Lerstad

We’re now driving through Lerstad, a district that in many ways marks the transition from rural landscape to city. You may be wondering how the story of Ålesund really began. The name Ålesund appears relatively late in written history. In the oldest sources, we instead find places like Steinvåg, mentioned as early as the 11th century in connection with Saint Olav, Erling Skakke, and King Sverre. At that time, Borgund and Giske were the main centers in the area. Borgund, which we will soon pass, was a small medieval town with trade, a church, and lively coastal activity. By the 18th century, the priest Hans Strøm described Ålesund as little more than a narrow sound between the islands of Nørvøya and Aspøya, with only a few houses and merchants. But the settlement gradually grew, especially because of fishing. The spring cod fisheries in the Borgundfjord created the basis for permanent settlement, and the drying of codfish became the city’s most important industry. From these modest beginnings, a vibrant community emerged — and eventually the city that today is known far beyond Norway.