Molde, Norway

Molde’s history is surprisingly rich for a small city. The area’s settlement dates back to medieval times, but Molde began to take shape in the late 16th century as a trading post exporting timber. Dutch and British ships would anchor in the sheltered fjord to load lumber, starting a tradition of international commerce. The early 1600s granted formal trading rights, and after 1660, Molde was designated the administrative centre of the region. Molde officially became a town in 1742 under a royal charter, and by the 18th and 19th centuries, it grew into a genteel provincial town known for its picturesque setting. In the late 19th century, Molde emerged as a renowned international tourist destination.

European aristocracy and visitors (including German Kaiser Wilhelm II on his Norwegian cruises) would vacation here, enjoying the mild climate, fjord scenery, and the sight of locals’ rose gardens. It was during this era that Molde earned its “Town of Roses” moniker – a 1913 English cruise brochure famously described Molde with that nickname, and the town embraced it as an identity. However, Molde also faced its share of hardships. A devastating fire in January 1916 swept through the city, destroying about one-third of the wooden buildings. The community rebuilt, only to endure far greater destruction during World War II. In the spring of 1940, as Norway was invaded, Molde briefly became the provisional capital of Norway for a week – the Norwegian King Haakon VII, Crown Prince Olav, and government officials fled Oslo and took refuge in Molde in late April 1940. 

The city was heavily bombed by German forces over several days while the royals were hiding in the area, and by the end of the attacks, two-thirds of Molde lay in ruins, burned to the ground.

Miraculously, the King and Crown Prince survived (protected in a bunker and famously photographed sheltering under a birch tree, the “Kongebjørka”). But Molde’s lovely wooden downtown was largely gone. After the war, Molde underwent a rapid reconstruction and modernization. The 1950s brought new functionalist concrete buildings, a new Molde Cathedral (consecrated in 1957 to replace the destroyed church), and an expansion of infrastructure. In the following decades, the city’s role as a regional hub grew. Molde became known not only for administration but also for education and industry, developing into a centre for public services and some light manufacturing.

The establishment of Molde University College (specialising in logistics and economics) and a large regional hospital cemented Molde’s modern identity as an important service city in Møre og Romsdal county. Culturally, the jazz festival launched in 1961, adding a new dimension to the city’s legacy. Molde’s population steadily rose; it annexed surrounding areas (and more recently, in 2020, merged with neighbouring municipalities to form a larger Molde municipality). Today, about 22,000 people live in the urban centre of Molde.

While most of the architecture is post-1950, the city retains a friendly small-town character. Strolling through the streets, you might still find a few older wooden houses tucked in between modern buildings, and plenty of historical plaques that tell Molde’s story – from market town to “royal refuge” to the thriving city of today.