Molen

Molen is the most visible part of the Ra moraine, the ridge of debris the ice sheet dropped along the Oslofjord as it retreated about twelve thousand years ago, and here the material is almost entirely rounded stone: waves have sorted it into around 230 parallel ridges running along the shore, a landscape of pebbles and cobbles with almost no soil. It forms part of the Gea Norvegica UNESCO Global Geopark. Over the ridges lie hundreds of cairns, some ancient burial monuments and many built by visitors, and a marked path runs along the shore. The area is also a well-known bird site during migration, with a ringing station, and the exposed coast catches whatever weather is coming in.

What's there

• The stone ridges - around 230 parallel banks of rounded pebbles.
• The cairn field - ancient burial cairns alongside modern stacked stones.
• The moraine geology - the ice sheet's terminal deposit exposed at the shore.
• The bird migration - a noted watching and ringing site in spring and autumn.

When to go

May to September for comfortable walking; spring and autumn for bird migration, which is the site's other reputation. The shore is bleak and windswept in winter, though geologically just as interesting.

Practical notes

Walking on loose rounded stone is tiring and awkward, and there is no shade or shelter anywhere. Building new cairns is discouraged because it disturbs the protected ground and confuses the ancient monuments. Facilities are a car park, toilets and a seasonal cafe.

Nearby

Nevlunghavn village lies east; Larvik and the Brunlanes coast are along the same peninsula.

Key facts