Trondheim. Originally intended as the first stage to connect Ålesund, and possibly also...
.
The city's airport at Årø
Molde Airport, Årø
Molde Airport, Årø is located in the city of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It serves Molde and the surrounding district of Romsdal. The airport sits about east of the city. After opening in 1972, services have been mainly to Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim...
has several daily flights to Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim, as well as weekly flights to other domestic and international destinations.
Culture
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
spent his childhood years at Nesset
Nesset
Nesset is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway on the Romsdal Peninsula. The administrative centre is the village of Eidsvåg. Other population centers include Rausand, Boggestranda, Myklebostad, Eresfjord, and Eikesdalen....
outside Molde, and attended school in the city. Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
frequently spent his vacations at the mansion Moldegård, visiting the family Møller, and Alexander Kielland
Alexander Kielland
Alexander Lange Kielland was one of the most famous Norwegian realistic writers of the 19th century. He is one of the so-called "The Four Greats" in Norwegian literature, along with Henrik Ibsen, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson and Jonas Lie.-Background:Born in Stavanger, Norway, he grew up in a rich...
resided in the city as the governor of Romsdals amt
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:...
. Ibsen's play Rosmersholm
Rosmersholm
Rosmersholm is a play written in 1886 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. In the estimation of many critics the piece is Ibsen's masterwork, only equalled by The Wild Duck of 1884...
is inspired by the life at Moldegård, and The Lady from the Sea
The Lady from the Sea
The Lady from the Sea is a play written in 1888 by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.Kvinnan från havet is a ballet by choreographer Birgit Cullberg, and based on Ibsen's play...
is also set in the city of Molde, although never being mentioned by name. Other authors from or with ties to Molde include Edvard Hoem
Edvard Hoem
Edvard Hoem is a Norwegian novelist, dramatist, lyricist and psalmist. He made his literary debut in 1969, with the poetry collection Som grønne musikantar. He was awarded the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature in 1974 for the novel Kjærleikens ferjereiser...
, Jo Nesbø
Jo Nesbø
Jo Nesbø is an Edgar Award nominated Norwegian author and musician. As of September 2008 more than one and a half million copies of his novels have been sold in Norway, and his work has been translated into over forty languages....
, Knut Ødegård
Knut Ødegård
Knut Ødegård is a Norwegian writer.Born in Molde, Norway, Ødegård made his poetic debut in 1967. Since then he has published many volumes of poetry, two novels for young adults, two books about Iceland, a play, and several reinterpretations...
, and Nini Roll Anker
Nini Roll Anker
Nini Roll Anker was a Norwegian novelist and playwright. She was born in Molde, as the daughter of stipendiary magistrate and later member of parliament and minister Ferdinand Nicolai Roll. She was married twice, first to land owner Peter Martin Anker, and later to engineer Johan August Anker...
, a friend of Sigrid Undset
Sigrid Undset
Sigrid Undset was a Norwegian novelist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928.-Biography:Undset was born in Kalundborg, Denmark, but her family moved to Norway when she was two years old. In 1924, she converted to Catholicism and became a lay Dominican...
.
The Romsdal Museum
Romsdal Museum
-History:It was founded by Peter Tønder Solemdal in 1912 and is one of the largest and most extensive folk museums in the country. In addition, the museum has a library and several archives for prints, text, and photographs. In 1928 the museum was opened to the public. In the middle of the field...
, one of Norway's largest folk museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s, was established in 1912. Old buildings originating from all over the region have been moved here to form a typical cluster of farm buildings including "open hearth
Hearth
In common historic and modern usage, a hearth is a brick- or stone-lined fireplace or oven often used for cooking and/or heating. For centuries, the hearth was considered an integral part of a home, often its central or most important feature...
" houses, sheds, outhouses, smokehouses and a small chapel. The "town street" with Mali's Café shows typical Molde town houses from the pre-World War I period. The Museum of the Fisheries is an open air museum located on the island of Hjertøya, 10 minutes from the center of Molde. A small fishing village with authentic buildings, boats and fishing equipment, the museum shows local coastal culture from 1850 onwards.
The local newspaper is Romsdals Budstikke
Romsdals Budstikke
Romsdals Budstikke is a daily newspaper published in Molde, Norway. The newspaper was established in 1843, and prints 18,648 copies daily as of 2002. Politically it is liberal, but independent from any political party. The coverage area includes Molde, Rauma, Vestnes, Midsund, Aukra, Sandøy,...
.
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has five parishes within the municipality of Molde. It is part of the Diocese of Møre
Diocese of Møre
The Diocese of Møre is a diocese in the Church of Norway which geographically consists of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its bishop and cathedral are located in the county administrative center of Molde...
and the Molde domprosti (Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
).
| Parish (Sokn) | Church Name | Year Built | Location of the Church |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molde | Molde domkirke | 1957 | Molde |
| Bolsøy | Røbekk kirke | 1898 | Røbekk |
| Nordbyen kirke | 2006 | Molde | |
| Bergmo kirke | 1982 | Molde | |
| Kleive | Kleive kirke | 1858 | Kleive Kleive, Møre og Romsdal Kleive is a village in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located at the end of the Fannefjord, about east of Hjelset. The village has a population of 474.... |
| Røvik og Veøy | Røvik kirke | 1905 | Røvika |
| Veøy kirke | 1907 | Sølsnes | |
| Veøy gamle kirke | c. Circa Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date... 1200 |
Veøya Veøya Veøya is an island in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located at a junction of the three main branches of the Romsdalsfjord between Sekken and the mainland near the village of Nesjestranda. Veøy consists of one larger and two smaller islands... |
|
| Sekken | Sekken kyrkje | 1908 | Sekken Sekken Sekken is an island in the Romsdalsfjord, at the mouth of the Langfjorden, in the municipality of Molde in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island lies about south of the island of Bolsøya and about west of the island of Veøya. There are no road connections to the island except for a ferry... |
Festivals
The MoldejazzMoldejazz
Molde International Jazz Festival takes place annually in July, and is known as one of the oldest jazz festivals in Europe. It was initiated by the local Storyville Jazz Club...
jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
festival is held in Molde every July. Moldejazz is the largest and oldest jazz festival in Europe, and one of the most important. An estimated 40,000 tickets are sold for the more than a hundred events during the festival. Between 80,000 and 100,000 visitors visit the city during the one-week long festival.
Every August, Molde and Nesset
Nesset
Nesset is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway on the Romsdal Peninsula. The administrative centre is the village of Eidsvåg. Other population centers include Rausand, Boggestranda, Myklebostad, Eresfjord, and Eikesdalen....
are hosts to the Bjørnson Festival
Bjørnson Festival
The Bjørnson Festival of international literature is held in Molde and Nesset, Norway, every August since 1992, and is named in honour of the Nobel Prize in Literature laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson ....
, an international literature festival. Established by the poet Knut Ødegård in connection with the 250-year anniversary of Molde, the festival is named in honour of the Nobel Prize in Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
laureate Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
(1832–1910). It is the oldest and the most internationally acclaimed literature festival in Norway.
In addition to the two major events, a number of minor festivals are held annually. Byfest, the city's celebration of itself, is an arrangement by local artists, coinciding with the anniversary of the royal charter of 29 June 1742.
Education
Molde University CollegeMolde University College
Molde University College - Specialized University in Logistics is a Norwegian specialized university located in Molde. The university offers higher education in business administration, transport economics, logistics, information technology, and health sciences.Degrees are offered both at...
offers a wide range of academic opportunities, from nursing and health related studies, to economics and administrative courses. The school is one of Norway's leading colleges in research and academic programs in information technology, logistics and transport economics, with degrees up to and including PhD.
Molde University College is also one of the country's leading institutions in international student exchange and programs conducted in English.
Sports
Molde hosts a variety of sports teams, most notably the footballFootball (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team, Molde FK, which is playing in the Norwegian Premier League
Norwegian Premier League
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
. Home matches are played at Aker stadion
Aker stadion
Aker Stadion, formerly known as Molde Stadion, is a football stadium located at Reknes in Molde, Norway, and is the home of Norwegian Premier League club Molde. The stadium has a capacity of 11,800 spectators....
, inaugurated in 1998, which holds a record attendance of 13,308. The team are the reigning league champions, are two-time Norwegian Cup winners (1994 and 2005), and has numerous appearances in European tournaments, including the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. The club was founded in 1911, during Molde's period of great British and Continental influx, and was first named "International", since it predominantly played teams made up from crews of foreign vessels visiting the city. Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær
Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the manager of Norwegian first division side Molde. He is better known as a former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin," he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very...
is their current manager and they captured the league title in 2011 for the first time in their history.
In addition to a number of international players, the city has also produced several ski jumpers, cross-country and alpine skiers of international merit.
Other sports include the accomplished team handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
clubs (SK Træff
SK Træff
Sportsklubben Træff is a Norwegian sports club from Molde, Møre og Romsdal. It currently has sections for association football and team handball....
, SK Rival), athletics teams (IL Molde-Olymp
IL Molde-Olymp
Idrettslaget Molde-Olymp is a Norwegian sports club from Molde, founded in 1971 as a merger between Molde FIL and SK Olymp. It has sections for athletics and speed skating....
), skiing clubs, basketball and volleyball teams.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Molde has five sister cities. They are: VejleVejle
Vejle is a town in Denmark, in the southeast of the Jutland Peninsula at the head of Vejle Fjord, where the Vejle and Grejs Rivers and their valleys converge. It is the site of the councils of Vejle Municipality and the Region of Southern Denmark...
, Denmark
Denmark
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...
Borås
Borås
Borås is a locality and the seat of Borås Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden. It had 63,441 inhabitants in 2005.- Geography :Borås is located at the point of two crossing railways, among them the railway between Gothenburg and Kalmar, and is often considered the Swedish city gaining the...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Mikkeli
Mikkeli
Mikkeli is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in what used to be the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Česká Lípa
Ceská Lípa
Česká Lípa a district seat and the largest city of the district bearing the same name. Česká Lípa can be reached easily from the north via Dresden, Bautzen, and the border crossing at Seifhennersdorf / Varnsdorf. Together with Liberec, being a higher administrative region, it is a part of Nisa...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Bardejov
Bardejov
Bardejov is a town in North-Eastern Slovakia. It is situated in the Šariš region and has about 33,000 inhabitants. The spa town, mentioned for the first time in 1241, exhibits numerous cultural monuments in its completely intact medieval town center...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
Notable residents
- Bjørnstjerne BjørnsonBjørnstjerne BjørnsonBjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was a Norwegian writer and the 1903 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. Bjørnson is considered as one of The Four Greats Norwegian writers; the others being Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, and Alexander Kielland...
, writer, Nobel Prize laureate (1832–1910) - Kjell Magne BondevikKjell Magne BondevikKjell Magne Bondevik is a Norwegian Lutheran minister and politician . He served as Prime Minister of Norway from 1997 to 2000, and from 2001 to 2005, making him Norway's longest serving non-Labour Party Prime Minister since World War II...
, politician, former Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
(1947-) - Ane BrunAne BrunAne Brun is a songwriter, guitarist and vocalist. Since 2003 she has recorded eight albums, four of which are studio albums, a live DVD and a collection of duets...
, singer-songwriter - Bjørn Rune GjelstenBjørn Rune GjelstenBjørn Rune Gjelsten is a Norwegian businessman and Offshore powerboat racing World Champion. He was also a joint owner of Wimbledon Football Club and involved in the controversial relocation of the team from London to Milton Keynes.Gjelsten made his powerboat racing debut in 1994 in the U.S.,...
, businessman (1956-) - Bjørn Trygve Grydeland, President of ESA, EU Ambassador (1949-)
- Ann-Helen MoenAnn-Helen MoenAnn-Helen Moen, born 1969, is a Norwegian lyric soprano from Molde, Norway, currently residing in the United Kingdom.-Biography:A graduate of the Grieg Academy and the Opera Academy in Copenhagen, Moen was a soloist at the opera in Graz, Austria, from 2001–2004 and has since performed for such...
, soprano - Arild MonsenArild MonsenArlid Monsen . is a former Norwegian cross country skier who competed at international level from 1982 to 1985. He won the 4 x 10 km gold at the 1985 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld and finished 7th in the 15 km event at those same championships.Monsen's best individual...
, cross-country skier (1962-) - Jo NesbøJo NesbøJo Nesbø is an Edgar Award nominated Norwegian author and musician. As of September 2008 more than one and a half million copies of his novels have been sold in Norway, and his work has been translated into over forty languages....
, writer (1960-) - Ole Anton QvamOle Anton QvamOle Anton Qvam was the Norwegian Minister of Justice 1891-1893, 1898–1899 and 1900–1902, Minister of the Interior 1899-1900, as well as head of the Ministry of Auditing, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Justice in 1900, and Norwegian prime minister in Stockholm 1902-1903....
former Prime Minister, (1834–1904) - Kjetil RekdalKjetil RekdalKjetil André Rekdal is a Norwegian football coach and a former footballer. He is currently managing Aalesund in Norwegian Tippeligaen. His previous tenure was at Kaiserslautern of the 2...
, football player and manager (1968-) - Kjell Inge RøkkeKjell Inge RøkkeKjell Inge Røkke is a Norwegian businessman and among the richest people in Norway, controlling the Norwegian company Aker Solutions...
, businessman (1958-) - Jacob TannerJacob TannerJacob Tanner was a Norwegian American Lutheran minister, educator and religious author. He spent most of his life in the United States and became a naturalized citizen.-Biography:...
(1865–1964), Norwegian American Lutheran educator and religious author - Knut ØdegårdKnut ØdegårdKnut Ødegård is a Norwegian writer.Born in Molde, Norway, Ødegård made his poetic debut in 1967. Since then he has published many volumes of poetry, two novels for young adults, two books about Iceland, a play, and several reinterpretations...
, poet (1945-)
- Nini Roll AnkerNini Roll AnkerNini Roll Anker was a Norwegian novelist and playwright. She was born in Molde, as the daughter of stipendiary magistrate and later member of parliament and minister Ferdinand Nicolai Roll. She was married twice, first to land owner Peter Martin Anker, and later to engineer Johan August Anker...
(1873–1942), writer - Mali Furunes, (1888–1968), actor, dancer, folklorist
- Birger HatlebakkBirger HatlebakkBirger Hatlebakk was a Norwegian industrialist and politician for the Liberal Party.He founded Moxy Engineering....
, (1912–1997), industrialist - Edvard HoemEdvard HoemEdvard Hoem is a Norwegian novelist, dramatist, lyricist and psalmist. He made his literary debut in 1969, with the poetry collection Som grønne musikantar. He was awarded the Norwegian Critics Prize for Literature in 1974 for the novel Kjærleikens ferjereiser...
, writer - Ingeborg Hungnes, singer
- Ola Kvernberg, musician
- Arne NøstArne NøstArne Nøst is a Norwegian graphic artist and theatre director. He was born in Molde, and is educated as graphic artist at the Norwegian National Academy of Fine Arts. He has illustrated several books, contributed to newspapers, and been responsible for decoration of buildings. He is theatre...
, artist - Terje RypdalTerje RypdalTerje Rypdal is a Norwegian guitarist and composer. Most of his music has been released on albums of the German record label ECM. Rypdal has collaborated both as a guitarist and as a composer with other ECM artists such as Ketil Bjørnstad and David Darling...
, composer and musician - Kurt SchwittersKurt SchwittersKurt Hermann Eduard Karl Julius Schwitters was a German painter who was born in Hanover, Germany. Schwitters worked in several genres and media, including Dada, Constructivism, Surrealism, poetry, sound, painting, sculpture, graphic design, typography and what came to be known as...
, German artist (1887–1948) - Arne SolliArne SolliArne Solli is a Norwegian general who served as Chief of Defence of Norway from 31 October 1994 until 30 April 1999.In 1995 he was awarded the title of Commander of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav.-References:...
, former Commander-in-ChiefCommander-in-ChiefA commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military... - Terje Venaas, musician
- Maurycy GottliebMaurycy GottliebMaurycy Gottlieb was a Jewish painter, of Polish-speaking Galician Jews from the western part of Ukraine. He was born in Drohobych , Galicia, modern Lviv region, western Ukraine....
, artist - Magne Strømmen, amateur comedian
International footballers/soccer players
- Jan FuglsetJan FuglsetJan Fuglset is a former professional football player. Fuglset is known as one of the leading goal-scorers in Norwegian top division with 109 goals from 1967-1982. He is the brother of Tor Fuglset.-Club career:...
- Daniel Berg HestadDaniel Berg HestadDaniel Berg Hestad is a Norwegian footballer, playing as a central midfielder for Molde. He is the player with most matches for Molde, and second most matches in Tippeligaen...
- Harry HestadHarry HestadHarry Asbjørn Hestad is a former Norwegian football player and coach.Just as his brother Stein Olav Hestad, Hestad played for Molde almost his entire career, only interrupted by two seasons in the Dutch club FC Den Haag...
- Petter RudiPetter RudiPetter Normann Rudi is a retired Norwegian footballer. He finished his career at Belgian club K.A.A. Gent in 2007 after playing professionally in several countries in Europe during his career.-Career:...
- Kjetil RekdalKjetil RekdalKjetil André Rekdal is a Norwegian football coach and a former footballer. He is currently managing Aalesund in Norwegian Tippeligaen. His previous tenure was at Kaiserslautern of the 2...
Athletes
- Andrine FlemmenAndrine FlemmenAndrine Flemmen is a retired Norwegian alpine skier. Her favourite discipline was giant slalom. In this discipline she won three World Cup victories by the pass of her career. The highlight in her career was the silver medal at the WC 1999 in Vail only beaten by the Austrian Alexandra...
, Olympic skier - Henriette Birkeland Kitel, European Champion boxerBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
- Mette Solli, World Champion kickboxerKickboxingKickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
- Arild MonsenArild MonsenArlid Monsen . is a former Norwegian cross country skier who competed at international level from 1982 to 1985. He won the 4 x 10 km gold at the 1985 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Seefeld and finished 7th in the 15 km event at those same championships.Monsen's best individual...
, World Champion Cross-country skiingCross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, 1985 - Ingolf MorkIngolf MorkIngolf Mork is a Norwegian ski jumper who was born in Molde, but represented SFK Lyn in Oslo. He won the Four Hills Tournament in 1972, and had two victories in the Holmenkollen ....
, ski jumperSki jumpingSki jumping is a sport in which skiers go down a take-off ramp, jump and attempt to land as far as possible down the hill below. In addition to the length of the jump, judges give points for style. The skis used for ski jumping are wide and long...
, winner of Four Hills TournamentFour Hills TournamentThe Four Hills Tournament is composed of four Ski Jumping World Cup events and has taken place in Germany and Austria each year since 1952.The Four Hills Tournament champion is the one who gets the most points over the four events...
1971/72 - Otto BergOtto Berg (athlete)Otto Berg was a Norwegian long jumper.At the 1936 Summer Olympics he finished tenth in the long jump final with a jump of 7.30 metres. He won the silver medal at the 1934 European Championships in Athletics...
, long jumper
External links
- Municipal fact sheet from Statistics NorwayStatistics NorwayStatistics Norway is the Norwegian statistics bureau. It was established in 1876.Relying on a staff of about 1,000, Statistics Norway publish about 1,000 new statistical releases every year on its web site. All releases are published both in Norwegian and English...
- Tourist information
- Molde University college
- Molde International Jazz Festival
- Romsdals Budstikke
- Molde F.K.
- VS Molde Futsal
- Molde and the Molde Panorama
- Images from Molde and Romsdal by Armin Burkhart