Edøya

To the west, we now pass Edøya, an island with roots stretching back over 3,000 years. In the Middle Ages, this was both a political and religious center, and at the heart of the island stands the Old Edøy Church, built in the late 12th century. Not far from the church, a remarkable discovery was made in 2019 — a large Viking longship was detected underground using ground-penetrating radar. This find strongly supports the theory that Edøya was once home to a local chieftain during the Viking Age. Much of this history is preserved and shared at the Gurisenteret, a modern cultural center nearby. It also hosts the open-air play Fru Guri av Edøy, a powerful drama about Guri, a strong woman from the 13th century torn between faith, loyalty, and love in a time of unrest and power struggles. The Viking heritage of Edøya and nearby Kuli Island, just to the west, has put this region firmly on Norway’s historical map. Though small in size, Edøya holds great significance. The island is connected by ferry to Tustna and has daily boat routes between Kristiansund and Trondheim.