Romsdalsfjord

The Romsdalsfjorden was an important transport corridor before the highway that is now the European route E136 between Åndalsnes and Ålesund was completed in 1946. The town of Molde is connected to the south shore by large ferries to the dock in the village of Vestnes (village), this is the fifth busiest ferry crossing in Norway, several vessels run shuttles across the wide fjord. The car ferry Sølsnes-Åfarnes has operated since 1931. There are no bridges across the main fjord, except the shorter Bolsøy Bridge (to Bolsøy island) and the Tresfjord Bridge across the small Tresfjord branch. Fannefjord Tunnel connects Molde to Bolsøya island. Until 1946, Åndalsnes and the terminus of the Rauma Line were connected to Molde and Ålesund by boat. The first cruise ships carrying tourists arrived at Veblungsnes in 1880. The tourism industry boomed when the Rauma Line began operations in 1924 and Trollstigen road opened in 1936. == Tourism ==

Romsdalsfjord has increasingly become a destination for nature and fishing tourism. Activities include hiking, scenic cruises, and particularly sea fishing. Since the 1980s, organized fishing holidays for mainly German-speaking tourists have been offered in the region. One of the earliest companies to specialize in this niche was Onken Tours, a German travel operator recognized as a pioneer in fishing tourism in Norway and especially at the Romsdalsfjord. ==See also==