Eight Bridges Skipping Across the Open Sea

The Atlantic Road is the drive that made Norwegian road engineering world-famous: an 8 km causeway-and-bridge sequence that leaps from islet to islet across the very edge of the ocean, where the notorious Hustadvika seas have wrecked ships for centuries. Built between 1983 and 1989 through twelve hurricanes, it was later voted Norway's Construction of the Century, holds official National Scenic Route status along the 36 km between Bud and Kårvåg, and has starred in countless car commercials plus a James Bond chase in No Time to Die. Its signature is Storseisundet Bridge, a curling span that from the right angle appears to launch cars off a ramp into the sea, an optical illusion locals call the road to nowhere. On calm summer evenings the drive is serene, with sea eagles overhead and fishermen casting from purpose-built bridges; in an autumn gale it becomes Norway's wildest spectator sport, with breakers bursting across the asphalt. Bookended by the rose town of Molde and the clipfish capital of Kristiansund, reached through one of the world's deepest undersea road tunnels, it packs enormous drama into a very short distance.

Key Stops

Molde. The "town of roses" on the Romsdalsfjord, famous for its July jazz festival and the Varden viewpoint above town, which counts 222 snow-capped peaks on its panorama board. Stock up and fuel up here before heading coastward.

Bud. A working fishing village where the fjord country meets the open sea, and the official start of the scenic route. Eat bacalao where it was invented as an export staple, and walk the Ergan coastal fort, a preserved German WWII battery burrowed into the seafront rocks.

The Hustadvika coast. Between Bud and Vevang the road runs exposed along one of Norway's most feared stretches of water, a shallow, reef-strewn gauntlet with no sheltering islands. Beaches, headlands, and lighthouse views line the way; the sea state here sets the mood for the whole drive.

Askevågen viewpoint. A glass-railed platform built out on a breakwater, giving a 360-degree sweep of ocean, skerries, and mountains. One of the scenic route's signature pieces of architecture and the best place to grasp the coastline before you drive its most famous stretch.

The Atlantic Road proper. From Vevang the road begins its dance across the islets: eight bridges in 8 km, with causeways threaded between rock, heather, and surf. At Myrbærholmen, walkways hang off the road bridge specifically for anglers; sea fishing is free in Norway, so a rod in the trunk pays off here.

Storseisundet Bridge. The icon: a 260-meter span that twists as it climbs, engineered askew to shrug off the sea. Approaching from the Averøy side it seems to end in mid-air, the angle that made it world-famous. Park at the designated lots on either side and photograph it from the shore paths, never from the roadway.

Eldhusøya. The route's main service stop, a small island ringed by an elevated grated walkway that floats above the heather, with a cafe and facilities at its center. The easy 10-minute loop is the best leg-stretch on the drive and the safest storm-watching gallery when the sea is up.

Håholmen. A historic fishing hamlet occupying its own island, once home to cod fishers and later to polar sailor Ragnar Thorseth, now a hotel of restored sea houses. A small boat shuttles visitors across from Geitøya in season; dinner out here, with the skerries going gold, is the route's most atmospheric overnight.

Kvernes stave church. On Averøy's quiet fjord side, a rare 14th-century stave church above the water, with a richly painted interior and a Viking-age site alongside. A worthwhile 15-minute detour from Kårvåg before the tunnel.

The Atlantic Ocean Tunnel and Kristiansund. The corridor finishes underground: a 5.7 km tunnel diving 250 meters beneath the shipping lane, among the deepest road tunnels anywhere, surfacing in Kristiansund. The town spreads across four islands linked by the Sundbåt, one of the world's oldest continuously running harbor-boat services, and its klippfisk (dried salted cod) heritage fills museums, warehouses, and menus.

Driving Tips

Never stop on the road or bridges. The Atlantic Road is a normal working highway with blind crests and no shoulder to spare. Every great photo angle has a built parking area within a short walk (Eldhusøya, Askevågen, and the lots flanking Storseisundet); use them.

Storm-watch from the walkways, not the shoulder. Autumn and winter gales send green water clean across the road, which is precisely when photographers flock here. It is genuinely dangerous at the margins: watch from the Eldhusøya loop or Askevågen platform, keep firm hold of the wheel on the bridges, and respect any closure.

Wind is the real hazard. Even on bright days, gusts on the exposed spans can shove caravans, motorcycles, and roof-boxed cars. Check the forecast, slow down, and give two-wheelers extra room.

It's all toll-free. The Atlantic Road itself has been free since its construction debt was paid off, and the undersea tunnel's toll was likewise removed once the project was paid down. There are no booths; any residual charges in the region bill electronically.

Give the corridor a full day. The famous section takes ten minutes to drive, which fools people into rushing it. Bud, the viewpoints, Håholmen, Kvernes, and Kristiansund turn it into a rich full-day coastal journey.

Check seasonal openings. The Håholmen boat, Kvernes stave church, and Trollkirka's practical hiking window all run roughly May to September. In the off-season the road itself remains the show.

Winter works, with respect. The road is plowed and open year-round, and a frost-clear January day here is magnificent. Proper winter tires are legally required in season, and salt spray plus ice demands gentle driving.

Fuel and charge at the ends. Molde, Elnesvågen, and Kristiansund have full services; the coastal stretch itself has little. EVs should arrive with comfortable margin.

For more information visit: Norwegian Scenic Routes: Atlanterhavsvegen