To be honest, when I packed my bags for Molde, I had no idea what to expect. But the moment I arrived and saw the landscape, it felt like a weird shortcut back to Switzerland.

By SIMON NEYROUD

Standing there, looking at the water with the mountains right behind it, I instantly thought of home, looking out at Lake Léman from Lausanne.

It’s a strange but great feeling to find something so familiar thousands of kilometers away from home.

Now that I’ve been here for a few months, studying at Molde Universty College and getting used to the daily routine, I’ve started to notice the details. The first view might look the same, but everyday life here has its own flavor.

From the quiet streets to the wooden houses, here is what it’s really like to experience Molde through the eyes of a student from Lausanne.

The waterfront

 Whenever the sky clears up and I walk down by the water, I get that exact same feeling. Looking out at the fjord with the mountains rising up in the background feels just like hanging out by Lake Léman back home.

Sure, the scales aren’t perfectly identical, but that sudden feeling of being completely surrounded by massive giants hits you in the exact same way.

It’s a bit crazy how a view can instantly make you feel right at home, even when you’re actually thousands of kilometers away from Switzerland.

The breathtaking panorama

Another cool thing about both places is how easy it is to just go up and get an even better view. In both cities, you can basically start walking uphill and find a great vantage point within minutes.

Hiking up on foot takes some legwork, but honestly, once you get to the top and look down, you completely forget about the sweat. The reward is always worth the effort.

Wood vs. stone

 

 

That being said, you also start noticing some big differences pretty quickly, especially when you look at the buildings.

Growing up in Switzerland, I got used to Lausanne’s old-school, historic look, think of the massive stone cathedral and those steep, cobblestone streets.

Molde is a completely different world. Here, it’s all about those colorful, classic Norwegian wooden houses mixed with modern buildings sitting right on the edge of the water. It doesn’t feel like a big, overwhelming city at all, it’s much more like a cozy, welcoming spot where you just want to hang out.

It definitely has a great cocooning vibe.

Nature on the doorstep

Back in Switzerland, if you want to escape into the woods or head up a mountain, you usually have to organize it in advance, catch a train, or drive out of the city.

One of the coolest surprises for me here in Molde is just how close nature actually is. The forest literally starts right behind the university campus.

You can walk straight out of a class, take a few steps, and find yourself on a quiet, wild trail. It’s pretty amazing to have that kind of easy access to the outdoors while managing your student life.

The cozy student life: «Kos» vs. cocooning

In Switzerland, we’re big fans of cozy cafés and hot chocolate when it rains, but here in Molde it takes comfort to another level with what you call ‘kos’.

With the weather shifting so fast here, and the days noticeably shrinking, I’ve really learned to love a different side of student life. It’s all about the small, warm moments, like grabbing a spot by a huge window on campus with a hot coffee, watching a storm or a heavy rain roll over the fjord while staying completely warm inside.

Molde has definitely shown me that even when it’s miserable outside, the vibe indoors can be incredibly quiet and peaceful.

In the end, packing up my life in Lausanne to move all the way to Molde was definitely a massive step, and I had my doubts before arriving. But looking back now, finding a town that shares that same majestic and open soul with Lausanne, made the whole transition so much easier and more beautiful than I expected.

Molde isn’t just some smaller, quieter version of what I left behind in Switzerland; it’s a completely unique spot where the wilderness, a genuine sense of peace, and a simpler, slower rhythm of life just click together perfectly. It forces you to appreciate what’s right in front of you.

I’m honestly really glad I decided to step out of my comfort zone and take the time to capture this place through my own lens—it’s been an incredible start to my journey here.