page_title: Molde
section_title: Geography
hierarchical_section_title: Molde / Geography
caption_attribution_description: English: The photo shows Molde and was taken from an adjacent island.
context_page_description: Molde is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Romsdal. It is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord.
  The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Molde which is also the administrative centre of Møre og Romsdal county, the commercial hub of the Romsdal region, and the seat of the Diocese of Møre. Other main population centres in the municipality include the villages of Hjelset, Kleive, Nesjestranda, Midsund, Nord-Heggdal, Eidsvåg, Rausand, Boggestranda, Myklebostad, Eresfjord, and Eikesdalen.
  Molde has a maritime, temperate climate, with cool-to-warm summers, and relatively mild winters. The city is nicknamed The Town of Roses.
  It is an old settlement which emerged as a trading post in the late Middle Ages. Formal trading rights were introduced in 1614, and the town was incorporated through a royal charter in 1742. Molde was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838
context_section_description: Molde municipality includes part of the Romsdal peninsula as well as many islands.  The town of Molde consists of a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) long and 1 to 2 kilometres (0.62 to 1.24 mi) wide strip of urban land running east–west along the north shore of the Moldefjord, an arm of the Romsdalsfjord, on the Romsdal peninsula. The city is sheltered by Bolsøya and the Molde archipelago, a chain of low-lying islands and islets, to the south, and the wood-clad hills of Moldemarka to the north. The city centre is located just west of the river Moldeelva, which runs into the city from the north, originating in the Moldevatnet lake, through the valley Moldedalen. Despite the river being minor and seasonal, it supported several sawmills in the 16th and 17th centuries. This gave rise to the original town itself through a combination of a good harbour, proximity to the sea routes, vast timber resources, and a river capable of supporting mills. In 1909, the river housed the first hydro electric power plant capable of providing sufficient electricity for the city, and the upper reaches of the river still provide drinking water for most of the city.
  Its panoramic view of some 222 partly snow-clad peaks, usually referred to as the Molde panorama, is one of Molde's main attractions, and has drawn tourists to the city since the 19th century. Molde is nicknamed the Town of Roses, a name which originated during Molde's era as a tourist destination of international fame in the late 19th century.
  Neighbouring municipalities are Aukra, Gjemnes, and Hustadvika (to the north); Ålesund (to the west); Vestnes and Rauma (to the south); and Tingvoll and Sunndal (to the east).
caption: View of Molde from the Molde archipelago.
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