Double bill: Ålesund & Bergen, Norway

Alesund, Norway (Shutterstock)

Bryggen, Bergen, Norway (Shutterstock)

History Strung across a hook-shaped peninsula on a dramatic archipelago, Ålesund has long been an important centre of fishing and shipbuilding, as well as a gateway to the fjords and Sunnmøre Alps inland. A 1904 fire led to Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm rebuilding the whole town in Jugendstil Art Nouveau style, and it still boasts a remarkable collection of buildings with fairytale turrets and ornamentation. Like Bergen, the Hurtigruten ferry up the Norwegian coast stops here regularly.

History During the Middle Ages, the so-called ‘city of seven hills and seven fjords’ was Norway’s capital and an important seaport as part of the pan-European Hanseatic League. That history can be felt keenly around Bryggen, the Unesco-protected area of colourful wooden houses by the harbour. The famously wet Bergen is also an important centre for oil and shipping, and a buzzing university town, which welcomes more cruise passengers than anywhere else in Norway.

Seals near Alesund, Norway (Shutterstock)

KODE Art Museum, Bergen, Norway (Shutterstock)

Around town There’s a leisurely pace to Ålesund, where life rarely moves much faster than the wooden fishing boats that chug out of the harbour. The Art Nouveau Centre museum and cool adjoining KUBE art museum are must-sees, as is the view from the Fjellstua viewpoint, with the pretty town framed by a dramatic seascape. There are kayak tours from the harbour, and local tourism operators 62°NORD run RIB sea safaris to spot seal colonies, sea eagles and more.

Around town Norway’s second city is buzzy as well as pretty, with the harbour area dotted with cool cafes and homegrown boutiques like Norwegian Rain, makers of smart raincoats. The grand KODE Art Museum houses work by Edvard Munch and more, while the Troldhaugen is a cute museum/concert hall in the former home of composer Edvard Grieg. Nature’s never far away, with kilometres of hiking stretching into the hills from the top of the Ulriken cable car.

Geirangerfjord near Alesund, Norway (Shutterstock)

Aurlandsfjord near Bergen, Norway (Shutterstock)

Surrounding nature Ålesund is within striking distance of some of Norway’s most famous fjords, like the Geirangerfjord that partly inspired Frozen, and iconic roads such as the steeply zig-zagging Trollstigen. The Sunnmøre Alps stretch inland, with mountain-to-fjord skiing in the spring and mountain biking and hiking in the warmer months; memorable stays include the Hotel Union Øye, which has hosted the great and good since 1891, or the futuristic nature pods of the Juvet Landscape Hotel.

Surrounding nature Bergen is similarly close to fjords and adventures, with ‘fjord safaris’ on RIBs leaving regularly from the harbour. There’s also white-water rafting on the rivers around nearby Voss, and lots of kayaking opportunities, especially across the steep-sided Aurlandsfjord and Sognefjord, the deepest in Norway. From Flåm, a bucolic village at the end of the Sognfjord, the hour-long train ride up to the Myrdal mountain station is one of Norway’s most spectacular rail journeys.

Alesund harbour, Norway (Shutterstock)

Fish market, Bergen, Norway (Shutterstock)

Food and drink Ålesund is famous for its bounty of seafood, especially the flaky cod that locals refer to as ‘white gold’ and often serve with roe and liver. It’s best sampled at harbourside restaurants like seasonal long-timer Sjøbua and Apotekergata No. 5, at the smart waterfront Hotel Brosundet – which also lays on fishing trips and the chance to have chefs cook up your catch. The Brosundet’s bar, Arkivet, is also one of the smartest in town.

Food and drink Norway’s second city is home to the sort of modern ‘locavore’ restaurants that trouble the World’s 50 Best list, like the ambitious Lysverket or the smart Restaurant 1877 in the city’s old meat market. Or you could just eat at one of the concessions at the harbourside fish market, where local fishermen have been hawking their catch since 1200. Bars range from student-y haunts like ping-pong bar Vaskeriet to Skipperstuen, a more classic fisherman’s pub.

Need to know The drive between Bergen and Ålesund is a punchy eight hours, crossing the Sognefjord by ferry, with a possible detour to the UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord before Ålesund.

How to get there Depending on Covid restrictions, Norwegian and SAS fly direct from London to Ålesund and Bergen in around 4.5 hours.