Trollkirka Caves

Trollkirka, the troll church, is a system of three caves cut by water into a marble band in the mountainside above the coast road between Molde and Bud. The largest runs about seventy metres into the rock and holds a waterfall that drops through a shaft into a pool of clear green water, lit faintly where the roof opens. Reaching them takes a steep climb of about an hour and a half from the road, gaining some four hundred metres on a marked but rough path. Inside, the floor is wet and uneven and a torch is essential; wading is needed in places. The marble is pale and smoothly water-worn, and the temperature inside stays cold whatever the season.

What you actually see

• The underground waterfall - water falling through a shaft into a pool.
• The green pool - clear water in the main chamber's floor.
• The worn marble - pale rock smoothed by water over millennia.
• The coastal view - the sea and islands from the climb up.

When to go

June to September, when the path is clear and daylight is long; the walk is unsuitable in ice or snow. After heavy rain the cave streams rise and the interior can become impassable.

Honest expectations

The climb is steep and rough, and the caves themselves require a good torch, boots that can get soaked and a willingness to wade in cold water. There is no lighting, no guide and no facilities. Slippery marble underfoot causes most of the accidents here.

Nearby

Bud fishing village and the Atlantic Road are along the coast; Molde lies east.