Ålesund is a pearl of a city built on islands guarding an important entrance to the unspoiled Norwegian fjords and to the World Heritage Site, Geiranger Fjord. The beauty of the city and its surroundings can be appreciated from many vantage points, including the town mountain, Aksla, which affords a breathtaking view of the entire region with its mountains, the ocean, fjords and islands. Among these is Vigra, connected to Ålesund by impressive undersea tunnels, where the airport provides a national and international link for this burgeoning region

Ålesund has the most harmonious concentration of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe. It was rebuilt in this distinctive style with turrets, spires and imaginative ornamentation after a catastrophic fire in 1904. It has fascinating museums, a vibrant theatre and music scene, a large modern stadium and sports/exhibition hall as well as excellent and innovative restaurants. A walk through the city centre reveals not only fascinating architecture but a lively urban scene with pleasant shops and cafés and the picturesque Brosundet sound, lined with converted wharf buildings but still visited by working fishing boats as well as pleasure craft and fast ferries. The town has 40,000 inhabitants and is both an administrative and cultural centre as well as an important business hub in the region.

The area is known for its strong fisheries tradition and Ålesund dominates the export of dried codfish (klippfisk or bacalao), a major export to the Mediterranean and South America. The Atlantic Sea-Park, one of the largest aquariums in Northern Europe, is beautifully integrated into the rugged natural terrain facing the Atlantic Ocean and provides a fascinating insight into the wealth of sea life in the fjords and sea. Sunnmøre Museum, an outdoor collection of more than 50 traditional buildings in beautiful surroundings with an impressive and fascinating boat collection provides an absorbing insight into a how it used to be to live and work in the fjord country.

The city is at the centre of an area bursting with natural treasures and is ideal for adventurous and team building activities, which the hotel can help you organise. We can arrange for diving and exploration of shipwrecks, mountain walking, river rafting, day cruises on the fjords and much more.

The local area also offers:

• 18-hole golf course
• Fresh water and sea fishing
• Hunting
• Alpine and nordic skiing
• Sailing and canoeing
• Mountain walking and climbing, as well as indoor climbing
• Go-kart
• White water rafting
• Diving
• Horse riding
• Bowling