You cannot avoid the mountains when you are in Åndalsnes, Norway. Down by the fjord, where the river Rauma flows out, you are surrounded by mountains everywhere you turn. From here you can experience nature in all levels of difficulty, because it shouldn’t be complicated to get on a trip in the world’s best municipality for nature lovers.
Trollveggen, Trollstigen, Rampestreken, Romsdalseggen – in Tindehovedstaden the mountains are intensely present whether you climb them yourself or choose to use more comfortable methods. Go to Åndalsnes in the heart of Romsdalen and you get to live close to nature – no matter what.
“Then he told about Åndalsnes, a small settlement up in Romsdalen surrounded by high mountains, where it was so beautiful that his mother had always said that it was where God had begun when he created the world, and that he had spent so much time nature in Romsdalen that the rest of the world had to be done in haste to be finished by Sunday”.
Jo Nesbø, the Batman
City mountain and meeting place
The closest is Nesaksla, where the famous hike along the Romsdalseggen ends. This city mountain is easily accessible via the new Romsdals gondola, which provides an airy soar! You can easily climb the mountain on foot straight up from the center of Åndalsnes, up the steep paths and stairs. If you choose to walk, a stop at the fantastic viewpoint Rampestreken is recommended.
If you are more adventurous and want a challenge, climb the Romsdalsstigen Via Ferrata. With so many different arrivals, the top of Nesaksla acts as a meeting place at the height, where the Eggen restaurant can offer a varied menu of local produce.
Beautiful to the eye – also on screen
If you think the landscape in Rauma looks familiar, it may be that you have already been inspired by images from films or series recently. Several international producers have caught the eye of the area with its dramatic landscape. The list is long: Tom Cruise’s blockbuster Mission Impossible 7, Marvel’s superhero film Black Widow, the popular HBO series Succession, the James Bond film No Time to Die and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince are worth mentioning as major productions. Norwegian recordings have also been made here: the monster movie Troll and the popular celebrity reality show Kompani Lauritzen have allowed us to get to know Rauma better.
Both Harry Potter and Ethan Hunt, better known as Tom Cruise’s alter ego in Mission Impossible, have traveled with Raumabanen.
Through the narrow Romsdalen, with Trollveggen and the surrounding mountains, along the river that meanders in wild rapids, the Rauma Railway runs. Several times this train route has been recognized as particularly beautiful due to its completely unique view. Not least, the Kylling bridge and the turning system inside the mountain provide a different experience.
All year round in Åndalsnes
Around Åndalsnes you will find activities in nature throughout the year. Many peaks can be reached on skis when the snow settles. Summit tours on skis provide a completely different form of mastery in the form of long descents in delicious powder snow!
Paddling, camping and climbing are activities that are best enjoyed in good, warm weather. The mountains are also most accessible in the summer and throughout the autumn. If you want the activities to be combined with partying and fun, you can add the trip here to festivals such as the Norwegian Mountain Festival in July, or Raumarock in August.
Sustainable tourism
Rauma municipality takes care of the environment into account when planning for tourism. In 2021, they were awarded the label for sustainable destinations by Innovation Norway, an award given to destinations that systematically work to minimize the negative – and strengthen the positive – effects of tourism.