ÅLESUND Aspøya/ Hessa
Provided by:
Hop On
Click "DOWNLOAD" and "START" to open the map. You may use the Free Wifi onboard. Wifi: HoponWifi / Password: Hopon12345.
Provided by:
Hop On
Click "DOWNLOAD" and "START" to open the map. You may use the Free Wifi onboard. Wifi: HoponWifi / Password: Hopon12345.
The bronze statue “Sildekona” was erected in the honour of all the “sildekoner” (herring women) once working in Ålesund. In 1898, drift net fishing was started on a trial basis, to catch large herring. This started a period of almost 70 years, where the annual harvest of “the silver of the ocean” gave Ålesund the name “Storsildbyen” (the city of the big herring). The fishing fleet was motorized and mechanized in the years leading up to WW I, and the fishing areas kept being expanded. The city’s economy was, at this point, very dependent on export of herring, and even though “sildekonene” were paid modestly, their work on placing the herring in barrels for salting and export was extremely important, and ensured that high quality could be transported out into the world.
“Fiskergutten” (the Fishing boy), or “Skårungen”, as the artist called it, is the biggest sculpture on Apotekertorget. The boy is a symbol of young people’s fire and expectation of the future. Ålesund has also given this sculpture, in a smaller edition, to its twin town Akureyri on Iceland.
By the beautiful harbour in Ålesund, is the landmark Holmbua. The boathouse escaped the big City fire in 1904, and is today home of the fishery exhibition from the Museum of Ålesund. A walk among the exciting exhibition will give you knowledge of, among other things, the production of stockfish and other forms of fishing in the city. Take a trip to the laboratory where cod liver oil is produced, the smell will without a doubt give your imagination wings, and help you get in the right mood! You also have the opportunity to learn more about unique and almost extinct professions, such as the block maker profession.
Hellebroa is the only driveable land connection between Nørvøya in the East and Aspøya in the West. It might not be a staggering structure, but for the normal person from Ålesund, it is the most important hub in the centre. The first edition of the bridge was finished in 1836, and during the building process, the strait below the bridge was deepened, to allow smaller boats to pass from the South to the North. This became the Hellebroa until 1907. The original bridge burned down during the city fire in 1904, and from 1904 until 1907, a simple, provisory bridge made of tree, was used. During the construction of the second bridge, it was decided that it should be a swivelling construction of iron, to allow larger boats to pass into the Brosundet. In the following years, it became necessary to build a bigger bridge, as the traffic in the centre grew with the population. Today’s bridge was finished in December 1936, and although some still think the strait is in need of a bigger bridge, this is the Hellebroa.
The jetty, with its well-known lighthouse, was finished in 1855, and was financed in cooperation between the Port Authorities and the merchants in the city. Moljå, or Moljo, is the way this jetty is referenced in Ålesund. An explanation for why the word has been twisted like this can be found in Spanish, as there were, in the 1800s, a lot of Spanish ships stopping by the city to buy stockfish. With so many Spanish in the city at the same time, they inundated the people of Ålesund with their Spanish expressions, and in general coloured city life. A very distinctive hotel room has now been built inside the now more than 150 years old lighthouse on the tip of the jetty. Room 47 belongs to Brosundet Hotel, and has two floors, where the first floor is a bathroom, while the second floor is a combined bedroom and livingroom.
The first church in Ålesund was built in 1854 and was situated in the same place at the church is today. It remained there for exactly 50 years, until it burned in the large city fire in 1904, as, even if it was made of stone, fire blew in from above, and the church burned from the inside. To decide how the new church should, an architectural competition was announced. A total of 63 suggestions were entered. After long discussion, the drawings of Sverre Knudsen were decided upon. He was told to modernise the drawings somewhat, to make the church look a bit more Protestant, rather than maintain the Catholic look it had in the drawings. In July 1906, King Haakon VII himself came to Ålesund to lay the foundation stone, so that the work could start in earnest. After three years, on September 15th, 1909, the church was ready to be consecrated. Among the guests were representatives from the Norwegian King, as well as from the German Kaiser, Wilhelm II. The interior has been modernised since then, but the exterior is still the same, more than 100 years later.
Are you ready for a great experience? Since 1998, Atlanterhavsparken has been one of Northern Europe's largest and most unique saltwater aquariums. Here you can get to know cod, pollock, sole and the scary catfish. In the popular contact pool you will find many exciting sea animals! Here you can study marine life up close. You can even hold a sea sausage, sea urchin or starfish. You can also try fishing for crabs! In the new activity room Leve i havet, you will gain knowledge about the anatomy, functions and senses of fish and crustaceans through interactive activities. You can also drop by the Science Centre, or watch divers feed the fish in the massive Atlantic tank. Afterwards you can visit Selbukta or stroll along the footpaths past the beaches and out onto the headland where you can see traces of old war history. There is a bustling life in the sea outside us, and you can get to know it all here at this spectacular showcase for the Norwegian coast and the Atlantic Ocean. We recommend the cafe where you can enjoy tasty meals made from quality local ingredients. Check out the attached links for more information.
Now you have arrived at Selbukta, Europe's largest facility for seals. Here you can get to know a seal colony of the harbor seal species which is well integrated into the existing nature. When Selbukta opened in 2014, there were five females and two males. The entire area is planned and laid out on the premises of the seals. Here they live as close to their natural surroundings as possible. The facility is a whopping six thousand square meters so that the seals have plenty of room to retreat if they wish. If you take the detour down to the underwater observatory, you can come into close contact with the fantastic animals, and if you turn around, you might see the otters too. The seals are fed at 3pm every day and then the public gets a presentation from the staff in Norwegian and English.
Now you have arrived at the beach at Tueneset. The area is perfect for swimming, searching for crabs, relaxing walks, picnics with family and friends or as a little exercise in the beautiful coastal nature along paths and rocky cliffs. Here you can enjoy the silence, chirping birds and lapping waves and simply disconnect from the "hustle and bustle" of the big city If you follow the road and paths in the opposite direction from the aquarium, you will find the coastal battery from the Second World War.
Here you can see beyond the coastal path and the great sea that recedes on the horizon. Hitler and the Nazis feared the superiority of the Allies at sea, and so they built an extensive defense along the west coast of Europe to combat the Allied nations. At the time, Ålesund harbor was one of the most important German convoy ports in Norway. As a result of this, three coastal batteries were built in Ålesund in addition to a large number of anti-aircraft guns being deployed. One of the batteries was built here on Tueneset, and it was the largest German coastal battery in Møre and Romsdal, both in terms of firepower, number of buildings and area. There were also four large anti-aircraft guns from the Luftwaffe in addition to a number of smaller anti-aircraft guns, various types of anti-tank guns and as many as seven minefields around the area. Today you can walk around and both see and read about the batteries, the bunkers and the people who lived in them.
The Aspøyskolen, the Aspøy School, used to be the biggest building in Ålesund, and the school was first put into use in 1922. The cost of the school was 2.2 million NOK, which made it the most expensive building built in Ålesund. On Thursday, April 25th, 1940, six German bombers flew over Ålesund, and soon after the air-raid siren, the impact of bombs was heard. The school was hit by both blast bombs and fire bombs. The large copper tower was blown up, and the fire spread across the building. The Germans also occupied large parts of the school. They lived in some of the classrooms, while the gym was storage for liqueur and ammunition. At the end of the war, on March 28th, 1945, the school was bombed once more, this time by allied bombers. After the war, the school was restored, but was not completed until 1951. Today the school has around 180 students and 40 staff.