Ørland
Municipality · Trøndelag
About Ørland
Austrått manor, a WWII fort with a turret from the battleship Gneisenau, and bird-rich Ramsar wetlands at Grandefjæra.
Ørland is the flat, open tip of Fosen where the Trondheimsfjord meets the sea: farmland almost all below 60 m, with forest, bog and lakes inland. The north coast breaks up into inlets and skerries, and several islands are joined by bridges.
It makes a day or a night off the E39 by the short ferry, or a stop on the way round Fosen. Small ferries go on to Tarva and Storfosna for a half day by bike.
Good to know
- Getting there: Fv710 and the Brekstad–Valset ferry (25 minutes, about hourly); Valset is 1 h 45 from Trondheim. Round Fosen, Brekstad is 1 h 15 from Rørvik.
- Season: Austrått Fort has guided tours in summer; the manor and its café open from early July to mid-August.
- Sleeping: Hovde Gård and Ørland Kysthotell near Brekstad, and three campsites, among them Ørland Camping, open all year.
- Food: Fjøset at Hovde Gård serves home cooking in an old cowshed, with herring from the producer next door as its signature dish.
What to do and where to stay in Ørland
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Austrått FortHistory & culture
WWII Atlantic Wall fort from 1942–43 with a five-level 28 cm triple gun turret taken from the battleship Gneisenau, plus the Fosen war history collection.
Lundahaugen, Opphaug, about 8 km north-east of Brekstad · 1–1.5 h (tour under 1 h) · Grounds all year (free); guided tours in summer (2025: 21 June–17 Aug)
2AustråttborgenHistory & culture
One of Norway's oldest manors, built up in the 1500s under Fru Inger of Austrått, with a 13th-century chapel still used for services; chapel and halls by guided tour.
Borgveien 6, Opphaug · 1 h (tour about 30 min) · 2 July–16 Aug 2026: Thu–Fri 10–15, Sat 11–16, Sun 14–18; Mon–Wed by appointment; courtyard free
3Borgstua café at AustråttborgenFood & drink
Café and shop at Austråttborgen, where tour tickets are sold, open on the manor's summer days (2 July–16 Aug in 2026).
Austråttborgen courtyard, Opphaug · 30 min · Same days as the manor in 2026 (2 July–16 Aug), opening 30 min after and closing 30 min before the site
4Austråttlunden round walkHike
Flat 3–3.5 km loop through the protected Austråttlunden cultural landscape, with benches and info boards, suitable for prams and wheelchairs.
Lundahaugveien parking, Austrått · 1 h (3–3.5 km loop, 20 m climb) · All year
5Grandefjæra bird towerNature
Bird tower over the Grandefjæra mudflats, part of the Ramsar-listed Ørland wetlands, where 224 bird species have been recorded, among them white-tailed eagle and shelduck.
Grandevika, west side of the Ørland peninsula · 30–60 min · All year; best during spring and autumn migration
6Ørland ChurchHistory & culture
Medieval stone church from about 1250–1300, the only intact medieval church on Fosen, burial church of Austrått's nobles, with 1921 glass by Gabriel Kielland.
About 1.5 km from Brekstad ferry quay · 20–40 min · Exterior all year; inside on request/guided tours
7KopparenHike
Round 483 m landmark mountain above Botngård; a gravel road leads to the masts on top, with views over the skerries and Frohavet to Halten lighthouse on clear days.
About 3 km north of Botngård (Bjugn), off Fv721 · 2.5 h (9.6 km return, 457 m climb) · June–October
8Kjeungskjær LighthouseLocal oddity
Red octagonal lighthouse from 1880 on a tiny skerry at the mouth of Bjugnfjorden, about 3.5 km west of Uthaug, automated in 1987.
Offshore, mouth of Bjugnfjorden, west of Uthaug · 15–30 min · All year (seen from the shore)
9Tarva islandsNature
Island group about 8 km out in Frohavet reached by ferry from Dypfest, with a small chapel and protected coastal heath in Været on the east side.
Frohavet, west of Nes; ferry Dypfest–Tarva · Half day incl. ferry · All year (ferry); best May–Sept
10Storfosna and StorfosenfjelletNature
Island 20 minutes by car ferry from Garten, a royal manor in Håkon Håkonsson's time, with a path from the ferry landing up its low summit for wide views.
Storfosna island, ferry from Garten (south-west Ørland) · Half day incl. ferry (summit walk about 1 h) · May–September best; ferry all year
Book something local
history tour
Guided tour of the Gneisenau turret ↗
Under-an-hour guided walk down through the gun turret, power station and troop quarters of the WWII fort.
Austrått fort (Ørland kommune / Fosen krigshistoriske samlinger, Forsvarsbygg site) · Austrått Fort, Opphaug