Molde is a municipality and a town in Romsdal in Møre og Romsdal.
Today's municipality was established on 1 January 2020 by merging
Nesset, Midsund and Molde. The municipality borders in the west to
Aukra, in the southwest to Ålesund, in the north to Hustadvika and
in the east to Gjemnes, Tingvoll and Sunndal and in the south to
Vestnes and Rauma and to Lesja in the Inland. The city of Molde is
the center of the municipality.
The municipality belongs to
the Molde sheriff's district in Nordmøre and Romsdal police
district, Romsdal parish and Frostating district. Molde previously
covered the two parishes Molde and Bolsøy in Molde domprosti.
Molde became a market town in 1742 and originally covered the
area that is now the city center.
In 1915 and 1952, the city
boundaries were adjusted by incorporating parts of the surrounding
Bolsøy county in Molde and in 1964 the two municipalities were
merged. At the same time, parts of Veøy county, as well as the
Mordal district in Nord-Aukra county were incorporated in Molde.
With this, the population increased from 8,289 to 17,118. In 2020,
Molde, Nesset and Midsund were merged into one large municipality
that stretches from Lesja and Sunndal in the south and east and
towards Ålesund in the west.
The name is believed to come
from a Norse farm name, Moldar, a plural form of mold. The city coat
of arms, a whale that chases herring into a barrel, refers to the
herring fishery that saved the city from famine in the 1740s. At the
same time, the whale, which followed the herring shoals into the
fjords, was a sure sign that the spring herring fishing could begin.
The town of Molde is located on the northern shore of the Moldefjord.
The main source of income for the residents is traditional industry, in
particular the production of furniture and lighting (Glamox). Molde is
also known as Rosenes by, i.e. "City of Roses", because roses still grow
here due to the relatively mild climate, which actually have their
growth limit further south. Chestnuts, maples, lime trees, oaks, copper
beeches and ash trees also grow here. The reason for this unusual
vegetation is an extension of the Gulf Stream in combination with the
sheltered location on the fjord. South of the city is a small
archipelago with archipelago islands such as Bjørsetholmen, Moldeholmen
and Reknesholmen.
The town's buildings are mostly of recent date,
as Molde was largely destroyed by German forces in 1940 as the last
headquarters of the Norwegian Army. Ever since Molde University of
Applied Sciences was founded in 1994, Molde has been a student city.
The city's name derives from the Norwegian word for topsoil - "mold"
- because the first settlers found unusually fertile soil at this point.
Today's city of Molde was founded in the mid-15th century. In addition
to timber production, it was above all the export of herring that made
the city grow quickly. In 1742 Molde received city rights. During World
War II, the city was almost completely destroyed by the German
Luftwaffe. Since the 1950s, the city has presented itself as a modern
city with numerous very well-tended gardens.
As part of the
municipal reform in Norway, Midsund and Nesset were incorporated into
Molde on January 1, 2020.
The nationally known Moldejazz jazz festival has been held here every
year since 1961, attracting thousands of musicians and tourists. In
addition to the Jazz Festival, there is also the literary festival
Bjørnson Festival, which is very interesting for internationally
renowned authors and brings them to Molde.
Molde has been a port of call for Hurtigruten ships for over 100 years. This is where northbound and southbound ships meet in the harbor every evening. Arø Airport, not far from the city, is one of the largest regional airports in the country with around 300,000 passengers per year. Molde is close to the Atlantic Road, a route that is also popular with tourists.
The most famous sports clubs in the city are Molde Fotballklubb and Molde Håndballklubb.
Most of today's buildings in the city were built after the end of the
Second World War, since Molde was largely destroyed by German forces in
1940 as the last quarters of the Norwegian King Haakon VII. The
so-called royal birch is a memorial to the German occupation of Norway
in World War II.
The altarpiece from the previous church, which
was destroyed in 1940, hangs in the cathedral church, which was newly
built in 1957 and has a distinctive free-standing bell tower. Centrally
located Reknesparken with a memorial to the writer Alexander Kielland is
worth seeing, as is the Romsdalenmuseum, an open-air museum with 35
restored historic buildings from the province of Møre og Romsdal,
including a historic urban street just outside. In 2016, the new wooden
central building "Krona" ("The Crown") was opened. It houses a newly
designed permanent exhibition, a library, a concert hall and the Café
Mali. A section of the museum devoted to fishing is on the island of
Hjertøya in the fjord, to which tourist boats depart from Torget
(market) in the summer.
Mount Varden (407 moh.) offers a good
view of Molde as well as 696 moh. high sounds. Not only these two
mountains characterize the region around Molde, but a total of 222,
partly snow-covered, mountain peaks ensure a unique landscape and an
impressive panorama. North of the city lies the local recreation and
hiking area of Moldemarka with its unusually rich vegetation for this
region.
The most striking building on the city's sea side is the
glass building of the Scandic-Seilet Hotel, whose architecture is
reminiscent of the shape of a sailing ship.