Ålesund is built on a row of islands extending towards the Atlantic. The compact old city centre is thus surrounded by water and Ålesund is a major fisheries harbour.
The old city centre of Ålesund was destroyed by fire in the first years of the 20th century. Much international aid, including personal gifts from Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany who used to holiday there, helped to rebuild in the most modern style, Art Nouveau.
From the city there is a beautiful view of the Sunnmøre Alps in the East.
Getting there
By plane
The following airlines serve Ålesund Airport, Vigra:
SAS Scandinavian Airlines from Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Copenhagen
airBaltic from Riga
Norwegian from Oslo
By rail
The local railway station is situated in Åndalsnes. The train line was supposed to continue to Ålesund city center but was never completed. There is a replacement bus service operating between Ålesund and Åndalsnes for every arrival and departure.
Trains go to Dombås and back three times a day, connecting with the main service from Trondheim to Oslo.
In addition, a once-a-day service to Lillehammer operates, connecting with local trains to Oslo.
You can also change at Dombås for services from or to Trondheim, but this usually involves a considerable wait at Dombås. However, Dombås town center is very close to the station and has moderately priced restaurants and convenience shops as well as some tourist attractions on its own.
By bus
Hourly regional services between Ålesund and Kristiansund, Molde and Volda.
Nightly and daily departures from and to Oslo (takes approximately 10 hours).
Several daily services between Ålesund and Trondheim calling at Molde and Sunndalsøra.
Daily services from and to Bergen calling at Volda, Nordfjordeid and Førde with connecting services to Sogndal and Stryn.
By boat
Hurtigruten calls Ålesund, once daily in southern direction (from Trondheim towards Bergen), and once daily in northern direction (from Bergen towards Kirkenes).
Ålesund is also a regular stop for a lot of cruise liners.
By car
Ålesund is at the end of the E136 main route, which starts at Dombås where it connects with the E6 main route between Oslo and Trondheim.
It is also on the E39 coastal main route between Bergen and Trondheim. Note that this route does involve taking quite a few ferries in either direction which makes it take as long to Trondheim as the ferry-less E136/E6 combo but more expensive.
Traveling around
If living in the city centre, most attractions are available within a short-medium walk (less than 20 minutes).
For the Atlantic Sea Park, there are special bus services from the city centre bus terminal.
In general there are plenty of bus services in Ålesund. It is worth noting, however, that they are very limited in the late evenings, after 5pm on Saturdays and all day Sundays. To get information about local buses, call 177.
There are two taxi companies operating, and taxis can be booked by telephone at 7012 or 70103000. Taxis in Norway are very expensive, expect to pay at least 200 NOK for even a short trip. They are also more expensive in the evenings and weekends.
See
Much of the joy of seeing Ålesund is to be found in just strolling past the many art nouveau shops and other buildings.
The Atlantic Sea-Park, Tueneset, Phone: +47 70 10 70 60,
Art Nouveau Centre, Apotekergt. 16, Phone: +47 70 10 49 70,
Things to do
Walk up the stairs to Fjellstua from the city park for a breathtaking view of local fjords and mountains. This can really not be underlined enough. Even if you are not up to climbing all 400 or so stairs, even half way up the view is stunning. Alternatively, you can get a taxi to drive you up there for the view from the top. This is a must-see. At the top of the mountain there are walkways that allow you to walk around in natural surroundings while enjoying the view of the islands and mountains around you. There is also a restaurant at Fjellstua serving basic dishes.
The Atlantic Sea Park (Atlanterhavsparken) at Tueneset is the biggest salt water aquarium in Northern Europe and is built into its stunning environment in the Tueneset conservation area. It offers a range of activities, including diving. After visiting, you can enjoy Tueneset itself which is a nice green area with walkways and a fascinating seemingly endless view of the Atlantic ocean.
In both of the above places you will find bunkers and remnants of the German war machinery from World War 2 for those that might find that interesting.
Brosundet separates the two central islands of Aspøy and Nørvøy, bridged by Hellebroa. The view of Brosundet is quite stunning. By Hellebroa there is an outdoor restaurant area which is very popular among tourists and locals alike. From there you can walk down onto the tourist boat area and further along to Skateflua with further restaurants and outdoors serving areas.
Also, from Skateflua, you can catch various tourist and express boats to popular destinations, buy fish directly from fishermen's boats and go rafting if the weather is nice.
You should also visit the Geirangerfjord, which is a world heritage site and arguably the most fabulous fjord experience there is. During the summer, catch the Hurtigruten to Geiranger and back. This leaves in the morning and returns you just in time for dinner, unless you want to enjoy it onboard, of course. At other times, take a bus to Hellesylt for a fjord cruise into Geiranger and catch a bus back to Ålesund from there.
In the winter, catch a bus to one of the many mountains around the town to go skiing.
Eat
Ålesund is full of restaurants, and you can generally find anything for whatever taste you might have.
For cheap food, the town has quite a few pizza, kebab and burger shops. Next to the town square you will find Dolly Dimples pizza, a few meters away you will find Peppes Pizza and the local McDonalds restaurant, as well as a 7-eleven that is open 24/7 and sell hot food. You can usually get food for around NOK 100 in these restaurants.
For more regular restaurants, you have choices such as Hummer og Kanari (Kongens gate) and XL Diner (Skateflukaia). XL Diner is the largest clipfish/bacalao restaurant in Northern Europe. Expect to pay a minimum of NOK 300.
More upmarket restaurants include Sjøbua, a somewhat famous seafood restaurant, where all food is prepared from the local fishermen's catch of the day. The fish is kept in tanks in the restaurant for maximum freshness.
In general, if you're out in Ålesund, you should make sure to try the local seafood dishes. It is the centre of fish exports in Norway and has a unique tradition is seafood cuisine. Clip fish is a local speciality, and a dish that locally is known simply as "bacalao" is a favourite not easily found in other parts of the world.
Do note that wine is usually quite expensive in Norwegian restaurants, charging 300 NOK or more for a bottle of wine is not uncommon.
Drink
There are lots of places to go drinking in Ålesund. However, the price level is quite high, expect to pay 80-90 NOK for a pint of beer. This price level has resulted in a youth culture where people gather at someone's home first to drink and usually don't go out before midnight.
Most establishments are open, but the more youth oriented ones are usually close to empty before midnight. If you're a visitor out for some youthful partying, it might therefore be advisable to go somewhere else for a few pints first and then go out looking for where the action is after midnight.
All establishments close at 3 am by Norwegian law. This usually leads to complete chaos (as most people stay until then) and people standing around for hours in taxi queues. If you need transportation, it is therefore advisable to call the taxi company no later than 2 am. If you live in the city centre, it might be advisable to plan on leaving a little earlier as well, just to avoid drunk people in the streets.
If you want to buy alcohol from a shop, beer can be gotten in normal supermarkets until 8pm (6pm Saturdays) for 25 NOK for a 1/2 litre can. Anything stronger than 4.7% can only be got from state authorised Vinmonopolet (until 6pm weekdays, 3pm Saturdays), located in Kremmergaarden in the centre, as well as the Moa shopping centre in the suburbs. Note that supermarkets are not allowed to sell any alcohol after these hours, even if they are still open. Also, alcohol is not allowed to be sold in shops during Christian holidays such as Easter or Christmas.
Ålesund Vandrehjem Parkgata 14, 6003 Ålesund The youth hostel in the town center, from NOK 265,- (2007)
Brosundet Gjestehus The Hotel Brosundet is a one hundred years old protected harbour building in Ålesund that has been tastefully restored as a hotel. Apotekergt. 5 Phone:+47 70 12 10 00
Rica Parken Hotel
Rica Scandinavie Hotel
Radisson BLU Hotel Ålesund
Bryggen Hotel Ålesund
First Hotel Atlantica
Buy
There's a variety of shops in the town centre, particularly in Kremmergaarden near City hall and Aalesunds Storsenter near the town square.
The main shopping centre for the Sunnmøre region is located outside the city centre, 15 minutes away by express bus 628.
Some photos courtesy of:
. The photos provided by Flickr are under the copyright of their owners.
This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at View full credits
Wikitravel is a project to create a free, complete, up-to-date, and reliable worldwide travel guide. So far we have 23,712 destination guides and other articles written and edited by Wikitravellers from around the globe. Check out the Help page to see how you can edit any page right now, or the Project page for more information about Wikitravel and getting involved. Africa Asia Oceania Europe Middle East North America South America Central America & Caribbean Other destinations Travel topics & PhrasebooksDestination of the monthJiuzhai Valley is a nature reserve in China's Sichuan Province. Many visitors come in hopes of seeing the wild giant pandas that inhabit the area however, its many waterfalls and scenic lakes ensure that even those who are unable see the pandas will not leave disappointed.(more...)Off the beaten pathBromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is in East Java, Indonesia. Volcanically active to a fantastic degree, the desolately beautiful park is home to steaming, iconic Mt Bromo and fiery Mt Semeru. The cool, lush green highlands around the mountains are the homeland of the Tenggerese, one of Java's few Hindu groups. (more...)Discover The Dragon Boat Festival of Wuhan commemorates the suicide of Qu Yuan in the Miluo River; the dragon boats and drums are used to protect his body from being eaten by fish. If you're tired of one-sided history reports, the Ncome-Blood River Heritage Site in KwaZulu-Natal has two museums about the same event; one from the perspective of Europeans and the other from the Zulus. Legend has it, Suyumbike Tower in Kazan is name after a Tatar Princess who committed suicide by jumping off it in order to avoid marriage to Ivan the Terrible.Travel alertsScores Killed, Thousands Flee as Ethnic Violence Spreads in Kyrgyzstan (13 June 2010)UPDATE: Curfew lifted in Bangkok and 23 provinces, FCO cancels travel warnings put in effect due to unrest (29 May 2010 - 1 June 2010)Riots in Athens (4 May 2010 - Ongoing)General Strike in Nepal (1 May 2010)Violent Coup Ousts Kyrgyzstan President (7 April 2010)Current and upcoming events2010 FIFA World Cup Kicks Off in South Africa (11 June 2010 - 11 July 2010)Continental-United merger OK'd (2 May 2010)World Expo Begins in Shanghai (1 May 2010 - 30 October 2010)Shroud of Turin on Display (10 April - 23 May 2010)Hands Off Our Tuna! Tokyo's Tsukiji Market Bans Tourists Again (7 April 2010)Featured ArticlesNew "Star" ArticlesWalt Disney World/Downtown DisneySan FranciscoUbudNusa LembonganChicago/Southwest SideLondon/HampsteadWe're collaborating to improve HousekeepingBooks from Wikitravel PressWashington D.C., Hiroshima, San Francisco, moreMore on Wikitravel Extrablogs, forum, photosOther languagesMore than 1000 articles: Deutsch,Español,Français,Italiano,日本語,Nederlands,Português,Русский,Suomi,SvenskaBubbling under: العربيةCatalà,Esperanto, עברית,हिन्दी,Magyar, 한국어,Polski,Română,中文— Start a new version!
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at View full credits
Ålesund is the largest city in Møre og Romsdal, Western Norway, with about 40.000 inhabitants (between 60.000-80.000 in the surrounding area).
Understand
Ålesund is built on a row of islands extending towards the Atlantic. The compact old city centre is thus surrounded by water and Ålesund is a major fisheries harbour.
The old city centre of Ålesund was destroyed by fire in the first years of the 20th century. Much international aid, including personal gifts from Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany who used to holiday there, helped to rebuild in the most modern style, Art Nouveau.
From the city there is a beautiful view of the Sunnmøre Alps in the East.
Getting there
By plane
The following airlines serve Ålesund Airport, Vigra:
SAS Scandinavian Airlines from Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and Copenhagen
airBaltic from Riga
Norwegian from Oslo
By rail
The local railway station is situated in Åndalsnes. The train line was supposed to continue to Ålesund city center but was never completed. There is a replacement bus service operating between Ålesund and Åndalsnes for every arrival and departure.
Trains go to Dombås and back three times a day, connecting with the main service from Trondheim to Oslo. In addition, a once-a-day service to Lillehammer operates, connecting with local trains to Oslo.
You can also change at Dombås for services from or to Trondheim, but this usually involves a considerable wait at Dombås. However, Dombås town center is very close to the station and has moderately priced restaurants and convenience shops as well as some tourist attractions on its own.
By bus
Hourly regional services between Ålesund and Kristiansund, Molde and Volda.
Nightly and daily departures from and to Oslo (takes approximately 10 hours).
Several daily services between Ålesund and Trondheim calling at Molde and Sunndalsøra.
Daily services from and to Bergen calling at Volda, Nordfjordeid and Førde with connecting services to Sogndal and Stryn.
By boat
Hurtigruten calls Ålesund, once daily in southern direction (from Trondheim towards Bergen), and once daily in northern direction (from Bergen towards Kirkenes).
Ålesund is also a regular stop for a lot of cruise liners.
By car
Ålesund is at the end of the E136 main route, which starts at Dombås where it connects with the E6 main route between Oslo and Trondheim.
It is also on the E39 coastal main route between Bergen and Trondheim. Note that this route does involve taking quite a few ferries in either direction which makes it take as long to Trondheim as the ferry-less E136/E6 combo but more expensive.
Traveling around
If living in the city centre, most attractions are available within a short-medium walk (less than 20 minutes).
For the Atlantic Sea Park, there are special bus services from the city centre bus terminal.
In general there are plenty of bus services in Ålesund. It is worth noting, however, that they are very limited in the late evenings, after 5pm on Saturdays and all day Sundays. To get information about local buses, call 177.
There are two taxi companies operating, and taxis can be booked by telephone at 7012 or 70103000. Taxis in Norway are very expensive, expect to pay at least 200 NOK for even a short trip. They are also more expensive in the evenings and weekends.
See
Much of the joy of seeing Ålesund is to be found in just strolling past the many art nouveau shops and other buildings.
Aalesunds Museum, Rasmus Rønnebergsgt. 16, Phone: +47 70 12 31 70,
The Atlantic Sea-Park, Tueneset, Phone: +47 70 10 70 60,
Art Nouveau Centre, Apotekergt. 16, Phone: +47 70 10 49 70,
Things to do
Walk up the stairs to Fjellstua from the city park for a breathtaking view of local fjords and mountains. This can really not be underlined enough. Even if you are not up to climbing all 400 or so stairs, even half way up the view is stunning. Alternatively, you can get a taxi to drive you up there for the view from the top. This is a must-see. At the top of the mountain there are walkways that allow you to walk around in natural surroundings while enjoying the view of the islands and mountains around you. There is also a restaurant at Fjellstua serving basic dishes.
The Atlantic Sea Park (Atlanterhavsparken) at Tueneset is the biggest salt water aquarium in Northern Europe and is built into its stunning environment in the Tueneset conservation area. It offers a range of activities, including diving. After visiting, you can enjoy Tueneset itself which is a nice green area with walkways and a fascinating seemingly endless view of the Atlantic ocean.
In both of the above places you will find bunkers and remnants of the German war machinery from World War 2 for those that might find that interesting.
Brosundet separates the two central islands of Aspøy and Nørvøy, bridged by Hellebroa. The view of Brosundet is quite stunning. By Hellebroa there is an outdoor restaurant area which is very popular among tourists and locals alike. From there you can walk down onto the tourist boat area and further along to Skateflua with further restaurants and outdoors serving areas.
Also, from Skateflua, you can catch various tourist and express boats to popular destinations, buy fish directly from fishermen's boats and go rafting if the weather is nice.
You should also visit the Geirangerfjord, which is a world heritage site and arguably the most fabulous fjord experience there is. During the summer, catch the Hurtigruten to Geiranger and back. This leaves in the morning and returns you just in time for dinner, unless you want to enjoy it onboard, of course. At other times, take a bus to Hellesylt for a fjord cruise into Geiranger and catch a bus back to Ålesund from there.
In the winter, catch a bus to one of the many mountains around the town to go skiing.
Eat
Ålesund is full of restaurants, and you can generally find anything for whatever taste you might have.
For cheap food, the town has quite a few pizza, kebab and burger shops. Next to the town square you will find Dolly Dimples pizza, a few meters away you will find Peppes Pizza and the local McDonalds restaurant, as well as a 7-eleven that is open 24/7 and sell hot food. You can usually get food for around NOK 100 in these restaurants.
For more regular restaurants, you have choices such as Hummer og Kanari (Kongens gate) and XL Diner (Skateflukaia). XL Diner is the largest clipfish/bacalao restaurant in Northern Europe. Expect to pay a minimum of NOK 300.
More upmarket restaurants include Sjøbua, a somewhat famous seafood restaurant, where all food is prepared from the local fishermen's catch of the day. The fish is kept in tanks in the restaurant for maximum freshness.
In general, if you're out in Ålesund, you should make sure to try the local seafood dishes. It is the centre of fish exports in Norway and has a unique tradition is seafood cuisine. Clip fish is a local speciality, and a dish that locally is known simply as "bacalao" is a favourite not easily found in other parts of the world.
Do note that wine is usually quite expensive in Norwegian restaurants, charging 300 NOK or more for a bottle of wine is not uncommon.
Drink
There are lots of places to go drinking in Ålesund. However, the price level is quite high, expect to pay 80-90 NOK for a pint of beer. This price level has resulted in a youth culture where people gather at someone's home first to drink and usually don't go out before midnight.
Most establishments are open, but the more youth oriented ones are usually close to empty before midnight. If you're a visitor out for some youthful partying, it might therefore be advisable to go somewhere else for a few pints first and then go out looking for where the action is after midnight.
All establishments close at 3 am by Norwegian law. This usually leads to complete chaos (as most people stay until then) and people standing around for hours in taxi queues. If you need transportation, it is therefore advisable to call the taxi company no later than 2 am. If you live in the city centre, it might be advisable to plan on leaving a little earlier as well, just to avoid drunk people in the streets.
If you want to buy alcohol from a shop, beer can be gotten in normal supermarkets until 8pm (6pm Saturdays) for 25 NOK for a 1/2 litre can. Anything stronger than 4.7% can only be got from state authorised Vinmonopolet (until 6pm weekdays, 3pm Saturdays), located in Kremmergaarden in the centre, as well as the Moa shopping centre in the suburbs. Note that supermarkets are not allowed to sell any alcohol after these hours, even if they are still open. Also, alcohol is not allowed to be sold in shops during Christian holidays such as Easter or Christmas.
Sleep
Thon Hotel Ålesund; Kongensgate 27; Phone: +47 70 12 29 38; Fax: +47 70 12 66 60; Email: aalesund@thonhotels.no;
Scandic Ålesund; Molovegen 6; Phone: +47 21 61 45 00; Fax: +47 21 61 45 11; Email: alesund@scandic-hotels.com;
Ålesund Vandrehjem Parkgata 14, 6003 Ålesund The youth hostel in the town center, from NOK 265,- (2007)
Brosundet Gjestehus The Hotel Brosundet is a one hundred years old protected harbour building in Ålesund that has been tastefully restored as a hotel. Apotekergt. 5 Phone:+47 70 12 10 00
Rica Parken Hotel
Rica Scandinavie Hotel
Radisson BLU Hotel Ålesund
Bryggen Hotel Ålesund
First Hotel Atlantica
Buy
There's a variety of shops in the town centre, particularly in Kremmergaarden near City hall and Aalesunds Storsenter near the town square.
The main shopping centre for the Sunnmøre region is located outside the city centre, 15 minutes away by express bus 628.
Learn
Get out
Contact & location
Be the first one to add a review
The photos displayed on this page are the property of one of the following authors:
Karsten Köhler, color line, xdmag
Some photos courtesy of:
. The photos provided by Flickr are under the copyright of their owners.
This travel guide also includes text from Wikitravel articles, all available at
View full credits
Wikitravel is a project to create a free, complete, up-to-date, and reliable worldwide travel guide. So far we have 23,712 destination guides and other articles written and edited by Wikitravellers from around the globe. Check out the Help page to see how you can edit any page right now, or the Project page for more information about Wikitravel and getting involved. Africa Asia Oceania Europe Middle East North America South America Central America & Caribbean Other destinations Travel topics & PhrasebooksDestination of the monthJiuzhai Valley is a nature reserve in China's Sichuan Province. Many visitors come in hopes of seeing the wild giant pandas that inhabit the area however, its many waterfalls and scenic lakes ensure that even those who are unable see the pandas will not leave disappointed.(more...)Off the beaten pathBromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park is in East Java, Indonesia. Volcanically active to a fantastic degree, the desolately beautiful park is home to steaming, iconic Mt Bromo and fiery Mt Semeru. The cool, lush green highlands around the mountains are the homeland of the Tenggerese, one of Java's few Hindu groups. (more...)Discover The Dragon Boat Festival of Wuhan commemorates the suicide of Qu Yuan in the Miluo River; the dragon boats and drums are used to protect his body from being eaten by fish. If you're tired of one-sided history reports, the Ncome-Blood River Heritage Site in KwaZulu-Natal has two museums about the same event; one from the perspective of Europeans and the other from the Zulus. Legend has it, Suyumbike Tower in Kazan is name after a Tatar Princess who committed suicide by jumping off it in order to avoid marriage to Ivan the Terrible.Travel alertsScores Killed, Thousands Flee as Ethnic Violence Spreads in Kyrgyzstan (13 June 2010)UPDATE: Curfew lifted in Bangkok and 23 provinces, FCO cancels travel warnings put in effect due to unrest (29 May 2010 - 1 June 2010)Riots in Athens (4 May 2010 - Ongoing)General Strike in Nepal (1 May 2010)Violent Coup Ousts Kyrgyzstan President (7 April 2010)Current and upcoming events2010 FIFA World Cup Kicks Off in South Africa (11 June 2010 - 11 July 2010)Continental-United merger OK'd (2 May 2010)World Expo Begins in Shanghai (1 May 2010 - 30 October 2010)Shroud of Turin on Display (10 April - 23 May 2010)Hands Off Our Tuna! Tokyo's Tsukiji Market Bans Tourists Again (7 April 2010)Featured ArticlesNew "Star" ArticlesWalt Disney World/Downtown DisneySan FranciscoUbudNusa LembonganChicago/Southwest SideLondon/HampsteadWe're collaborating to improve HousekeepingBooks from Wikitravel PressWashington D.C., Hiroshima, San Francisco, moreMore on Wikitravel Extrablogs, forum, photosOther languagesMore than 1000 articles: Deutsch,Español,Français,Italiano,日本語,Nederlands,Português,Русский,Suomi,SvenskaBubbling under: العربيةCatalà,Esperanto, עברית,हिन्दी,Magyar, 한국어,Polski,Română,中文— Start a new version!
This travel guide also includes text from Wikipedia articles, all available at
View full credits