The majestic mountains of Trollheimen
Start your at Sunndalsøra. Follow rv. 70 towards Ålvundfjord. The first detour is to one of Norway's most beautiful mountain valleys, Innerdalen. A ferry takes you from Rykkjem across to Kvanne. Rv. 670 with a detour to the Todalen Valley with Svinvik's Arboretum and Kårvatn – one of Europe's cleanest and least polluted environments.
Continue along rv. 670 to Surnadal, a commercial and service centre where you can stay overnight if you wish. Drive along the famous Surna salmon river and make a detour up Folldalen to Gråsjøen, or drive up Vindøldalen; these are excellent starting points for the marked walking trails in to the Trollheimen Mountains.
The road rv. 670 continues on to Rindal, the gateway to Trollheimen and a beautiful mountain village with a museum, town centre and places to stay.
Continue on the rv. 670 through Romundstad and the delightful countryside to the mountain village of Vålåskaret and on to Å in Meldal. Then continue on rv. 700 through Rennebu to Berkåk.
Follow the E6 south to Oppdal, and rv. 70 down Gråura to Gjøra. Take a detour to Åmotan (the confluence of five waterfalls) and up to the KNT tourist lodge of Vangshaugen. Marked trails in to the Sunndal Mountains and Dovre. The rv. 70 continues down Sunndal to Sunndalsøra.
Distance: Approximately 200 kilometres/124 US miles.
From the Atlantic Ocean to the mountains
Take the ferry from Kristiansund to Bremsnes, and then continue to Bruhagen. Make a quick stop at Kvernes Stave Church and the village museum.
Follow rv. 64, the spectacular Atlantic Road, Kårvåg. The Atlantic Road zigzags over small islands, skerries and bridges. The preserved fishing village of Håholmen is worth a visit.
The rest of the journey to Bud continues close to the coast. The roads are good. Bud is a lively fishing community with a German coastal fort, places to stay and places to eat.
Continue to Elnesvågen (on rv. 664) and Molde (rv. 64). Drive north on the E39 to Oppdøl, follow the rv. 62 to Eidsvåg, and take a detour via the rv. 665 to Angvik which is an old trading station with a hotel, spa and museum.
From Eresfjord, follow the county road through beautiful and romantic Eikesdal. Take a detour to Mardalsfossen – the highest waterfall in Northern Europe. Follow the road up Finnsetlia to Lake Aursjøen where you can have a meal and/or stay overnight.
Continue over beautiful mountain plateaus and down the Litjdalen Valley on the impressive and spectacular road with views of the wild mountains. The Aura Demonstration Power Plant at Litjdalen is worth a visit. There is a tourist information office in Sunndal. From Sunndal you follow the rv. 70 to Tingvoll where there is a beautiful medieval church, a farm which produces cheese and a big museum. Rock paintings/rock art at Hindhammer where you continue on the rv. 70 back to Kristiansund.
Distance: Approximately 325 kilometres/202 US miles.
Bicycle or car trip to the ocean's edge
Start your trip at the tourist information office in Kristiansund. Follow the rv. 70 out of town to the junction where the rv. 680 exits to Seivika – Tømmervåg, a ferry which connects Aure/Tustna to Kristiansund.
Continue to Sandvik and take the ferry to Edøy/Smøla. Edøy's medieval stone church is located near the ferry terminal. Follow rv. 669 over to Kuliøya (where there is a replica of Kulisteinen, a rune stone containing the first ever written mention of Norway) and cross beautiful bridges to the main island of Smøla.
When you arrive on Smøla, turn to the right and continue along the eastern side of the island where you can discover small idyllic inlets and inhabited coves. Smøla is a flat island and despite the fact that it is one of the largest islands in Norway, it does not take long to get around. Amenities include a deep-sea fishing centre, hotel, restaurants, recreation centre with boat hire, lighthouse visits, shops and the municipal administration.
From Smøla, follow the rv. 669 out to Veiholmen, a small island surrounded by the ocean. Fantastic skerries, sheltered harbour, fishprocessing industry, accommodation in a fishermen's cabin ("rorbu"), marina and several restaurants.
The trip continues on the rv. 669 to Dyrnesvågen past Smøla Wind Farm, Norway's biggest wind farm. At Dyrnesvågen there is a golf course. At Straumen Service Centre there is a tourist information office, shop, restaurant and accommodation. Continue on the rv. 669 to Edøy. Here you catch a ferry over to Sandvik, and then continue back to Kristiansund.
Distance: Approximately 160 kilometres/99 US miles.
Day trips from Kristiansund
Trondheim – the historical city
The express boat service Kystekspressen takes you comfortably between Kristiansund and Trondheim in 3 hours and 15 minutes. The journey brings you into close contact with beautiful coastal scenery, and offers exciting views. Year-round service, several daily departures. Discounts on return trips within one and two days.
Fjord Magic
Take part in one of the world's most beautiful natural and cultural experiences, the organised bus tour of Fjord Magic. Experience dramatic fjords, wild mountains, the amazing Trollstigen Mountain road and the UNESCO world heritage site Geirangerfjord with its beautiful waterfalls. You can stop and rejoin the bus as you choose, so you can tailor Fjord Magic exactly to your needs – use one day or up to a week.
The Atlantic Road by bus and Hurtigruten (The Norwegian Coastal Voyage)
The spectacular Atlantic Road is accessible all year by bus. Stop for 30 minutes or stay for several hours – the choice is yours. You can hire a bicycle, or, during the summer, visit Håholmen or go fishing. You can also combine the bus trip with a voyage with Hurtigruten: Take the bus from Molde to Kristiansund, spend the day in Kristiansund, and travel by Hurtigruten back to Molde at 5 pm.