Travel Budget for Alesund

Alesund On a Budget

Alesund is a port town on the west coast of Norway, at the entrance to the Geirangerfjord. It could be the backdrop for a Nordic fairytale – with a modern plot twist. It's known for the art nouveau architectural style in which most of the town was rebuilt after a fire in 1904, as documented at the Jugendstilsenteret museum. And it's no coincidence that Alesund and the surrounding areas are among the most visited sites for tourists in Norway. Many use The Art Nouveau town as a starting point to explore the renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Geirangerfjord, the bird sanctuary island of Runde, or the spectacular snow-capped summits of the Hjorundfjord and the Sunnmorsalpene. There are panoramic views of Alesund's architecture, the surrounding archipelago and fjords from the Mount Aksla lookout. The town of Alesund has a beautiful setting across several islands stretching out into the Atlantic Ocean and you find unspoilt and beautiful nature the whole year round.

Sights

Some of the best sights in Alesund is the natural beauty. For a great place to see this, walk up the stairs to Fjellstua from the city park 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 400 or so stairs, even half way up the view is stunning. Alternatively, you can get a taxi to drive you up there for the view from the top. This is a must-see. At the top of the mountain there are walkways that allow you to walk around in natural surroundings while enjoying the view of the islands and mountains around you. Also, much of the joy of seeing Alesund is to be found in just strolling past the many art nouveau shops and other buildings. From the city you can also see a beautiful view of the Sunnmore Alps in the East.

Neighborhoods

Alesund is built on a row of islands extending towards the Atlantic and the city is the cultural center of the region. The old city centre of Alesund was destroyed by fire in the first years of the 20th century. Much international aid, including personal gifts from Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany who used to holiday there, helped to rebuild in the most modern style, Art Nouveau. The compact old city center is surrounded by water and Alesund is a major fisheries harbor. Tough compact, the center is full of culture and charm and there are plenty of shops to browse, all built in the Art Nouveau style.

Activities

Alesund has several fun festivals – including the Alesund Theatre Festival, the Festival of New Norwegian Literature, Norwegian Food Festival and art and music festivals such as Jugendfest and Trandal Country Festival.

The rugged mountains give you a perfect opportunity for an active holiday, as they rise nearly 6,561 feet right up from the sapphire blue fjords. From February to June these mountains are perfect for off-piste skiing and ski-touring. There are also gently sloping hills ideal for alpine skiing and cross-country skiing. And the fjords, lakes and rivers are packed with fish.

The Atlantic Sea Park (Atlanterhavsparken) at Tueneset is the biggest salt water aquarium in Northern Europe and is built into its stunning environment in the Tueneset conservation area. It offers a range of activities, including diving. After visiting, you can enjoy Tueneset itself which is a nice green area with walkways and a fascinating seemingly endless view of the Atlantic ocean.

Food and Dining

Alesund 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, Peppes Pizza, and the local McDonalds restaurant.

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.

More upmarket restaurants include Sjobua, a somewhat famous seafood restaurant, where all food is prepared from the local fishermen's catch of the day. The fish is kept in tanks in the restaurant for maximum freshness.

In general, if you're out in Alesund, you should make sure to try the local seafood dishes. It is the center of fish exports in Norway and has a unique tradition in seafood cuisine. Clip fish is a local specialty, and a dish that locally is known simply as "bacalao" is a favorite not easily found in other parts of the world.

Transportation

Alesund Airport has frequent domestic connections to Bergen, Oslo and Trondheim, among others. There are also international connections to Alesund from Amsterdam, London, Alicante, Copenhagen, Gdansk, Vilnius and Riga. The airport is only around 20 minutes by car from the center of Alesund. Oslo to Alesund is around 520 kilometers, and takes around 8 hours. The bus serving this route takes around 11 hours. If in the city center, most attractions are available within a short-medium walk (less than 20 minutes). For the Atlantic Sea Park, there are special bus services from the city center bus terminal. In general there are plenty of bus services in Alesund. It is worth noting, however, that they are very limited in the late evenings, after 5pm on Saturdays and all day Sundays.


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