NORTHWEST

Connect with your senses

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The Atlantic Road in Northwest .
Photo: Jacek Rózycki

Feel the adrenaline pump as you navigate the 11 hairpin bends of the Trollstigen mountain road …

Trollstigen .
Photo: Shai Pal on Unsplash

Trollstigen .
Photo: Knut Troim on Unsplash

… when you drive The Atlantic Road in a shower of sea spray …

Storm at The Atlantic Road in Northwest .
Photo: Steinar Melby

… or as you balance across the Romsdalseggen ridge, one of Norway’s most popular hikes.

Rampestreken viewpoint in Åndalsnes .
Photo: Matti Bernitz / Visitnorway.com

Staggering peaks and rough seas. Contrasting weather and wide views.

The Northwest, located in the northern part of Fjord Norway, is where active adventurers seek to take their passion to the next level – whether they want to go hiking, fishing, or cycling in the summer …

Hiking in the Innerdalen valley .
Photo: Mattias Fredriksson Photography AB / Visitnorway.com

… or cruise down never-ending descents (at least that’s how it feels like!) in the winter.

Skiing at Blånebba in Northwest .
Photo: Tarjei Klinge Husøy

Hear the roaring sound of Northern Europe’s highest waterfall, Mardalsfossen (665 metres) …

Mardalsfossen .
Photo: Mattias Fredriksson

… and listen to the silence that lies like a blanket over remote island fishing villages such as Grip (pictured) and Bud.

Hold on – is that jazz playing?

Grip Island in Northwest .
Photo: Johan Wildhagen

Molde, the largest city in the region, attracts thousands of music lovers every year when it hosts the oldest annual jazz festival in Europe.

Molde panorama .
Photo: Einar Engdal / Visitnorthwest.no

Kristiansund is often referred to as the “opera town”, as it is home to Norway’s oldest opera and puts on about a hundred performances every year.

Kristiansund from the air .
Photo: Terje Rakke / Nordic Life

The smaller city Åndalsnes, however, calls itself “Norway’s mountaineering capital”. The city is the gateway to the Romsdalen valley and a true gem for all types of mountain hunters.

At the Norwegian mountaineering centre (Norsk Tindesenter), you can learn about the region’s proud mountaineering history and reach new heights in Norway’s highest indoor climbing wall (21 metres).

The Norwegian mountaineering centre in Åndalsnes .
Photo: Oddgeir Visnes / Møre og Romsdal Reiseliv

From Åndalsnes, you can jump on the Rauma Line, named Europe’s most scenic train journey by Lonely Planet.

Lean back and enjoy the view of well-known attractions such as the Trollveggen vertical rock and the Kylling bridge.

The Rauma Line .
Photo: Leif J. Olestad

But hey, what’s that smell?

Renndølsetra in Innerdalen .
Photo: Thomas Rasmus Skaug / Visitnorway.com

It could be the freshly made waffles from the charming mountain farm Rendølssetra …

Renndølsetra in Innerdalen .
Photo: Thomas Rasmus Skaug / Visitnorway.com

… located in the Innerdalen valley, known as one of the most beautiful mountain valleys in Norway.

Renndølsetra in the Innerdalen valley .
Photo: Thomas Rasmus Skaug / Visitnorway.com

It could also be the odour of some other kind of homemade delicacies. Maybe a traditional “lefse” (a delicious pastry dish), Kraftkar from Tingvollost, the world’s best blue cheese (no joke!), ooor – let’s be honest, it’s not to be avoided …

Kraftkar cheese from Tingvollost .
Photo: Hanne Stensvold

Kraftkar from Tingvollost .
Photo: Hanne Stensvold

… the smell of the dried and salted cod known as clipfish. This local delicacy has been produced and exported to southern countries for centuries.

You can learn more about traditional production at the Klipfish museum in the clipfish capital Kristiansund. If you are really lucky, you will also get a sample of their famous bacalao, the staple dish of the region.

Clipfish from Dybvik, Ålesund .
Photo: Tina Stafrén

Clipfish in Kristiansund .
Photo: Tina Stafrén

Climb the 2,200 steps of Midsundtrappene, one of Norway’s longest stone staircases, and enjoy a panoramic view of the sea and the archipelago at the top (659 metres above sea level) …

Midsundtrappene to Rørsethornet in Molde .
Photo: Mattias Fredriksson