Ålesund and Sunnmøre

A myriad of fjords, islands and mountains just waiting to be discovered. Ålesund and Sunnmøre are easy to visit but impossible to leave.

The town of Ålesund has beautiful Art Nouveau architecture with towers, spires and ornamentation celebrating this style, and buildings on numerous islands facing the Atlantic ocean.

The disastrous fire in 1904 that destroyed much of the town was perhaps a blessing in disguise as it allowed Ålesund to be rebuilt purely in the Art Nouveau style. Each individual building was given its own special design. The town centre is a delight to discover at your leisure. As you stroll around the streets, you will find charming cafés where you can rest your feet. Ålesund was popularly known as the “café town” as early as the 1950s for its number of establishments serving coffee.

With Ålesund as your base, you can easily visit the Geirangerfjord, climb the jagged peaks around the Hjørundfjord or the Sunnmøre Alps. The Geirangerfjord, with its distinctive S-shape, waterfalls and abandoned mountain farms is a natural member of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Sunnmøre is a region of wild mountains, beautiful fjords and provides inspiration for a number of artistic works. The mountains in this area were solely used for farming throughout the centuries, until climbing was introduced as a sport and the area became vastly popular with mountaineers. There may be visitors who feel the 418 steps up to the top of Aksla in the town of Ålesund are enough of a feat. The more adventurous are spoilt for choice when it comes to peaks to climb.