Averøy
Averøya is an island on the mid-western coast of Norway, located in Møre og Romsdal county. The municipality Averøy is mainly formed by a relatively large main island, partly split up by a fjord, but there is also several small islands and islets in the north-west.
Many people describe Averøy as a "miniature of Norway" as all the landscape typical to Norway is represented here. The island is also famous for being one of the two municipalities connected by The Atlantic Road (Atlanterhavsveien)
Understand
Averøy has deep roots to the ocean. In the earlier times land was seen upon more as a barrier than a route of transportation. The boat has always has been the preferred way of transport and this has clearly effected the settlements on the island and the sorroundings. Until the 60's the island was divided into three municipalities. The island only got connected to the mainland as late as 1989.
Fishing and farming has always been the main industry here. Industry related to shipping and fish farming is also amongst the biggest industries on the island. The oil-related business in Kristiansund nearby has also become a large actor when it comes to labour.
Get in
By car
Situated on the coastline between Molde and Kristiansund, Averøy is reachable by the state road "Rv 64" running straight through it connecting the two earlier mentioned cities. In the west, towards Molde, the Rv 64 connects Averøy to the mainland as The Atlantic Road (Atlanterhavsveien). In the northeast the Rv 64 dives into the ocean, as The Atlantic Ocean Tunnel, connecting the island to Kristiansund.
By bus
The two bus companies Nettbuss Møre and Eide Auto is cooperating and have routes passing through Averøy from both Kristiansund and Molde every one or two hours in the weekdays. In the weekends you can expect about three departures a day.
Get around
Your own car or motorcycle is the best way to get around and travel at your own speed.
For bus options, look in the "Get in" section.
For additional information regarding public transportation in Møre og Romsdal, contact the public transport information "Trafikanten Møre og Romsdal"[1] on the phone number 177.
Cycling is a good option for exploring Averøy as main roads on the island have no steep hills worthy of mentioning and the traffic is rather low. With all that said, the long distances make it hard to explore the entire island in e.g. one day.
See
- Atlanterhavsveien. (The Atlantic Road). Averøy's most popular attraction is a 8km long piece of road connecting Averøy to the mainland via a stretch of several islets connected by 8 bridges. The road was voted as construction of the century in 2005 and is one of Norway's top ten landscape based tourist attractions. For the most spectacular view you should visit on a sunny day in the spring or summer, or when there is a storm. In the summertime, this place is crowded by campers but still worth a visit. From one of its islets, "Geitøya", there is possible to go by boat to Håholmen on request.
- Bremsneshola (The Bremsnes Cave). This is a huge cave measuring about 80 meters in length and 4 - 12 meters in width.
- Håholmen. An earlier fishing station situated on the islet/island "Håholmen", only reachable by boat from Atlanterhavsveien. Since its origin on the early 17th century it has been an important place for fishermen in hundreds of years. The island is now only partly inhabited caused by the hotel and restaurant business going on. Well worth a visit.
- Kvernes Stave Church. This church is one of the youngest of Norway’s 28 stave churches. Built around the 13th century.
- Kvernes Rural Museum. The main yard of the museum with it's 11 buildings form a typical coastal farming environment the way it was around the 18th to 19th century. Her you can find farmhouses, storehouses and "fire-houses" (Eldhus) from different eras.
- The rock carvings at Søbstadklubben. Whales carved into the mountainside, probably from the early Stone Age approximately 5000 years ago.
- Hestskjæret Lighthouse. Built in 1879, this is one of the lighthouses overlooking the hazardous Hustadvika. Was inhabitated in older times but is now automated. It is still an important landmark but is not very much visited due to its inaccessibility.
- Håkårøysa. Nordmøre's biggest burial mound from the Viking age. It's unknown who or what lies there, but it is clear that a substantial amount of labour was put into this grave.
- Sveggesundet. Small village situated on both sides of a beautiful strait next to the Norwegian Sea. Go here for an autentic experience of life by the sea.
- Meek-knoken. The tallest mountain on the island with it's 751 metres above sea level. On a nice day you can even se the windmills on Smøla, over 50km away.
- The "Ting" meeting-places on Bremsnes and Kvernes. Old Viking meeting places. Rumors says that Harald Fairhair (Harald Hårfagre) cut his hair at Bremsnes after his unification of Norway around year 885 A.C.
- The copper mines on Dyrset and Fagerfjellet. There was mining on several sites on the island in the period from 1806 to 1917. The sites still exists but are not well kept.
Do
- Fishing from the fishing bridges on The Atlantic Road
- Hiking across the mountains in the centre of the island
Eat
- Averøy Restaurant in Bruhagen
- Bjartmars favorittkro. In Kårvåg
Drink
- Averøy Restaurant
Sleep
- Åkviktunet.
- Atlanterhavsveien Sjøstuer.
- Feskberja.
- Kvernes Utleie.
- Hustadvika Gjestegård.
- Leithe Gård.
- Lysø Camping.
- Rangøy Rorbu.
- Skjerneset Bryggecamping.
- Sveggvika.
In Norway it is also allowed to camp everywhere temporarly (max two days) at a "fair" distance from cultivated areas. This makes camping in a tent a cheap and popular option. Due to massive amounts of uncultivated areas on Averøya there are many places where this is possible.
Contact
Averøy Turist Information
- Address: Sentrumsbygget, Bruhagen, 6530 Averøy
- Phone: (+47) 71 51 44 77
- Fax: (+47) 71 51 44 78
- Mobile: (+47) 92 22 51 58
- E-mail: post@bedriftnordvest.no
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