In a nutshell

An exciting tour to discover Ålesund, a major Norwegian port with its history and typical Art Nouveau architecture, with a visit to the museum and not forgetting the landscape and nature of Mount Aksia and its park.

Main stops

Art Nouveau Centre
Art Nouveau in town
Park at the foot of Mount Aksla: commemorative stone to William II and the statue of the Viking warrior 'Gange-Rolv'

The programme

Let’s discover Ålesund, the largest town on the north-west coast of Norway, built on islands extending into the ocean which stand out against the splendid backdrop of impressive mountain peaks..
A large part of the town was destroyed by the fire of 1904. It was rebuilt in the typical Art Nouveau style of the first decade of the twentieth century .
It was the German Emperor William II, a great friend of the Norwegian kings, who used to spend his holidays in district of Sunnmøre, to send four ships laden with help for the town. The central nucleus was rebuilt in bricks and stone to restrict any further fires.
Today, Ålesund has a population of about 66,000, although the town centre is relatively small and is easy to visit on foot.
Our tour begins with a visit to the Art Nouveau Centre, a museum in one of the most beautifully decorated buildings in this style: it used to be a pharmacy and inside it still houses the vintage containers of herbs and medicines on its shelves.
The three-storey museum provides an interesting overview of the history of Ålesund, of the fire in 1904 and of the creative period in the Art Nouveau style.
During our journey, we will be told of the importance of the fishmongers in Norway’s largest port for the export of fish. We’ll have the opportunity of seeing various examples of the Art Nouveau style of the town’s architecture, which has made Ålesund famous as one of the last three “Art Nouveau” towns in Europe.,
Our excursion continues to climb up to the small park at the foot of Mount Aksla.
We’ll see numerous plants in the park as well as a commemorative stone dedicated to the emperor William II for the help he gave to the town after the fire of 1904. Here stands the statue of the Viking warrior “Gange-Rolv”, who sailed from Ålesund to today’s Normandy, the name of which comes from the Norwegian conquerors.
We can walk round the park and take a break before returning to the quayside and to our ship.

Good to know

Guests must be able to walk for approximately 3 km on steep, asphalted and cobbled terrain.
Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult.