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Alesund – the Art Nouveau town

Alesund by Berge, Knoff Natural Light, Visit Norway

Norway’s fishing capital

The picturesque coastal town of Alesund is beautifully located on the western coast of Norway, surrounded by stunning scenery. It is an ideal starting point for a fjord cruise on the Geirangerfjord. You can also visit the beautiful surrounding islands; the Runde bird island & the Alnes Lighthouse.


Brosundet in Alesund by Brian W Spence, Hurtigruten

Explore Alesund - Norway´s Art Nouveau town

City Walk Alesund by Annie Yuen, Hurtigruten

Walk through Alesund

Alesund's dramatic history:

The town is young at heart, but with an unusually dramatic story to tell. One stormy night a hundred years ago, the whole town centre burned to the ground. Only a few houses survived the devastation in 1904, and ten thousand people were made homeless.

A new town rose phoenix-like from the ashes – in the distinctive Art Nouveau style with myriad turrets, spires and beautiful ornamentation, like something from a fairytale. Visitors can learn more about the architecture of Alesund at Jugendstilsenteret, located in the old Swan Pharmacy from 1907. The centre is both a museum and a national centre of Art Nouveau.
Today, the town is an attractive destination for visitors from Norway and abroad. Alesund is a modern, pulsating town with a varied cultural scene and exciting cafés and restaurants.

See more photos of Alesund

Traditional fishing boat in Alesund by Dr. Bettina Classen, Hurtigruten

Fishing boat – typical sight

Alesund’s economy:

Alesund has one of the largest and most important fishing harbours in Norway. The town’s fishing fleet is one of the most modern in Europe. Alesund and surroundings also have a large furniture industry. Some well-known household items are manufactured here. In the 1950s and 1960s, Alesund was one of the chief stations of the herring fishery business.

City Walk Alesund by Sverre Hjornevik, Fjord Norway

City walk in Alesund

The Sunnmore coast – an extraordinary experience:

A string of picturesque small islands and fishing communities lie facing the Atlantic Ocean. The coastal districts have a long history of fishing and the many coastal museums have fascinating stories to tell.
See the Sunnmore coast on a Hurtigruten Cruise

View of Alesund by Samuel Taipale, Visit Norway

View from Mount Aksla

Attractions in and around Alesund:

– The National Art Nouveau Centre (Jugendstilsenteret)
– The Atlantic Sea Park Aquarium (Atlanterhavsparken)
– Mount Aksla – view of Alesund & surroundings
– Godoy island & Alnes Lighthouse
– Runde bird island
– Geirangerfjord

Visit Alesund in winter on an amazing Northern Lights Cruise



Read about more scenic cities in Norway

View all our Norway Highlights
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Contact Fjord Travel Norway:
Use our contact form, send e-mail to [email protected], or
call us on +47 (55) 131-310 (Mon-Fri 09:00 to 15:30 local time)

What our customers say:

  • Thank you for assisting us with our trip to Norway. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Kirkenes and the Snow Hotel. The arrangements you made for us were perfect. The lodging was comfortable and the excursions were fun. Tom and I rarely use the services of a travel company when we travel; you enriched our trip and made the planning easy.

    Alison, United States

  • We just recently completed the Tromso, Northern Lights & Arctic Coast tour. I am writing to say what an amazing tour we had. Everything ran smoothly without an issue, the accommodation was fantastic and the tours were brilliant. We cannot fault the package at all. I would also like to thank Franziska and Lene, they both were fantastic in answering all my questions promptly, whilst booking the tour. Thank you for a wonderful and memorable holiday!

    Robert, Australia

  • I wanted to thank everybody. We had a wonderful trip. Everything went well and fortunately we had the chance to see the lights while on the cruise. All my friends in Turkey would like to go on a similar trip. So I will be in touch with you. Thanks again and best wishes to all of you.

    Candan, Turkey