How to spend 24 hours in Ålesund

Exactly a year ago, I was ready for my trip to Norway. I had already planned my itinerary, booked my flights, hotels and train tickets, and I was looking forward to returning to the country I’d last visited 20 years prior. Of course, I had wanted to visit Oslo and Bergen again, but Ålesund was the city I was most excited about. And, it certainly lived up to my expectations; the two days I spent there was the highlight of my week in Norway.

This beautiful port town on the west coast of Norway may not be the most famous city in the country, but it’s the birthplace of Sigrid, the Norwegian singer/songwriter who rose to international fame when she won the BBC Music Sound of 2018. Her debut studio album, ‘Sucker Punch’, was released in March 2019 and debuted at number 1 on the Norwegian charts and at number 4 on the UK albums chart.

Ålesund is also the birthplace of Natalie Sandtorv, a Norwegian jazz musician whom I saw at Trondheim JazzFestival (JazzFest) which tok place between the 8^th and the 12^th of May 2019.

If (or rather when) you visit Norway, I would strongly recommend including Ålesund in your itinerary. Here’s how to spend 24 hours in the town and make the most out of your time there:

9 am: Breakfast

Start your day with coffee and a light breakfast at Racoon Coffee & More on Kongens gate.

10 am: Art Nouveau

Visit the Art Nouveau Center (Jugendstilsenteret) and the Art Museum KUBE (Kunstmuseet) on Apotekergata (open every day from 10.00 to 17.00, Thursdays from 10.00 to 20.00, admission NOK 85). Jugendstilsenteret is located in an old pharmacy and is both a museum and a national center of Art Nouveau, while KUBE is located in a former Bank of Norway building.

in Ålesund — On my way to the Art Nouveau museums

1 pm: Lunch

Have a light lunch at Lyspunktet on Kipervikgata (I had the fish soup, NOK 195).

3 pm: Panoramic views

Climb the 418 steps to Aksla and admire the spectacular view of the town, the surrounding mountains and the nearby islands.

6 pm: More Art Nouveau

Having admired the panoramic views of Ålesund, return to the center and go for a walk around the art nouveau town center.

7 pm: Dinner

Have dinner at Lyst on Kongens gate (I had ‘Bacalao a La Lyst’: cod in a tomato stew with vegetables and mashed potatoes, NOK 294).

9 pm: Cocktails

Finish off the day with a cocktail at Milk, a big-windowed bar at the seafront (I had the ‘Fjellbekk’: vodka, aquavit, lime cordial and sprite, NOK 114).

But I turned and walked

Away from all the fun

And back into the black

Seaside night of Ålesund

Getting to Ålesund

SAS, Norwegian and Widerøe fly to Ålesund (Vigra airport) from Oslo, Bergen and Trondheim. Flight time to/from all these destinations is less than an hour, and the prices are reasonable.

From Vigra airport, take the bus to Ålesund; the fare is NOK 80 (one-way) and the journey takes roughly 25 minutes.

Accommodation

I stayed at Norhostel Apartment (Parkgata 14); it is only 10 minutes walk from Skateflukaia, where the tourist office, the bus station and the ferry terminal are.

How long and when to visit

Late spring and summer is the best time to visit Ålesund (and Scandinavia in general), as the days are really long. I would recommend staying there for at least 24 hours.