Romsdalsfjord is the ninth longest fjord in Norway. It is 88 kilometres (55 mi) long and located in the Romsdal district of Møre og Romsdal county. It flows through the municipalities of Midsund, Haram, Vestnes, Molde, Nesset, and Rauma. The deepest point in the fjord is just southwest of Molde where it is 550 metres (1,800 ft) deep.[1]
The western inlet of the fjord is generally considered to be between Dryna (in Midsund) and Brattvåg (in Haram). A second inlet is to the north, through the strait of Julsundet, bound by Otrøya to the west and Molde to the east.
The fjord branches off to the minor Tresfjorden and Tomrefjorden to the south, while the main body continues an east-west bound direction. The fjord then forks into three main branches: Moldefjord with its continuation Fannefjord runs past the city of Molde north of the Molde Archipelago; Langfjorden, the longer arm of the fjord, with its branches Karlsøyfjord, Rødvenfjorden, and the picturesque Eresfjorden, in the middle; and finally the southern arm past the town of Åndalsnes, terminating in Isfjorden.
From Eastern Norway, you can reach the fjord through the Gudbrandsdal valley at Lesja, down the Romsdal valley to Åndalsnes. This is also the terminus of Raumabanen railway line.
Veøya—the holy island—was the predecessor of Molde. It is located at a junction between the three main branches of the fjord, and was the foremost medieval trading center between Trondheim and Bergen. The Medieval Church of St. Peter, from the late 12th century, is now a museum, but still hosts occasional services.