From ashes to Art Nouveau

It is not without reason that Ålesund was voted the most beautiful town in Norway by the Norwegian people in 2007 and the newspaper The Times in 2009. It is easy to become fascinated by Ålesund, with its Art Nouveau style and a myriad of turrets, spires and beautiful ornamentation.

The fire in Ålesund

During the early hours of 23 January 1904 a terrible fire raged through Ålesund. In the space of 16 hours, 850 houses burned to the ground, and ten thousand people were left homeless.

Panoramic views of town and countryside

Mount Aksla, with the Fjellstua and Kniven viewpoints, is one of Ålesund’s biggest attractions. The views of the town, the lovely islands and the majestic Sunnmøre Alps further inland are simply fantastic.

Children's Ålesund

Ålesund can also be the children's favourite, offering a series of exciting experiences for the whole family. Let the children enjoy themselves among fish and penguins at the Atlanterhavsparken aquarium, in exciting playing constructions and the Barnas Lekeland (Children's Playland) or travel back in time at the open air museum Sunnmøre Museum or at the Art Nouveau Centre. Put your family holiday to Ålesund - here you will find something for everyone!

Every shopper's dream

Ålesund has a strong tradition as a commercial town. The shopping areas in the town centre are Kipervika, Skansen and Aspøya. These three areas are each distinctive in their own way. At Aspøya you will find traditional shops selling building materials/DIY and hardware goods and several small specialist interior and design shops. The Skansen area includes the town’s pedestrian street, one of the finest in Norway. Kipervika has a wide range of specialist fashion, art and arts and crafts shops. The town’s Kiperviktorget market, with stalls flowers, fresh fruit and vegetables, is in the same area.

There are two shopping centres in the town centre with most kinds of shops as well as attractive cafés and restaurants. The Moa shopping area, 10 km from the town centre, attracts shoppers from near and far. It has one of Norway’s largest shopping centres, the biggest between Bergen and Trondheim. The abundance of shops of most kinds, all under the same roof, makes for pleasant shopping - even on a rainy day.

A perfect starting point for activities

Ålesund is a natural starting point for an active holiday - with a beautiful coastline and skerries, deep valleys, fjords and spectacular mountains.