Alesund: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
On the night of 23 January 1904 a fire swept through Ålesund in a winter storm, and by morning about 10,000 people had lost their homes. The town was rebuilt in stone and brick in barely three years, almost all in the Art Nouveau style of the day, which is why it looks like nowhere else in Norway. This walk goes from the museum that tells the story, through the rebuilt streets and over the canal, to the park at the foot of the hill. About two hours on flat pavement; the steps up Aksla are the optional finale.
A short history of Alesund
Ålesund is built on several islands on the west coast of Norway, and for centuries it lived from fishing, mainly for dried cod sent to southern Europe. It received town status in 1848. On the night of 23 January 1904 a fire broke out that the wind spread among the wooden houses, and within hours about 850 houses burned down and more than 10,000 people were left homeless. The German Emperor Wilhelm II, who knew the area from his summer cruises, sent ships with supplies and food. The town was rebuilt in stone and brick within about three years, almost entirely in the Art Nouveau style of the time, which is why the centre looks so uniform.
The ten best sights in Alesund
1Fjellstua on Aksla418 steps up from the park, or drive; the postcard view of the whole town
2Kniven viewpointA few minutes past Fjellstua, quieter, with the islands to the west
3ByparkenWhere the Aksla steps start; look for the Viking on the pedestal
4BrosundetThe canal through the centre; the classic photo is from the bridge at dusk
5Molja LighthouseFive minutes on foot from the canal, at the end of the breakwater
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6Atlantic Sea Park
Check the time of the diver's feeding show before you drive out
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7Sukkertoppen
A steep hour up from the Sea Park; boots, and not in rain
8Alnes LighthouseOn Godøy, 25 minutes by car; café and a sandy beach under the cliffs
9RundeBird island about 1.5 hours south; puffins roughly April to mid-August
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10Art Nouveau Centre
Start the town here: it explains the fire before you walk the streets
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Alesund →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Alesund:
Free walking tours in Alesund
The town that burned
On the night of 23 January 1904 a fire swept through Ålesund in a winter storm, and by morning about 10,000 people had lost their homes. The town was rebuilt in stone and brick in barely three years, almost all in the Art Nouveau style of the day, which is why it looks like nowhere else in Norway. This walk goes from the museum that tells the story, through the rebuilt streets and over the canal, to the park at the foot of the hill. About two hours on flat pavement; the steps up Aksla are the optional finale.
- Art Nouveau Centre · The centre is housed in the former Swan Pharmacy, built in 1907 as part of the rebuilding, and its pharmacy interior has been kept as it was. Upstairs, a short film puts you inside the night of the fire.
- Ålesund Church · The old church burned with the town in 1904, and the new one in stone was consecrated in 1909. Its walls and windows were decorated by the painter Enevold Thømt, who covered the inside in colour.
- Keiser Wilhelms gate · The street is named after the German Kaiser Wilhelm II, who knew the coast from his summer cruises and sent ships with food, building materials and doctors within days of the fire.
- Brosundet · The canal was the town's working harbour, lined with the warehouses where klippfisk, salted and dried cod, was stored before export to Spain, Portugal and South America.
- Joachim Rønneberg memorial · Rønneberg was born in Ålesund in 1919 and in February 1943 led the commando team that blew up the heavy-water plant at Vemork, a blow to the Nazi nuclear programme. He came home to work at the local radio station and died in 2018.
- Rollo statue · The statue of Rollo, the Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy, was a gift from the city of Rouen in 1911. Norse sagas make him the son of an earl of Møre, the region around Ålesund.
Lookouts and the open sea
Ålesund sits on a string of islands, with the Atlantic on one side and the mountains of Sunnmøre on the other. This route climbs to the two classic views, then follows the shore west to the sea park and the hill above it, and east to the old boats. The first half is on foot from the centre; for the rest you need the car. Plan a full day, and keep the hill for whichever hour the clouds lift.
- Molja Lighthouse · The little white lighthouse on the breakwater dates from 1858, and today it is a single hotel room belonging to a hotel on the canal, probably one of the smallest hotel suites in Norway.
- Fjellstua on Aksla · The 418 steps from Byparken climb to a terrace 189 metres above the town, where the whole rebuilt centre, the islands and the Sunnmøre Alps are laid out at once.
- Kniven viewpoint · Kniven, 'the knife', is the higher shoulder of the same hill; from here the view swings west to the outer islands and the open Atlantic beyond them.
- Atlantic Sea Park · Opened in 1998 on the headland at Tueneset, the aquarium shows only the fish of the Norwegian coast, in tanks filled with sea water pumped straight in from the fjord outside.
- Sukkertoppen · The 'sugar loaf' is the steep cone above the sea park, and its summit takes in the whole archipelago from Godøy to the mountains in one turn of the head.
- Sunnmøre Museum · The open-air museum stands at Borgund, which was the trading centre of the region in the Middle Ages, long before Ålesund existed. Its boat halls keep dozens of traditional craft, including copies of early boats found in the local bogs.
Islands through the tunnels
North-west of Ålesund lie the low islands of Valderøy, Vigra, Giske and Godøy, all joined to the town by undersea tunnels and bridges built since the late 1980s. They feel far from the Art Nouveau streets: farms, white sand, bird marshes and a lighthouse facing the ocean. The loop is about 60 km and fits a half day. Bring a windproof layer even in summer; out here the wind does not stop.
- Skjonghelleren cave · This sea cave in the cliffs of Valderøy is one of the key Ice Age sites in Norway: excavations found animal bones tens of thousands of years old, from a time when the coast was under ice.
- Vigra and the undersea tunnels · Until 1987 the airport islands could be reached only by boat. That year the Ellingsøy and Valderøy tunnels opened under the sea, and the drive from town to the runway on Vigra now takes about 20 minutes.
- Giske Church · The small church was built of marble around 1150 by the Giske family, the powerful clan that held the island in the Middle Ages, and it is one of the few marble churches in Norway.
- Giske and Makkevika · The shallow bay on Giske is a protected wetland on the migration route of waders and geese, with a bird hide by the road.
- Godøy village · The fishing village sits under Storehornet, the steep mountain that makes Godøy the only high island of the group.
- Alnes Lighthouse · The lighthouse at the tip of Godøy now holds a café and a gallery of the painter Ørnulf Opdahl, whose dark seascapes were painted from this coast.
Getting to Alesund and getting around
- Ålesund Airport Vigra · On Vigra island, reached through undersea tunnels; about 20 minutes to the centre
- Cruise and Hurtigruten quay · Check the cruise calendar: on a big-ship day the small centre fills up by ten
Cheap eats in Alesund
Ålesund grew rich on klippfisk, cod salted and dried on the rocks, and the town still cooks it the Portuguese way, as bacalao in tomato and olive oil. For a quick lunch the classics are fish soup, fish cakes and a waffle with brown goat cheese. Norway is expensive: a simple lunch is rarely under 200 kroner, so the bakeries and the fish counter are the way to save.
- Fisketorget delikatesse · Fish soup or fish cakes, about 150-250 kr
- Racoon · Coffee and a pastry in the centre, about 60-110 kr
- Kafé Kremmergaarden · Café in an old merchant house; soup and cake about 120-200 kr
- Geiranger Bakeri · Bakery in the centre; a cinnamon bun and coffee about 70-100 kr
- Steinovnen Bar & Pizzaria · Stone-oven pizza near the park, about 180-280 kr
- Fjellstua café · Waffles, cakes and coffee at the view, about 60-150 kr
Museums in Alesund
- Art Nouveau Centre · The fire and the rebuilding; start here, about an hour
- KUBE Art Museum · Modern and regional art next door to the Art Nouveau Centre
- Sunnmøre Museum · Open-air boats and farms, 10 minutes east; two hours
- Fishery Museum · Klippfisk and cod-liver oil in an old warehouse; summer only
- Aalesunds Museum · The town before and after the 1904 fire, in photos and models
Nature and day trips near Alesund
- Aksla · The town hill; 418 steps or a short drive
- Sukkertoppen · Steep hour to a summit over the islands
- Makkevika on Giske · Bird marsh on Giske, best in spring and autumn migration
- Runde · Puffin cliffs about 1.5 hours south; a 2-3 hour hike
- Alnes beach · White sand and the open ocean on Godøy
Things to do in Alesund with kids
- Atlantic Sea Park · Diver feeding show and touch pools
- Runde puffins · Puffins on the cliffs in summer; binoculars help
- Molja Lighthouse · A short walk on the breakwater to the toy-sized lighthouse
- Sunnmøre Museum boats · Old boats and grass roofs; summer boat trips
Where to eat in Alesund
- XL Diner · Bacalao and klippfisk dishes; book in summer
- Anno · Bistro by the canal, local fish and lamb
- Maki · Seafood on the canal; the evening splurge
- Fjellstua · Dinner on the hill with the town lights below
Frequently asked questions about Alesund
What is there to see in Alesund?
The top sights in Alesund are Fjellstua on Aksla, Kniven viewpoint and Byparken. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Alesund?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Alesund without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Alesund?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Alesund, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The town that burned.
How do you get to Alesund and get around?
The main ways are Ålesund Airport Vigra and Cruise and Hurtigruten quay. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Alesund, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Alesund that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Alesund for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.