The Atlanterhavsveien (Atlantic Road) is one of Norway's most celebrated scenic drives, a 8.3-kilometre stretch of road that hops across a series of small islands and skerries on a chain of bridges and causeways, fully exposed to the open Atlantic. It is about 70 kilometres west of Molde, making it an easy day trip.
The road was built between 1983 and 1989 and regularly appears on lists of the world's most beautiful roads. What makes it distinctive is the exposure: the road is low, barely above sea level, and the North Atlantic storms that roll in from the west can break waves directly over the driving surface during severe weather. Storm-watching has become a legitimate activity — there are parking areas and viewing platforms specifically designed for people who have come to watch the ocean doing its worst. In calmer weather, the scenery is extraordinary: small fishing villages, deep blue water, and the Hustadvika coastline stretching in both directions. The drive takes about 20 minutes end to end and can be combined with lunch at one of the fishing villages (Bud or Kristiansund) before returning to Molde.