is a town and municipality in the county of Møre og Romsdal, Norway. It is a sea port, 236 km north northeast of Bergen, and is noted for its unique concentration of Jugendstil architecture (the German name of Art Nouveau).
Ålesund was established as a municipality January 1, 1838 (see formannskapsdistrikt). Borgund was merged with Ålesund January 1, 1968. Sula was separated from Ålesund January 1, 1977.
The name
The Norse form of the name was Álasund. The first element is (probably) the plural genitive case of áll m 'eel', the last element is sund n 'strait, sound'.
Until 1921 the name was written Aalesund.
Geography
Ålesund occupies seven of the outer islands of the west coast, Hessa, Aspøy and Nørvøy,
Oksenøy, Ellingsøy, Humla and Tørla which enclose the picturesque town. Ålesund has a pronounced maritime climate with mild and windy winters; the coldest month of the year, January, has a mean temperature of 1.3°C; (34°F). The coldest temperature ever recorded at Ålesund Airport, Vigra is a mere -11 °C (12 °F). Ålesund received city rights in 1848. It is the administrative center as well as the principal shipping-place of the Sunnmøre district, and was one of the chief stations of the herring fishery in the 1950s and 1960s. Ålesund's conurbation have a population of 45.299.
History
Legend has it that Gangerolf, outside of Norway better known as Rollo, the 10th century founder of the dynasty of the dukes of Normandy, comes from the community of Giske, north west of Ålesund.
The town of Art Nouveau
In the night of January 23, 1904, the town was the scene of the Ålesund Fire, one of the most terrible of the many conflagrations to which Norwegian towns, once built largely of wood, have been subjected. Practically the whole town was destroyed, a gale aiding the flames, and the population had to leave the place in the middle of the night with only a few minutes' notice. Only one person died in the fire, but more than 10,000 people were left without shelter in the harsh Norwegian winter.
Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany had often vacationed in Sunnmøre. After the fire, the Kaiser sent 4 ships with material to build temporary shelters and barracks. After a period of planning, the town was rebuilt in stone, brick and mortar in Jugendstil/Art Nouveau, the architectural style of the time, that is famous for its turrets, spires and decorative ornamentation. The structures were designed by approximately 20 masterbuilders and 30 Norwegian architects, mostly educated in Trondheim and Charlottenburg (Berlin), drawing inspiration from the style that varies much throughout Europe. The style was at its peak in Europe in 1895-1905 and visitors can enjoy a town with an unusually consistent architecture, mostly rebuilt between 1904-1907. At Jugendstilsenteret, a national interpretation centre, visitors can learn more about the town fire, the rebuilding of the town and the Art Nouveau style. Ålesund is a partner city of the Art nouveau network a European network of co-operation created in 1999 for the study, safeguards and development of the Art nouveau.
Economy
Today Ålesund has one of the largest and important fishing harbors in Norway. Their fishing fleet is one of the most modern in Europe.
Ålesund and surroundings have a large furniture industry. Some well-known household items are manufactured here.
To the east of Ålesund is the village of Sykkylven. Here, Ekornes creates furniture such as the StressLess chair, sold all over the world.
At Håhjem, the Stokke group has its headquarters. Stokke has among other things created the chair TrippTrapp, an ingenious design built to last. It is easily changed to fit the child as it grows. Most homes in Norway have at least one.
Ålesund is also one of the harbours at which the Hurtigruten arrives two times per day. The Hurtigruten, once known as the post ship fleet of Norway, is a favorite way to travel along Norway's coast.
Tourism
Ålesund is adjacent to the Hjørund and Geiranger fjords, frequented by tourists. From Øye at the head of Hjørundfjord a road strikes south to the Nordfjord, and from Maråk on Geirangerfjord another strikes inland to Otta. From Åndalsnes, 120 km east of Ålesund, the railway line Raumabanen goes to Dombås, then southwards on the Dovrebanen railway to Lillehammer and Oslo. Ålesund is a port of call for passenger and freight vessels travelling between Bergen, Kingston upon Hull, Newcastle, Hamburg, and Trondheim, including the daily Hurtigruta (Norwegian Coastal Express ships).
Ålesund is the site of an annual Norwegian Food Festival. Annually in May there is also a fantastic innovation conference InnoTownwith speakers from all over the world.
Tourist information
Famous people from Ålesund
Sightseeing/Interesting places
The small islands off of Ålesund offer diverse scenery, birding and fishing opportunities. The photo on the right affords a coastal plain view of Remøy, a small island immediately near Ålesund
For those who enjoy activity as part of their holidays, the surroundings of Ålesund offer wonderful walks, both easy and sweat-creating. Try taking the steps from the park up to Fjellstua to enjoy a bird's view of the town. There are nice walks across Aksla, and if you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of deer or foxes.
From Spjelkavik, about 10 km from Ålesund, you can take a lift up to Emblemsfjellet. The trip gives you a wonderful view of Sunnmørsalpene with their dramatic peaks. Bring a tent and walk eastward to enjoy more spectacular scenery.
In Norway, you have the right to walk wherever you like in the forests, hills and mountains, as long as you shut gates, bring your garbage home and practice your manners. The "allemannsrett" is observed. This means that you can hike, and pitch your tent just about anywhere, as long as you stay clear of people's houses and barns, their fenced-in areas and the areas where livestock is held. The bilberries are abundant, and there are fish in many of the mountain waters. Freshwater fishing requires a fishing license and fees to property owners.
Nature
Ålesund is surrounded by beautiful natural scenery, including tall mountains and deep fjords.
The island of Runde near Ålesund is known as Norway's largest bird rock south of the Arctic Circle.
Twin towns
Ålesund is twinned with:
Institutions of higher learning
Others
The local football team, Aalesunds Fotballklubb (AaFK), founded in 1914, played in the Norwegian premier league for the first time in the 2003 season. The team's new arena, Color Line Stadion, opened 16th April 2005, a beautiful arena only 1 km outside the town center. The local supporter club for Aafk is called "Stormen" or "The Storm" and the members are about 2,000 local supporters.
The Ålesund Kunstskole (Ålesund school of art) is a school for visual arts located in Ålesund
The local newspaper is Sunnmørsposten.
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