Ålesund, despite being rather gorgeous, is a small town with only a few things to do in the town itself. However, it is an excellent jumping off point for many of the best things to do in the region and has some of the better restaurants in the area.
Where to Stay
Hotel Brosundet
Simply the best hotel in Ålesund. With its Alpine decor, large fire place and rustic log cabin feel it reminds you of a quintessential alpine ski resort. The rooms are comfortable and spacious. The hotel sits in an absolutely ideal location, and the staff is simply wonderful.
Where to Eat
Fantastic sushi restaurant in the center of Ålesund.
A high end restaurant that features a la carte and tasting menus based on local produce and a wonderful wine selection.
Modern coastal gastronomy featuring a seasonal menu with an amazing view of Brosundet
Aksla Viewpoint
You can drive or hike to the top of the nearest hill/mountain overlooking Ålesund for a fantastic photo opportunity. At the top is a small parking lot and a small cafe that hosts art galleries from time to time.
Atlantic Ocean Road
No trip to Ålesund is complete without driving the short strip of famous asphalt named the Atlantic Ocean Road. The best way to experience this stunning section of highway is to rent a car and get an early start.
First you’ll want to head to Tingvollost, a small, yet world-famous, cheese producer, to taste what many consider to be the worlds best cheese. In fact, they were awarded the title of World’s Best Cheese in both 2011 and 2016 for their blue cheese, Kraftkar.
From there you’ll head to the small town of Kristiansund which is a great place to stop and get a bite to eat before you hit the Atlantic Ocean Road followed by the long drive back to Ålesund. We stopped at a place called Bryggekanten Brasserie which had a wonderful view and some great food. Other great places to stop would be Smia Restaurant, for a more rustic atmosphere and fine local cuisine, and Dødeladen Restaurant for a more casual experience.
As you head towards the Atlantic Ocean Road, there’s a small pull off, camping area before you get to the roundabout. The coordinates are approximately 63.087924, 7.646351. It’s well worth a quick stop to look around and take a few pictures.
If you have time, there’s plenty of small roads to explore. Just try to time your arrival at the section of the Atlantic Ocean Road that leap frogs from one small island to the next along the coast for the hour before sunset. There’s plenty of spots to pull over and take photos or fly a drone from. The pictures you get will be spectacular.
Drive to Geirangerfjord
A great self guided tour you can take involves taking the hour and a half to two hour drive from Ålesund to Stranda. In Stranda there is a great tour company that offers mountain biking along the fjord. The round trip takes about 2 hours. After which you can jump back in the car and head to Hellesylt. Here you can load your car onto a ferry that will take you through the Geirangerfjord (Norway’s most picturesque fjord) to the town of Geiranger. Book your ferry tickets in advance HERE.
Geiranger lookout
Once you reach Geiranger, drive up Rt 63 to the Flydalsjuvet view point. Here you will get one of the most stunning views of the Geirangerfjord. Once you’re done posing for photos you can take the Eagle Road (Rt 63) towards Eidsdal, where you’ll catch a short ferry across the Fjord, where you’ll pick up Rt 650 which will take you back to Ålesund.
Åndalsnes
Surrounded by staggering peaks and situated only a short distance from world-famous attractions like the Trollstigen mountain road and The Atlantic Road. Åndalsnes is the endpoint of the Rauma Line, voted one of the world’s most beautiful train journeys. This area is also home to the jazz town Molde and the “clipfish capital” Kristiansund.
Other Fun Things To Do
For other fun ideas, check out Norways fabulous travel website that outlines a whole host of other activities that you can book.
