Coastal Norway's Art Nouveau Masterpiece
Alesund Offers Rich History and a Gateway to Norway’s Fjords
May 10, 2009
In January 1904 a massive fire left 10,000 residents of Ålesund, Norway homeless and destroyed most of the town. Responding to this tragedy, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany sent shiploads of provisions and building supplies. As a result Ålesund was rebuilt in short order. The young Norwegian architects who designed the new city were, to a great extent, schooled in Germany, where they’d adopted the popular Art Nouveau style (Jugendstil) of the time.
Today Ålesund is a picturesque, uniquely ornate small modern city set on a sheltered peninsula deep in the protected waters of a southern fjord. For many visitors, Ålesund is the perfect place to get acquainted with the history and culture of Norway and make the transition from the modern world to the dramatic grandeur of Norway’s natural world.
Wandering the streets of Ålesund, visitors begin to realize that, yes, this is a decidedly Norwegian city, but something is different. All is ships, boats, and the nautical world. Distant snowcapped mountains form the boundaries of the fjords, and nearby islands are dotted with timber frame houses. But the decorative flourishes above doorways, on streetlamps and sidewalks speak to a sense of style and a visual grandeur that are unique to Ålesund.
Alesund’s Art Nouveau Heritage
In 2003 Queen Sonja established the Art Nouveau Centre of Norway as the national center of Art Nouveau/Jugendstil. The center offers visitors with not just an introduction to the influence of the popular decorative style in Norway, but also provides a historic overview of Ålesund itself.
With three floors of rotating and permanent exhibits, the Jugendstil displays examples of Norwegian Art Nouveau works that range from print media to jewelry. The museum also includes a “time machine” exhibit that takes visitors through the experience of the fateful 1904 fire.
Outdoor Adventure in Alesund, Norway
In a city situated on a peninsula with towering mountains, and open water all around, it comes as no surprise that the residents of Ålesund embrace their environment, and have developed a culture that allows both locals and visitors to take full advantage of all that the natural world gives them.
For water sport enthusiasts the sea around Ålesund offers prime locations for fishing, kayaking, and scuba diving. Numerous tour and rental operators are available to help plan adventures in, on and around the waters of Ålesund.
Hikers, bikers, and land adventurers should consider an island hopping tour to witness the local lifestyle and architecture on the islands surrounding the Ålesund peninsula. Others may consider a trip to the island of Runde. Surrounded by rough seas, this tiny island is home to only 150 human residents. But from February to August more than 500,000 birds inhabit the island.
Norwegian Coastal Cruising
Ålesund is a regular stop on both the northbound and southbound routes of the Hurtigruten Coastal Voyages, referred to by many as “The World’s Most Beautiful Voyage”. Stopping in small towns and outposts in addition to the larger ports of call, as “working boats” (charged with delivering goods and materials up the coast), Hurtigruten offers travelers the opportunity to visit many of the smaller local communities along the Norwegian Coast.
Bikers, kayakers, and backpackers can travel by Hurtigruten cruise ship to a designated port up the coast, then head inland for a personal adventure, and later enjoy considerable shipboard comforts on their return journey.
With its unique architecture, design history, and access to Norway’s incomparable natural resources, both on the water and on dry land, Ålesund, Norway offers visitors a wonderful way to experience both the cultural and natural wealth of Norway.
Alesund, Norway Peninsular View
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Alesund, Norway Fjord View
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Art Nouveau Design Around Alesund, Norway
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Alesund, Norway Fishmonger
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Coastal Norway
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