Grip island the best rated attraction in Kristiansund

A visit to the nearby Atlantic Ocean Road is still the most popular shore excursion from the cruise port of Kristiansund. However, among individual tourist visiting Kristiansund, the island of Grip is rated on top with five bubbles. Another top-rated attraction is the iconic «Sundbåten» harbour boat.

One of a kind
The tiny island Grip was an important fishing village already in medieval times. The history of the island is both exciting and dramatic. Until 1964, Grip was Norway’s smallest municipality with 115 residents. Today, Grip is a summer vacation paradise with quaint narrow streets, colourful houses and a small café. Amid the houses stands a picturesque stave church dating back to 1470 – one of the smallest of its kind in Norway.

– The knowledgeable guides take you at a guided tour of the island and a visit to the small stave church. There’s also enough time to explore the idyllic surroundings on your own, have a cup of coffee and just enjoy the fresh air and the lovely atmosphere. You will be charmed by this island! says product manager Synnøve Henden at Visit Northwest.

Comfortable trip
Captain Ole Tønder is proud of how Grip has developed as an attractive place to visit for both the locals and the tourists. Main season for «Gripruta» is June to August with daily departures, but the boat is available for charter to cruise tourists or other groups from April to November.

– The vessel «Hagbart Waage» is a former Norwegian rescue boat. New stabilizer fins have been mounted to reduce the roll due to wind and waves, which means a more comfortable boat trip for our passengers, says captain and owner of «Gripruta», Ole Tønder. A roundtrip from Kristiansund is 3,5 hours, including a 1,5 hour stay at the island.

The Atlantic Ocean Road attracts
Kristiansund is the port closest to the majestic Atlantic Ocean Road, ranked the world’s most scenic road trip. This amazing and unique stretch of road takes you right out to the ocean’s edge, running across an archipelago of small islands and islets. Beautiful on a calm and sunny day, dramatic in storms and the rain. Most shore excursions are a combination with either Håholmen island, Kvernes stave church or the marble caves at «Bergtatt».

– Kristiansund is a small but experienced cruise port with around 20–30 cruise calls yearly. That means we a lot of available capacity in our port and usually can offer an exclusive visit with no other cruise vessels calling the same day, says marketing manager Erika Indergaard at Port of Kristiansund and Nordmøre.

She explains that Kristiansund attracts mainly small and mid-sized cruise ships and expedition ships, including several premium and luxury lines.

– We handle also large cruise ships every now and then. At our longest quay we allow ships up to 300 m in length, says Indergaard.

Port of Kristiansund and Nordmøre also offers two destinations for small cruise ships and expedition sailings only: Smøla island and the brand-new destination Hitra island.

Photo: Johan Wildhagen/Paolookaville/Visit Northwest