Kristiansund
Kristiansund is the place where the famous Atlantic Ocean Road begins. I never heard about this road before. My host at Hoems asked me if I watched a Mercedes commercial where the car looks like it goes into water with a splash. Yes, I saw it.
‘That’s where they filmed this video!’ he exclaimed and added that people come to Kristiansund just because they want to drive along this road. I most certainly should go see this wonder. I did not have a car in Norway, so driving was not an option but I could take the bus.
The only bus in that direction leaves at 11.15 a.m. The same bus returns to Kristiansund in the afternoon. I got off the bus at the parking lot. The driver told me to be at this stop at 2 p.m. He was not going to wait for me. If I was late I’d have to walk back to Kristiansund.
Duly warned and scared, I set off to explore the area and first of all, took a pedestrian walkway that goes around the islet with the parking.
The walkway takes visitors past s small memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives at sea. There are also posts with a brief history of the road.
The Atlantic Ocean Road is a twisted highway that connects tiny islands and people who live on them with the mainland. The fishing industry needed to transport cod and herring. Thus in 1909, in order to support trade and export, it was decided to build a railroad. This plan never materialized. As cars gradually became more popular, the Storting (Norwegian Parliament) replaced a railway with a road that was finished in 1989. This highway cost Norway a fortune but it is toll free.
In some places, the road is almost at sea level. It is easy to imagine the waves that swash over the asphalt. In other, high arching bridges look like a drop-off.
The BBC made a short video that shows different parts of the road. I walked as far as the time until the return bus allowed. The tide was low and I could wade in shallow water from one picturesque tiny islet to another.
There was no shelter at the bus stop. A small café where I planned to have coffee was closed. I wandered around until the bus came at 2.15 p.m. and brought me back.
Kristiansund is situated on 4 islands connected by bridges. A free ferry runs every 20 minutes between the islands. I already crisscrossed the largest of them where my hotel was. It was still early in the day and I went to see the other 3 islands.
Kristiansund was heavily bombed by the Germans in April 1940. According to my host, the King of Norway was on the island at that time and that was the reason for the attacks but I could not find online a confirmation of the king’s presence there. Anyway, the king escaped unharmed; the town was almost totally destroyed. The only pre-WW II houses remain on the island of Innlandet.
I knew nothing about Kristiansund before visiting it. I chose to go there because I liked the town’s location and online pictures of it. It turned out to be an excellent place to spend 3 days that is rich in local culture, full of interesting facts and beautiful beyond imagination.
It was time to go back. I took the 12-p.m. ferry to Trondheim and got to my aunt’s home at 4 p.m.
After one more day in Trondheim, I said goodbye to my aunt and boarded a direct flight to London.