Brønnøysund likes to call itself the middle of Norway, and if you measure along the long coast from the Swedish border in the south to the Russian one in the north, it has a fair claim. It is a small, pleasant coastal town on a narrow strait, with a harbour full of boats, a few streets of shops and painted wooden houses, and a view across a sea studded with islands. Most Norwegians know the name for a different reason: the Brønnøysund Register Centre, the national registry for companies and other official records, is based here, and every business in the country has its paperwork filed in this small town.
The landmark everyone comes to see lies just south of town. Torghatten is a mountain with a hole right through it, a tunnel about 160 metres long and over thirty metres high, carved by waves and frost when the sea stood much higher after the last ice age. Local legend tells a better story: a troll called Hestmannen shot an arrow at a girl he desired, and a troll king threw his hat into the arrow's path to save her, and the hat turned to stone with the hole in it. There is a footpath up to the hole from the car park, steep but short, and the view through it toward the sea is extraordinary.
The town sits on the Kystriksveien, the Coastal Route along the Helgeland coast, and from here the road goes north toward the ferry crossings and the islands, with Vega, a UNESCO World Heritage archipelago known for its eider-down tradition, reachable by boat. The riding around Brønnøysund is easy and relaxed, with good roads, light traffic outside summer and long views over the sea. The bridge over the strait to Torget, the island with Torghatten, is a beautiful arch with a fine view back to town.
Brønnøysund has all services: fuel, shops, cafes, restaurants and hotels, as well as a hospital and an airport. It is a good place to rest, eat and plan the ferries ahead, which run to timetables and can fill up in summer. The harbour is a pleasant place for a coffee in the evening light, and the shops sell local fish and seafood. The weather can be wet and windy, but on a clear summer evening the light over the islands is magical.