Ålesund
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Destinasjon Ålesund og Sunnmøre
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Provided by:
Destinasjon Ålesund og Sunnmøre
Velkommen til Visit Ålesund & Sunnmøre sin guide i sentrum.
To find more content and listen to free audio guides, download the Voice of Norway app.
You’ve probably heard about the Ålesund fire. The fire occurred on the night of January 23, 1904, and is one of the most catastrophic fires in Norwegian history. The fire started in an old canning factory, not too far from where you are standing right now, and quickly spread towards the city center due to strong southeastern winds, which carried flames and sparks across the town. The wooden houses in the city contributed to the uncontrolled spread, and within 16 hours, almost all of Ålesund’s city center was destroyed. Over 10,000 people were left homeless, but miraculously, only one person died. The weather that night, with strong winds and cold winter conditions, made firefighting extremely difficult for the crews.
On the night of May 3rd, 1942, six British Hudson-planes attacked Ålesund and the large cargo ship Consul Carl Fisser. The cargo ship had served on the German side along the Norwegian coastline, and was a coveted target for the Allies. During the attack, the cargo ship was hit and caught fire. A row of explosions shook the ship. The fire services in the city sent out several boats to stop the fire, but when they finally arrived, the fire was almost burned out. The crew of 38 men were later transported to shore, and an attempt to tow the heavily damaged ship to the quay, was made. The attempt to tow the ship to shore failed, and the cargo ship sank in the Valderøyfjorden. In 1957, a Polish salvaging company was hired to raise several ships outside of Ålesund. On September 30th, 1957, the local newspaper witnessed the failed attempt to raise the Consul Carl Fisser, and the ship once again found its way to the bottom of the sea. Today, the cargo ship wreck is an attractive diving site.
Welcome to the cruise pier, at Storneskaia in Ålesund, one of Norway's most beautiful coastal cities, famous for its stunning Art Nouveau architecture. Rebuilt after a fire in 1904, the city is a showcase of elegant design. Storneskaia has historically been a hub for sea transport and trade. From the pier, you can explore picturesque streets in the town center, charming shops, and cozy cafés, just a few 100 meters away in the town center.
The Slinningsbålet is a major event every Midsummer, on June 24th. The Slinningsbålet is mainly built of pallets. The tradition of bonfires goes several hundred years back, to when it was common to build several large Midsummer bonfires in the area of Ålesund. Throughout the years, one by one the bonfires have disappeared from the shoreline around Ålesund, and popular folklore still recites stories about how the different groups of young bonfire builders rowed around and stole bonfire materials from the neighbouring bonfires. This eagerness to build bonfires is still alive in the youth of Slinningsodden. A number of attempts to build bigger and bigger bonfires have been made, and in 2016, an attempt was made for a record. The attempt was successful, and the Slinningsbålet from 2016, measuring 47.7 metres high, was officially approved by the Guinness World Records
This quay is called "Prestebrygga", or the priests quay, and originates from the fact that the quay was originally used by the priest and the church in Ålesund. In earlier times, it was common for priests to have access to their own quays for traveling to various parts of the parish, which often included several islands and fjords. This name has been preserved over time as a reminder of the quay’s historical role and significance in the local community. You'll find the city center to the east, where the town is divided by the beautiful Brosundet. Crossing the road by Hotel Waterfront, you'll reach Ålesund Church and several viewpoints offering stunning views of the sea and the northern islands.
The German antiaircraft artillery built the command centre with a clear view of the approach to the city of Ålesund. All the artilleries from Hellandshamn in the North to Stadlandet in the South were run from the command bunker here in Aksla. The bunker was the heart of the German artillery group here in Sunnmøre and was constructed with 2.5-metre-thick roof of steel concrete. Nobody knows exactly how many soldiers were inside the bunker simultaneously, but when the German forces withdrew from the city in 1945, bunks for 21 men were found. Today the command bunker is an important part of the history of the war in Ålesund, and a memory telling us that we have to work for peace in the future.
Statuen er av vikinghøvdingen Gange-Rolv. Den er en bronsekopi av originalstatuen i Rouen, og ble gitt til Ålesund by som en gave fra Rouen i Normandie. Gange-Rolv var sønn av Ragnvald Mørejarl. En kjent vestlandsk jarl som hersket over det fylket vi i dag kjenner som Møre og Romsdal. Rolv fikk tilnavnet Gange-Rolv fordi han var så stor at ingen hest kunne bære ham. På grunn av dette gikk han til fots overalt. Gange-Rolv ble lyst fredløs etter et vikingtokt i Haraldsrike på Østlandet. Da han flyktet vestover endte han til slutt opp i Frankrike. Rett før år 900, ved munningen av elven Seine, slo Gange-Rolv og hans menn seg ned for godt. Etter gjentatte plyndringer innover i landet så den franske kongen seg nødt til å slutte fred med Rolv og hans menn. I et kapell i landsbyen St. Claire-Sur-Epte inngikk de en avtale. Gange-Rolv, eller Rollo som franskmennene kalte ham svor troskap til kongen, og fikk sitt eget landområde i retur. Rollo ble fra år 911 hertug av området Normandie, noe som satte en stopper for vikingtoktene i Frankrike. Hans etterkommere satt som hertuger i Normandie fram til året 1202.
The statue of Kristofer Randers has been moved a number of times, but is now placed here at the top of Ålesund, where he overlooks the city and the area he once wrote about. The statue is first and foremost a tribute to the lyricist and outdoorsman. Kristofer Randers was originally born in Aremark, but grew up in Salten and Ålesund. He graduated from high school in 1869, and got his law degree in 1873. Following this, he was both a royal representative from 1885-1901, and worked in the Department of Agriculture until he resigned in 1914. He is still mostly known for his travel guide on Sunnmøre, or the ”Randers book”, and we remember him as the master of the city song ”Unge skudd på Norges byers stamme” which translates to “ Young sprouts on Norwegian cities’ stem”.
The sculpture ”Avisgutten” was a gift from the local newspaper Sunnmørsposten to the city of Ålesund in 1998. The newspaper boys, who earned a few kroner each day through selling newspapers, were a regular feature in the cityscape up until the 1960s, and the newspapers they sold were Sunnmørsposten and the Sunnmøre Arbeideravis. The sculpture is made by Arne Martin Hansen, and symbolises how newspapers were sold by the newspaper boys, as well as the value this gave Ålesund.
The city park in Ålesund was landscaped in 1885, and to pay the cost of building the park, Aalesunds Brennevinsamlag, the Aalesund Liquor Association donated 8,000 NOK, and gardener Leyberg was given the assignment to plan the park. Today the park is the starting point for the 418 steps leading up to the top of city mountain Aksla, where the famous Fjellstua is situated.
Kongensgate in Ålesund stretches from St. Olavs Plass in the South, until Sorenskriver Bulls Gate in the North. Here you can find buildings from the period after the 1904 city fire, in the Art Nouveau style. Big parts of Ålesund that were rebuilt after the city fire has characteristics from the Art Nouveau style. Most of the facades in Kongensgate have been well preserved and the street is especially elegant looking, and a showcase for the Art Nouveau style. Kongensgate was turned into a pedestrian street in 1989.
On the top of the city mountain Aksla, Fjellstua towers over the city of Ålesund, with a view of all the surrounding islands, the Sunnmørsalpene and the city centre, the mountain lodge offers a unique experience. There are many lodges on the mountain, but only one ”Fjellstua” in the heart of the citizens of Ålesund. Master cobbler Knut Gregorius Lied started the work on Fjellstua, and he imagined running a restaurant in the summer, while he would work there as a cobbler the rest of the year. Fjellstua was completed in the autumn of 1903, and everything was set up for the next summer. But then arrives the city fire in January 1904 and the city house of the Lied family burns to the ground. Knut Lied, with his wife and 7 children escape up the 418 steps to Fjellstua. And Fjellstua became the home of the Lied family until 1916, when the God’s Templar Youth Association, Symra bought the restaurant. In 1934, the original red-painted Fjellstua burned to the ground. It was rebuilt in brick, and started to look like the present building. After the war, several changes were made, until it got its present look. Fjellstua is today an outdoor restaurant, a cafeteria and a viewing platform.
The boat ”Uræd” was made by Ole Martin Brude from Ålesund, born February 12th, 1880. His family lived in the USA for a while when Ole was a child. He became a sailor at the age of 16, and this is where he got the idea of a covered lifeboat. In 1902, he attended the Haugesund School of Seamanship, before he joined the navy. He prepared drawings and a model of a capsule-shaped lifeboat. He signed a contract with Aalesunds Mecanical Garage to build a boat. Ole Brude named the lifeboat he created ”Uræd”, but due to the shape and the name of the constructor, the boat was normally called ”Brudeegget” (the Brude egg). Ole Brude wanted to sail the lifeboat from Ålesund to New York. He expected to arrive in time to exhibit it on the World Fair in St. Louis. Delayed launch and leakage led to the trip being postponed. Together with three others, he started from Ålesund on August 7, 1904. They arrived at Petty Harbour in New Foundland November 15th. They wanted to finish the trip in Boston, but on the journey there, ”Uræd” was thrown ashore at Gloucester in a storm. The lifeboat functioned as Brude had planned. They survived the accident, but he did not make the World Fair in time. Ole Brude returned to Ålesund, where he was met with honour and glory. When he died in 1949, his urn was buried in Ålesund. Brude did not live to see his lifeboat construction become a success. Only in 1977, did covered lifeboats become mandatory.
The cultural building Arbeideren was completed in 1906, as the main building for cultural events in Ålesund, a position it has kept for more than 100 years. Arbeideren is known as the most monumental Art Nouveau building in Ålesund, and arises as an important element in the cityscape. The distinctive facades mix temple gables, neo-classic columns and balusters with the details, ornaments and keyhole shaped doors and windows of the Art Nouveau style. The interior is beautifully decorated in Art Nouveau style, with a simple and elegant decor. As a whole, the exterior and interior appear as an ambitious complete work of art from the architects. Arbeideren is today one of the most beautiful festivity buildings in Norway. The preservation also underlines that the building historically has been of great importance to the cultural and social life in Ålesund.
The bronze statue of city historian Harald Grytten shows Grytten the way most of the local population remembers him, standing on his just as famous wooden stool in the heart of Ålesund. Harald Grytten was extremely important for the city development in Ålesund, where his commitment to the original building environment has been decisive. Through books, lectures and city walks, Harald Grytten has richly illustrated Ålesund through the ages. As a thank you, a mission to raise money from the local population was started in 2010, in order to erect this statue of Harald Grytten.
The rebuilding after the great city fire went quickly, also here where you can see what is today referred to as "The city's narrowest house". "Is it a house, or perhaps a backdrop?" like to ask the tourists on their way when they discover the house, which is only 2 meters and 97 cm wide in the facade that faces what is today the city's pedestrian street. "It's another house with a whole three floors. Shop space on the first, then two floors and in addition a small attic." The special thing is that the house expands backwards and becomes somewhat wider at the rear. The architect who designed the building is considered one of Norway's leading architects around the turn of the century. In addition to several assignments in Ålesund, including "Rønnebergbua", he also designed a number of significant buildings in Trondheim. Originally there was an opening where you could drive a horse and cart into the backyard of the plumber's workshop that was located there. Today, that opening has been sealed off and replaced with a shop and art gallery.
The ”Hundevakta” (The Dogwatch) is a statue erected in honour of the war sailors of WW II. The word ”dog watch” arises from the division of the watches at sea during that time, and the dog watch was considered the most strenuous and toughest watch. It lasted from midnight until 4 in the morning, when people are considered to be the least vigilant and in a vulnerable position. The sculpture depicts a young man keeping a lookout for the dangers surrounding him, and has become a representative for thousands of other sailors in the same situation.
The statue of the resistance fighter Joachim Rønneberg is to honour the hero and those he cooperated with during the liberation of Norway in WW II. Joachim Rønneberg left Norway onboard MK ”Sigurd” on March 13th, 1941, to participate in the battle for freedom, to be based in Great Britain. Here he became second lieutenant in what is now known as Company Linge, formerly called Norwegian Independent Company No. 1. With training in sabotage and explosives, he lead the group performing the operation ”Gunnerside”. A military sabotage operation with the goal of stopping the production and export of heavy water from the factory of Norsk Hydro at Vemork. On the night of February 27th, 1943, nine of the soldiers ventured over the ice covered river Måna, along the railway tracks, an area that was not mined. While the coverage team stayed on guard, the explosives team forced their way into the heavy water factory, and set the explosives on the heavy water containers in the basement. The bomb went off and 900 kg of heavy water was destroyed. Not a single shot was fired during the entire operation, and the operation is considered by many to be the most important and most successful sabotage operation during the entire WW II. 12 months after ”Gunnerside”, in March 1944, Joachim Rønneberg, Birger Strømsheim and Olav Aarsæther is parachuted into Veltdalen. They spend the next year in the Tafjord Mountains, preparing the next attack, Operation Fieldfare. The purpose of the operation was to reconnoitre and prepare attacks on German supply lines at the Raumabanen. In January 1945, they blow up the Stuguflåtbrua and close down the German supply lines for three weeks. Joachim has received numerous decorations throughout the years as a thank you for his military contribution, but Joachim himself does not want people to focus on him being a war hero. Peace and freedom is not a given, Joachim is supposed to have stated. It is therefore important to relate this story to future generations.
Kråmyra Stadium was the home ground of Aalesund Football from 1997 until 2005, until Color Line Stadium was opened. Kråmyra was known for its specific location and sparse facilities for spectator. It had a capacity for 9000 spectators, but only 2000 seats. In the 2002-season, spectator spots were sold on the mountainside by the football field. The field was only used in the Tippeligaen (Norwegian Premier League) for one year, 2003. This year saw the spectator record for Kråmyra. 11,000 people turned up for the match between Aalesund FK and Molde FK, resulting 1-1. The area was sold by AaFK after their move to Color Line Stadium as a part of a financing solution for the clubs new home ground, and is now a residential area on Fjelltun in Ålesund.
Løvenvold cinema with the address Løvenvoldgaten 11, is a protected cinema in Ålesund. It opened and showed its first show September 1st, 1923. The interior decorations are depictions of the folksong ”Villemann og Magnhild”, made by Øyvind Berg Grimnes. The exterior facade consists of several combined elements, underlined by the building being situated on a slope. The tall part with pointy gables is prominent in the architecture of the building. The cinema has, since January 1st, 2014, been run by the private company Norsk Kinodrift AS, and has 310 seats, including the balcony. On the lot, a magnificent building named ”Løvenvold” was originally situated, but this was lost during the city fire in 1904. In addition to the cinema, different companies have offices in the building today.
The 5.5 metre tall sculpture in steel named “Nyskaperen”, is a gift from the business community to the city of Ålesund, and is a large edition of the statue given to especially creative and innovative companies on the Nordvestlandet every year.
Foto: DigitaltMuseum Hele dette feltet ble bygd om i slutten av 1970- åra. Det rommer i dag byens Rådhus i høyblokka, og bystyresal, bibliotek og forretninger i den lave blokka som er kalt Kremmergaarden. Disse bygningene ligger på det som en gang var Rønneberghaugen. Der begynte hundrevis av måser å hekke i 1950-åra, slik at vi rett og slett fikk et fuglefjell midt i byen. Dette ble imidlertid skutt bort for å gi plass til Rådhuset og Kremmergaarden. Det ble stående igjen en rest av fuglefjellet i flere år etter at Rådhuset var kommet opp. Der fortsatte måsene å hekke midt i trafikken, helt til også denne knausen måtte vike i 1983.
The underwater mine from WW I was mounted in 1920 by Ålesund Skipperforening (Aalesund Skipper Federation), as a lasting collection box for surviving dependants of deceased sailors. The mine, once placed to sink ships along the shore, now served the dependants with welfare and bread. It carries the writing: ” Used to be the reason for wailing and death among sailors, now giving them safety”.
Bust in bronze remembering Margit Johnsen, the most decorated female war sailor during WW II in Norway. Margit was born in Ålesund on March 21st, 1913. She was used to the sea, so it was natural for her to pick this as her workplace. She signed on to M/S Tudor from the shipping company Wilhelm Wilhelmsen as a parlour maid, and when the war broke out in Norway, the ship was in the Mediterranean. During a few hours, the existence was turned upside down for all onboard, and in only a few weeks, they were in the middle of the inferno that was the war at sea. Tudor was torpedoed on the port side, and sunk by the German submarine (U48) on June 19th, 1940. The crew managed to board the four lifeboats lowered, and the survivors were later picked up by the British escort ships HMS Arabis and HMS Calendula, and put to shore in Plymouth. Margit was not frightened by this dramatic experience, and she signed on as a parlour maid on M/S Talabot soon after. In May 1941, she was in a convoy to Malta, but in March 1942 the situation was extremely precarious on Malta. It was necessary to bring in new supplies for the population and military equipment to the military. Captain Albert Toft on M/S Talabot was fully aware that the ship would experience an extremely risky voyage to Valetta on Malta from Alexandria (also called the suicide convoy), and due to this offered Margit to sign off in the harbour of Alexandria before departure. He promised her two months’ pay and hospitalization, and that she would be able to board again as soon as the ship returned from the raid. But the persistent woman from Ålesund chose to stay on board, and answered the captain: ”If my boys are going to die, I want to be there with them. It should not be more difficult for me to die than it is for them.” Both the captain and the Norwegian consul who had advised her against joining the voyage admired Margit for her stand. And with her courage and composure, she was a glittering example for everyone else. This was a great and important strength for the moral on board. Margit’s story is told in the seafaring and war literature as an example of women’s contribution during WW II. She has been given the honorary name ”Malta-Margit”, and sailed during the entire war. She returned to Ålesund in December, 1945, and continued sailing abroad until 1960. Margit died on July 20th, 1987.
Below the “thousand stairs” in Kongesgate, you can find the statue “Rådyr” (Deer), donated to the city by shoe merchant Reidar Nilsen, who ran the Viktoria Skomagasin in Kongensgate.
The relief is of the famous musician and composer Per Bolstad. He was born in 1874 in Ålesund, where he mainly worked, but he also spent time in Oslo and Stockholm, where he studied music. He was, additionally, a member of the Arve Arvesen quartet as 1st violinist. Several of Bolstad’s hundreds of tunes can be found in collections such as “Lette bygdeslåtter”, (light village tunes) from 1923, as well as in “Slåtter frå gamle dage”, (tunes from old days) (1928) and “Slåtter i gammel stil”, (tunes in old style) (1957). In these one can also find several compositions from his father, Per Mathiasson Bolstad. His father was from Stryn in Nordfjord, and several of Per Bolstad’s most famous tunes is connected to this village.
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.
The Art Museum Jugendstilsenteret & KUBE consists of two buildings. Jugendstilsenteret is housed in Apotekergaarden, an old pharmacy building from 1907, and is a specialized museum and national resource centre of Art Nouveau, known in Norway under its German name Jugendstil. The centre offers insight into this style trough authentic interiors as well as permanent and temporary exhibitions. KUBE is housed nearby in the former Norges Bank building from 1906, and offers temporary exhibitions. Through a varied programme of exhibibitions and activities, the art museum seeks to create interest in and knowledge of visual arts, decorative art, design and architecture.
“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.
“Kanona” (the Canon) pointing towards the Skansekaia, is a small legend in Ålesund, and has quite a history. The canon is an 18 pound bullet canon, and was forged in 1826. Originally, it was situated on Lihaugen, with the muzzle towards the harbour. When it was to be fired for the first time, all the windows in buildings by the Sandborgbrygga broke. The muzzle was then turned towards the mountain, but the result did not improve, as at this point most windows on Lihaugen broke due to the air pressure from the firing. It was then moved to the park, but no matter which hill it was fired from, it did a lot of damage with the powerful bangs. It was fired for the last time on the fateful night of January 23d, 1904, during the big city fire. In the beginning of the 20s, the cannon was transported half way up the stairs to Fjellstua, and it has never been fired from here. It is now an attraction for everyone using the stairs between the city park and Fjellstua.
This large, mythical rock is dramatically placed on the edge of a crag. Several generations of people from Ålesund have found their way here, because the “Pengesteinen” (Money Rock) has a lot of mysterious and strange superstitions associated with it. Some say that thieves have dug down a large amount of money under the rock, which they were to pick up at a later time, and never did. But you could also achieve riches if you threw a coin under it, on the north side of the rock; this was supposed to bring you luck and financial luck, maybe not at once, but in time. And at the end of the 1890s, there was a rumour that a German watch merchant staged a robbery in his own store, and that the loot was hidden, of course, under the “Pengesteinen”. It is likely that most of the rumours are just that, rumours, stories affected by youthful imagination. But who know what is really underneath the “Pengesteinen”?
The City Hall is the political centre and the administration building in Ålesund municipality. The building work started in January 1978, after Fuglefjellet and Rønneberghaugen were removed. The project is one of the most denigrated in the history of Ålesund, and the building has several times received an award as the ugliest building in Ålesund. That the company Vestplan AS decided to not build in the Art Nouveau style of the rest of the city, is something the people of Ålesund cannot forgive. Where the City Hall is situated today, a large, grand hill used to be; the Rønneberghaugen, as a green oasis in the middle of town, and on the north-east side of the hill, was the manorial Rønnebergvillaen. When it, in the early 1970s, was decided that the hill should be removed, a movement of the people was started, and a large group of people from Ålesund occupied the Rønnebergvillaen for several days. The battle was finally lost, the villa torn down, and the hill removed. The Rønneberghaugen was also known, to most people, as Fuglefjellet. This name was given in the middle of the 1950s, when hundreds of seagulls started nesting there. It was not unusual to see people from Ålesund walk around with an umbrella on the nicest summer days, when they had to walk past Fuglefjellet. As the ground below was painted white from seagull droppings, it is not hard to think why. After the Rønneberghaugen was removed, the seagulls continued to nest on the little knoll left behind, until 1983, when also this knoll fell by the wayside, in order to extend the city centre.
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.
The long, white, wooden building at the tip of the Skansekaia, is the home of the city’s Port Authority, and where the “Hurtigruta” docks twice a day. The Skansekaia is named after an old sconce or after fortifications constructed in the 1600s, where the largest pier in the area is today. This is approximately where the “Hurtigruta” arrives on the west side of the pier.
The monolith with the portrait relief of Kaiser Wilhelm II is a salute to the Kaiser for his contribution after the city fire in 1904. Just three days after the city fire, a warship and two large civilian chips arrived with assistance for the 10 000 homeless in Ålesund. Onboard the ships were food, blankets and other necessities. Fires in wooden-built cities happened often during this time period. To reconstruct the city, Kaiser Wilhelm started a fundraiser in Western Europe, South Africa, South America and in the US. In total 1 139 115 NOK were collected for the municipality. The Kaiser himself donated assistance and relief for an assumed value of 600 000 NOK. In comparison, the Prime Minister and King Oscar 2 gave 5 000 NOK, There are good reasons for why one of the main streets in Ålesund was named after the Kaiser.
Welcome to the cruise pier, at Prestebrygga in Ålesund, one of Norway's most beautiful coastal cities, famous for its stunning Art Nouveau architecture. Rebuilt after a fire in 1904, the city is a showcase of elegant design. Prestebrygga, or the priests quay, holds historical significance as an old quay used for trade. From the pier, you can explore picturesque streets in the town center, charming shops, and cozy cafés, just a few 100 meters away in the town center.
You have now arrived Kulturhavna, or the Cultural Harbor, which is a vibrant meeting place by the city's waterfront, where culture, art, and history come together. The area hosts exciting events such as concerts, exhibitions, and local culinary experiences. With its unique location by the sea, the Cultural Harbor is an important venue for promoting both traditional and modern culture. Visitors can enjoy an authentic Ålesund experience, surrounded by the city's beautiful Art Nouveau architecture and maritime environment. Kultur havna is a new project and is constantly getting new exciting activities for both locals and visitors.
Depending on the weather, the big “Kniven” (Knife) shows the direction of the wind. Some says it was mounted as early as in 1862, while other sources claim 1867. No matter what, it has been there for more than incredible 150 years. Even though some claim it was the “Byselskapet” who were responsible for mounting Kniven, a spoken tradition about its origins exist in Ålesund. It was Nils Svabø, who with the help of his Swedish partner “Rut-over-Rut” completed the mission. After watching sailors at the pier spit on their finger to find the wind direction, he decided that an indicator in a high and visible place had to be a better solution. Nils, and the on this occasion sober Swede “Rut-over-Rat”, who was normally fond of the strong stuff, drilled a hole for strut and supports, and up came the Kniven. Nils Svabø was happy, and the Swede would later become totally sober and never touch alcohol again.
The Korsa tunnel stretches from Keiser Wilhelmsgate to St. Olavsplass. Built as an emergency shelter in 1950, and expanded to a tunnel through “Korsahaugen”, also known as “Grimmerhaugen”, in 1952. he tunnel was renovated in 1992. The walls in the tunnel are filled with historical images of Ålesund. You will find images from the city fire, as well as of how life was in Ålesund in the 1900s. The tunnel is often used as a marketplace, where you can find locally produced merchandise, or as a concert hall.
Ålesund Prison was built in 1864, and has a capacity of 27 prisoners. The prison is classified as a high-security prison. The building burned down in 1904, before it was rebuilt in 1907. Although the prison has been modernized and modified several times, it has, to a large extent, kept its original architecture.
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.
The Museum of Aalesund on the top of Museumshaugen gives you a genuine insight into the history of Ålesund. Through different exhibitions, the museum exhibits the growth of the city around the narrow straight, as well as events such as the city fire and the German occupation. The exhibitions are spread over four floors in the museum, with both permanent and temporary exhibitions. The museum owns a variety of special collections from prehistoric treasures to a large collection of illegal newspapers form WW II. The Museum of Aalesund was established in 1903. After only one year of existence, in January 1904, all of the collections in the museum burned, together with most of the city. During one night, both the museum collection and most of the other material cultural heritage in Ålesund was gone. However, the museum was quickly re-established, and items would now be collected from all of Sunnmøre. One thing, however, was missing: a suitable building for the museum. After having temporary solutions and moving several times, the museum finally got its own building when Rønnebergs villa and land on Østre Korsahaug was bought in 1930. The next year, the doors of the Museum of Aalesund were opened to the public.
The sculpture “Towards the sea”, shows the beautiful woman staring out to sea looking for her loved ones, and was erected in the memory of 33 fishermen who died during a storm in 1885. 29 widows and 113 was left behind, most of them form the area Buholmen and Røysa. Even though fishing has changed a lot since 1885, the memories of hard and tough everyday life still lives on the people from Sunnmøre. The lady in bronze staring out to see, has now become a representative for the dependents of deceased sailors.
Ignis is the name of the four columns showing old photographs from the time following the dramatic city fire. The artist Ole Lislerud has created four tall ceramic monoliths with large, decorated tiles. The photographs have been processed and incorporated into a history with both visiting officials and sturdy stonemasons and bricklayers. The burnt out city shows a gloomy picture of the inconceivably cold weeks and months before some sheds started to be erected. At Vågen there are ships with relief supplies from both Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and others who through fundraisers gave their support to the affected population. The columns making up the monument are also similar to the chimneys left behind as the only remnants of the foundations after the burned wooden city. The word Ignis can be translated as fire and Ignis was unveiled in 2004, in connection with the 100 year anniversary for the city fire.
The Waldehuset got the name” the miracle house” after the city fire in 1904. Anders Nord, who lived in the house on that fateful night of January 23rd in 1904, stated in the aftermath that he had been visited by an angel the day before the city fire. And the angel stated –”Fear not! I have been sent from the Almighty God to tell you that in this night, this whole city will be burnt to ashes for the many and large sins committed in it. But God has given you mercy – and you and your wife shall not go outside and not carry any of your belongings outside, for all that will carried outside will burn. I will keep you, and nothing evil will befall you.” Anders Nord did as the angel told him, and stayed in the Waldehuset as the city fire ravaged around him. His wife, Regine, who was not as strong in her faith as Anders himself, carried all of the furniture from the house into the city park during the night. When morning arrived, and the fire died down, the Waldehuset was left among the ruins, but the furniture carried outside, was burnt to ashes.
From the Skateflukaia, fast boats travel to the islands of the coast of Ålesund. The monument ”Englandsfarten” (The journey to England) on the pier is erected in the memory of the journeys of those having to flee the Nazis during WW II, and depicts a man, the prow of a boat and a wave, where the young man vigilantly stares at the horizon. Ålesund was central in the escape westward to the British Isles, and the dangerous journey most often took place in small motorized boats. This traffic has in retrospect become known as the ”Englandsfarten”. Ålesund was known as ”Little London” due to all of the illegal resistance activity in the city, and because so many managed to escape by sea from Ålesund to England. The sculpture was unveiled on May 8th, 1995, by H.R.H. Crown Prince Haakon.