Ålesund is the largest city in Møre og Romsdal county, West Norway, with about 53,000 inhabitants, 66,000 in the surrounding area (2018). Ålesund is the gateway to the iconic northwestern fjords (among which Geirangerfjord is particularly famous) and surrounding alpine mountains. After the devastating 1904 fire, the entire city was quickly rebuilt in the distinct Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) of the time. Ålesund is the centre for Sunnmøre district in Møre og Romsdal county, and the most important town between Bergen and Trondheim.
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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 one of Norway's major fisheries harbour (number 1 measured in revenue). To the east are the Sunnmøre Alps which offers a dramatic backdrop. Ålesund sits at the entrance to iconic Geirangerfjord, majestic Hjørundfjord as well as other great fjords in the Sunnmøre district. The old city centre of Ålesund was built from wood and totally destroyed by fire in 1904, only a single small house remained.
Ålesund is long and narrow, stretching from west to east over five islands, with the old city centre on the western end near the Atlantic. From the old city centre, most attractions are available within a short-medium walk (less than 20 minutes). Tourist Information Office in Ålesund at Skateflukaia (☏ +47 70-157600, info@visitalesund.com), open daily 08:30–18:00 in summer, at western foot of Skaregata in the old city centre, caters to most needs a visitor to the region could have, including brochures and guides. Some 10 km (6.2 mi) east of the old city centre is the modern business and shopping district, located in the Moa-Spjelkavik district, but this area is of little interest to visitor…
Much of the joy of seeing Ålesund is to be found in just strolling past the many art nouveau shops and other buildings. 1 Aalesunds Museum, Rasmus Rønnebergs gate 16, ☏ +47 70 12 31 70. 2 The Atlantic Sea-Park (Atlanterhavsparken) (On Hessa island, about 3 km west of the old city centre, can take the regular bus signed "Akvariebussen" or hop-on hop-off bus), ☏ +47 70 10 70 60. Jun-Aug: Su-F 10:00 - 18:00, Sa 10:00 - 16:00. Salt water aquarium. It offers a range of activities, including diving. Adult 180 kr; child 3-15 years 80 kr. (updated Jul 2017) 3 Art Nouveau Centre and Art Museum KUBE (Jugendstilsenteret), Apotekergata 16, ☏ +47 70 10 49 70.
1 Mt Aksla and Fjellstua (Walk, taxi or sightseeing bus/tram). From the city park (from the pedestrian shopping street Kongensgata, follow Lihauggata past the Rollon statue to the Byparken) walk up the stairs cut into the cliff to Fjellstua 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 418 steps, even half way up the view is stunning. Alternatively, you can get a taxi or sightseeing tram to drive you up there for the view from the top. This is a must-see.
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, the local Burger King restaurant, and a 7-Eleven that is open 24/7 and sells hot food. You can usually get food for around 100 kr 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.
There are lots of places to go drinking in Ålesund. Expect to pay 80-90 kr 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 03:00 by Norwegian law.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Aalesund typically sees ~21°C daytime highs and 10 rainy days.
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