Discover Ålesund: Art Nouveau, the aquarium and Aksla

Ålesund can be explored in different ways: art and Art Nouveau in the city centre sit alongside nature and wildlife experiences at Tueneset and on the trails of the city mountain Aksla. These different attractions give your trip planning a clear direction. When choosing a holiday apartment, you can consider whether you mainly want to explore the city centre or also set aside time for Aksla and Atlanterhavsparken.

Art Nouveau and changing art exhibitions in the city centre

Jugendstilsenteret and KUBE are an art museum in the heart of Ålesund city centre. Jugendstilsenteret features authentic Art Nouveau interiors; at the same time, the institution has national responsibility for Art Nouveau in Norway. During a visit, you can therefore discover both original interior design and the museum’s special role in art history.

KUBE presents several changing art exhibitions throughout the year. Together with the active educational programme at Jugendstilsenteret and KUBE, this makes for a cultural offering that includes a range of formats: public guided tours, lectures, concerts and other events. If you enjoy including art and architecture in a city break, you can make these places a focus of your trip alongside outdoor activities.

Marine life at Tueneset and trails on Aksla

Atlanterhavsparken is a public saltwater aquarium at Tueneset, surrounded by nature. It is 3 km from Ålesund city centre. You can get there by car, bus, taxi or on foot. In the activity room, visitors of all ages can catch crabs, take shells, sea cucumbers and other species out of the water, and learn more about life in the sea.

At Atlanterhavsparken, fish, seals, otters and penguins are hand-fed daily at set times. Staff explain the species and answer questions during the feedings. They provide a set point in the visit; if you would like to attend, you can take the specific times into account when planning your day. The aquarium thus combines the chance to see a variety of animals with opportunities to learn more about their species and life in the sea.

The city mountain Aksla is a hiking area with many opportunities for different activities. Numerous trails and roads lead to several points of interest. One particularly clearly described route runs from the city centre through Byparken to Fjellstua: this route has 418 steps. The Rundskue observation tower stands at the highest point of Aksla. Parts of the trail network can be used by wheelchair and bicycle; this applies to some trails, not to the entire network as a whole.

At Akslatunet near Dam2, there is a fitness park, a simple toilet and a shelter, all available for free. The large shelter is set up for social gatherings and barbecues. As well as trails and viewpoints, Aksla therefore offers a place to take a break outdoors. The mountain also has numerous traces of German defensive installations from the Second World War—another historically significant aspect of the landscape.

Discoveries in Byparken and by the harbour

Byparken links the route from the city centre to Fjellstua with other destinations of its own. It has a playground for children aged 1 to 15. The park also contains a copy of the Gonge-Rolf statue: the original is in Rouen, and another copy is in Fargo in the USA. If you are travelling with children, you can make the playground a destination in its own right rather than seeing the park only as part of the staircase route.

In the inner harbour, Holm-bua is a landmark of Ålesund. Nearby, the Medieval Museum displays finds from extensive archaeological investigations in the surrounding area. And for travellers with a dog, Hundemarka near Fagerlia is an option: dogs are allowed to run off leash in this area.

You can weigh up the different locations and experiences when choosing where to stay: Jugendstilsenteret and KUBE are in the city centre, Atlanterhavsparken is at Tueneset, 3 km from the city centre, and the route to Fjellstua starts in the centre. If you would like to explore further afield in Ålesund, you can also include Ellingsøy in your trip plans.

For the overview of the wider trip: Ålesund.