Most travellers know Ålesund as the launch point for Geiranger, and its Art Nouveau streets as a pretty stop before the famous fjord. But Ålesund deserves more than a glance, and just south of it lies one of Norway's best-kept secrets: the wild, quiet Hjørundfjord, ringed by the jagged Sunnmøre Alps. This guide covers the town, the hidden fjord, and the day trips that make Ålesund a destination in its own right.
Ålesund: Norway's Art Nouveau town
Ålesund is unlike any other Norwegian town. After a devastating fire in 1904 destroyed the wooden centre, the whole town was rebuilt in a few short years in the Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) style then sweeping Europe. The result is a rare, coherent townscape of turrets, spires, decorative facades and swirling ornament, all set on islands between the sea and the fjords.
Wander the harbour-front streets, climb the 418 steps up Mount Aksla for the classic panorama over the town, the islands and the surrounding peaks, and you understand why Ålesund is considered one of the most beautiful towns in Norway. It is compact, walkable and full of good cafés and seafood — a place to linger, not just pass through.
Hjørundfjord: the hidden gem
While the crowds head for Geirangerfjord, those in the know slip south to the Hjørundfjord. This deep, narrow fjord cuts into the heart of the Sunnmøre Alps, and its beauty is fierce and unspoilt: steep, snow-streaked peaks rising almost vertically from dark water, tiny farms clinging to the slopes, and hardly a tour bus in sight.
The Hjørundfjord offers the drama of the famous UNESCO fjords with a fraction of the visitors. Small villages like Sæbø and Urke sit along its shores, gateways to serious mountain hiking in summer and pure tranquillity year-round. For travellers who feel the star fjords have become too busy, this is the antidote — the fjord experience as it once was.
The Sunnmøre Alps
The peaks around the Hjørundfjord — the Sunnmøre Alps — are among the most spectacular in Norway. Sharp, alpine and dramatic, they draw hikers, climbers and, in season, ski-touring enthusiasts who ski right down to the fjord's edge. Even from the water, their scale is breathtaking: this is where the gentle coastal landscape gives way to true mountains, and it forms an unforgettable backdrop to any Hjørundfjord sailing.
Day trips from Ålesund
Ålesund is a superb base, putting several of Norway's headline experiences within a day's reach.
Geirangerfjord
The classic day trip. The Geiranger cruise from Ålesund runs from 450 NOK (about 1–1.5 hours in the fjord itself), taking in the Seven Sisters waterfall, the Suitor and the cliffside farms of one of the world's most famous UNESCO fjords. It is the reason many people come to Ålesund — and it is easily done in a day. Compare it with Norway's other showpiece in our Geirangerfjord vs Nærøyfjord guide.
Hjørundfjord
For something quieter, seek out a sailing into the Hjørundfjord and the Sunnmøre Alps — the road less travelled, and all the more rewarding for it.
The town and islands
Ålesund's own archipelago, its aquarium and the view from Aksla make a fine day even without leaving town, and the surrounding islands reward a slow explore by car or boat.
Getting to Ålesund
Ålesund is easier to reach than its remote-feeling location suggests. It has its own airport with connections to Oslo and other Norwegian cities, making a fly-in, cruise-out trip straightforward. By road it sits on the scenic route between Bergen and Trondheim, and it is a regular stop for the coastal ferry that threads the length of Norway — arriving by sea, watching the Art Nouveau town rise from its islands, is a memorable introduction in itself.
Once there, the town is compact and walkable, and the fjord departures leave from close to the centre, so you spend your time sightseeing rather than in transit. Many visitors combine Ålesund with a wider western-fjords itinerary taking in Bergen, the Sognefjord and the Hardangerfjord — it slots naturally into a road trip or a coastal cruise through the region.
The Sunnmøre coast and islands
Ålesund is the capital of Sunnmøre, and the region rewards those who venture beyond the town and the famous fjords. Out to sea lie the bird islands and lighthouses of the exposed coast, where colonies of puffins and gannets nest through the summer and the Atlantic swell breaks against bare rock — a wilder, saltier counterpart to the sheltered inner fjords.
Between the coast and the peaks sits a landscape of working fishing villages, quiet islands linked by bridges and ferries, and the open-air Sunnmøre Museum, which preserves old boats and buildings that tell the region's seafaring story. For travellers with a few days, this hinterland turns Ålesund from a one-day stop into a genuine mini-region, blending Art Nouveau elegance, alpine drama and a rugged maritime edge you will not find in the more famous fjord towns.
Planning your Ålesund trip
- Base in Ålesund for at least two nights — one for the town, one for a fjord day trip. It is worth more than a quick stop.
- Combine the famous and the hidden. Do Geiranger for the icon, the Hjørundfjord for the peace — together they show both faces of the region.
- Go in season. The Geiranger cruise runs May to September; summer brings the fullest waterfalls and the best mountain access. See our best-time-to-cruise guide.
- For flexibility, a private charter lets you reach the Hjørundfjord's quiet corners at your own pace.
- Pack for the mountains and the water — our packing guide covers it.
Ålesund is the rare place that is both a gateway and a destination: an Art Nouveau jewel with a world-famous fjord on one side and a hidden alpine one on the other. See it for yourself with a Geiranger cruise from the town, explore all our cruises, or price a route in the route calculator.