Travel-World Photography
Sunnmøre
Sunnmøre is the southern region in Møre and Romsdal County, stretching from the Stadt Peninsula in the south to the Romsdal Fjord in the north. As with the other regions on the West coast, the geography changes from the low islands towards the ocean, to deep fjords, and tall mountains all around. The overall population is about 146 000, and the area of the region is 5200 km2.
The "capital" of the region is Ålesund, having 66 000 inhabitants. The city has been important center for fisheries and trade for centuries. Along the coast a number of small and large shipyards build fishing trawlers, specialist ships for the offshore oil industry, and larger ships for the international market. The people of the region have always been industries and innovative. A good example is the furniture industry that is located here, having a serious transportation obstacle to get their products to the international markets.
Inland, the mountains are cut into by deep and narrow fjords, the Geirangerfjorden being the best known - some 86 km inland from the ocean. This is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, and is the travel goal of the cruise ships. The small city of Geiranger at the end, may also be reached by road, the best known is the "Eagle's Road", winding down the mountain on the North side. The road passes further across the mountains Eastwards.
A well known sight is the Runde bird mountain, a narrow and very steep peninsula reaching into the Atlantic. Here you will find a large number of species and individuals nesting.
