Located at the southern reaches of the Sunndalsfjorden, Sunndalsøra is a charming village that lies partway between Ålesund and Trondheim. It’s surrounded by towering waterfalls and steeply-sloped mountains, several of which are popular settings for BASE jumping.
Sunndalsøra makes an ideal base for exploring Dovrefjell–Sunndalsfjella National Park, an outdoor lover’s paradise dominated by the 2,286-metre-high peak of Snøhetta. You can soak up the views of its rugged summit from the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre Pavilion or catch sight of reindeer, arctic foxes and musk oxen on the park’s network of hiking trails.
A short drive east from Sunndalsøra along the Driva River will take you to Vinnufossen, a tiered horsetail cascade and one of the tallest waterfalls in Europe. Fed by the Vinnufonna glacier, it plunges 865 metres down the slopes of Vinnufjellet mountain, which is dominated by the twin peaks of the Queen's Crown and the King's Crown.
Getting there
Sunndalsøra is just over three hours’ drive from Ålesund and Ålesund Airport while Trondheim is 2.5 hours away. Buses connect from destinations across Møre og Romsdal county to Sunndalsøra. The centre of the village is compact enough to explore on foot.