Molde municipality is a busy industry and trading centre with approximately 24.150 inhabitants and a area of 362,0 km2, in addition to being the episcopate and the administrative centre for the county of Møre og Romsdal. The "Town of Roses" also has various educational facilities as well as offering many cultural activities, including an international literature festival (Bjørnson Festival) and the famous annual Molde International Jazz Festival.

Bjørnstjerne Martinius Bjørnson was born on 8 December 1832 at Kvikne in the upper part of the Østerdal valley in eastern Norway, where his father was a clergyman. When Bjørnson was five the family moved to Nesset. Bjørnson completed secondary school in Molde.

The town of Molde is beautifully situated by the Romsdalsfjord on the northwest coast of Norway. From the airport, Årø, it takes 10 minutes to drive into the town centre. The Coastal Steamer (Hurtigruten) has daily departures.