Varden

Varden sits about four hundred metres above Molde, and the view from it is the town's principal claim: across the Romsdalsfjord to a horizon of peaks belonging to the Romsdal and Sunnmore ranges, counted locally at 222, a figure repeated on signs and in tourist material for over a century. Whether the count is exact matters less than the effect, which is a long serrated skyline running most of the way round the southern horizon. A road climbs to the top with parking and a cafe building, and a footpath from the town takes about an hour. Molde below is known as the town of roses for the gardens its mild coastal climate supports, and for its jazz festival each July.

The main sights

• The peak panorama - a long skyline of mountains claimed to number 222.
• The fjord - the Romsdalsfjord spread out below the hill.
• Molde below - the town, its harbour and gardens.
• The cafe and platform - facilities at the top of the road.

When to go

May to September for clear air and open facilities; the road is maintained year-round but the view depends entirely on weather. Late July brings the Molde jazz festival, which fills the town.

Practical notes

Cloud and haze frequently reduce the peak count to a handful, and this coast is wet. The site itself is a car park with a cafe rather than anything designed. The footpath up is steep and rough in places.

Nearby

Molde is below; the Atlantic Road, Trollkirka and the Romsdalen valley lie around the fjord.