Millennia ago, huge glaciers carved deep, narrow ruts into the wild Atlantic coast of Norway, leaving behind placid, U-shaped fjords hemmed by steep cliffs. Right in the middle of all this natural splendor is Alesund, a port city of 44,000, exquisitely located on seven islands near the mouth of the 68-mile-long Stor Fjord.
The town is actually an archipelago, so it is not so much on the ocean as it is in the ocean, with docks, canals, bridges and buildings constructed right along the water – not unlike a certain city in Italy.
After a devastating fire in 1904, Alesund was rebuilt using native stone in the popular architectural style of the time, Art Nouveau, with towers, arches and elaborate ornamentation. In the dense central core, more than 300 Art Nouveau structures were erected by artisans between 1904 and 1907 using grand urban plans following the Viennese model.
Town park statues pay tribute to two notable men: German Kaiser Wilhelm II, who stepped in to assist after the 1904 fire, and a Viking named Gange-Rolf, also known as Rollo, founder of Normandy and forefather of William the Conqueror.
Alesund is definitely walkable – in fact, the Art Nouveau district is best seen up close and on foot. This way, you’re also free to slip into a glass art gallery or one of the little shops that sell wool sweaters, liquorice and troll figurines.
It’s great fun to sea kayak down the Brosundet canal through the center of Alesund for special views of this stylish city. Then head right out into the tranquil inner harbor and nearby fjords, like the fairytale-like Geiranger with its abundant waterfalls and wildlife or the less-visited but equally charming Hjorund.
When your restaurant is sitting right on top of the water, you know the seafood is fresh, and when you’re in Alesund, that means cod, crab, Norwegian lobster and crayfish. Complement it with farikal, a local dish made of boiled mutton, potatoes and cabbage. Drink like a Norwegian and add a glass of aquavit, the country’s national spirit, made from potatoes and flavored with caraway or dill.
Art Nouveau is so predominant in Alesund, the national Art Nouveau Center is located there in the spired Swan Pharmacy building (built in 1907). The KUBE art museum is in an adjacent bank. The big fire is chronicled along with the resulting birth and development of the city’s trademark art and architecture.
Just outside Alesund, down by the swim beach, is one of the largest saltwater aquariums in Scandinavia. The Atlantic Sea-Park (Atlanterhavsparken) was founded in 1951 and is full of playful seals, otters and Humboldt penguins. The daily feedings featuring divers in the water are a big hit.
Hikers and skiers will be glad to know the Sunnmore Alps are right outside of town with some peaks stretching 5,600 feet straight up from the fjords. Just for fun, head to the town park and take the 418 stone steps to Mount Aksla, Alesund’s very own town mountain. Up top, there’s a restaurant and some impressive big sky views of the islands and the Alps.
Book early and you can overnight out at the end of the jetty in Norway’s oldest lighthouse, the Molja, whose automated beacons still warn mariners approaching the harbor. Inside, there’s a two-story suite with a custom-fitted circular bed. Breakfast is delivered the next morning, courtesy the nearby Hotel Brosundet.
Several airlines fly into Alesund and there’s a ferry that comes in from Geiranger, a picturesque town at the head of the Geiranger fjord. The 90-minute boat ride offers hard-to-catch angles and unique perspectives of these sublime rock-bound bodies of water.
