Dusk over the port of Molde in Norway

Molde – The City of Roses

Protected from the harsh surrounding elements, Molde is beautifully situated among a spectacular fjord landscape.

Its many lush, flowering rose gardens give this lovely fjord town its nickname, ‘The City of Roses’. Molde is home to 25,000 inhabitants and is the administrative center and commercial hub of Møre og Romsdal County. It offers fabulous panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and a relatively mild climate. Molde Jazz, Norway’s largest jazz festival, showcases jazz from all corners of the world for one week each summer.

The town has a viewpoint called Varden, where you can enjoy views of the city, fjords, archipelagos, and 222 snowy peaks. Molde also houses one of Norway’s largest folk museums, Romsdalsmuseet. This cultural and scientific institution was established in 1912. It displays buildings and interiors from the region and also has its own library and local history archive. The fisheries museum, located on idyllic Hjertøya island, showcases the local coastal culture, the work environment, and the living conditions found in the region from 1850 onward. The island is a great area to explore nature. Here, you can rent fishing equipment and rowboats or go on a picnic before heading for a hike or a swim. It’s the perfect place on a hot summer day.

History

Molde was granted city status in 1742. The city continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming a center for the Norwegian textile and garment industry, as well as the administrative center for the region and a major tourist destination. A fire in 1916 and bombings during World War II left most of the city’s old wooden buildings in ruins. Molde’s post-war architecture is simple, clean, and functional.