Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
From Ålesund,
62° Nord (
www.62nord.net
)
does a four-hour evening cruise (adult/
childNkr495/250)toOnathreetimesweeklyfromlateJunetomid-August.Itallowsmore
than an hour - ample time - to explore the island.
BUD
The Rv664 coastal route between Molde and Kristiansund is a pleasant alternative to the
faster E89. En route lies the little fishing village of Bud, huddled around its compact har-
bour.It'sdifficulttobelieve,butinthe16thand17thcenturiesBudwasthegreatesttrading
centre between Bergen and Trondheim.
In late 2011, a new visitors centre will illustrate the resources of the sea - oil, fish, sea-
weed - and gas from the giant offshore Ormen Lange field, destined to provide 20% of the
UK's requirement. On a more human scale, you'll learn about the mysterious wreck from
1750 that lies on the seabed, too deep for human divers.
Serving as a WWII museum and memorial,
Ergan Coastal Fort (Ergan Kystfort;
adult/child Nkr70/30; 10am-6pm Jun-late Aug)
was erected by Nazi forces in 1940.
Various armaments and a network of bunkers and soldiers' quarters are dispersed around
the hill with the sick bay and store sunk deep inside the mountain.
Bryggjen i Bud ( 71 26 11 11;
www.bryggjen.no
,
in Norwegian; buffet lunch
Nkr210; noon-7pm May-Sep, Fri-Sun only Oct-Apr)
, perched beside the small har-
bour, is a simple, unpretentious place. 'People weep if they arrive and find it closed,' said
theladyinthevisitorscentreupthehillwithperhapsatouchofexaggeration.Butweknow
what she meant. It indeed attracts folk from miles around for its gargantuan lunch buffets:
fish soup, two varieties of fish ball, salted coalfish, a couple of meat dishes and, of course
klipfish (Norway's largest klipfish-drying sheds are just up the road). Spoon on the vegies
in moderation, though - they might remind you of school dinners at their mushiest.
Bus 352 travels regularly between Molde and Bud (one hour; four to seven times daily,
except Sunday).
Kristiansund
POP 21,100
The historic cod-fishing and drying town of Kristiansund ranges over three islands. Its res-
taurants serve dishes from the deep; fishing boats, large and small, still moor alongside its
quays. Mellemværftet, unkempt and chaotic, hangs on as a working boatyard.
