Adding Architectural Interest
Ålesund was billed as "Norway's Prettiest City" because of its architectural unity. That unity came with a terrible price. In January of 1904 the old, mostly wooden, city burnt down leaving 10,000 people homeless. Their plight did not go unnoticed: Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany had often vacationed nearby, so he sent four shiploads of building materials and a number of contractors and architects, and they rebuilt downtown in the latest architectural style: Jugendstil, also known as Art Nouveau.
 Entering the Fjord in the early morning. |
 We passed some of Norway's rare arable land. |
 Alesund is built along a narrow strait separating the island on the left from a peninsula tenuously attached to the mainland on the right. The Prinsendam's mooring was along the wharf at the top of the map, The picturesque part of town is along Kongens Gate, running south from there. |
 Walking through town we came upon this lady packing fish. |
 The arms of the city. |
 Every time we walked past this fisherman, he had a gull on his head, |
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 Kongens Gate |
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 If you have a town in the mountains, you need a viewpoint on top of a mountain. We decided against climbing the 418 steps to the top of Mount Aksla. |
 The east side of town |
 The west side of town |
 Officers and harbor pilot accepting the fireboat salute celebrating the Prinsendam's first visit to Alesund. |
 The fireboat gave us the traditional send-off. | ||
The Aalesunds Museum
On the top of a small hill on the other end of the Kongens Gate we found the Aalesunds Museum. It is a combination art, history, and technical museum housed in an old three story house with great views over the city.
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 Model of 19th century Alesund |
 A Viking-inspired chair |
 Art Nouveau glassware |  Captain Ole Brude of Alesund built the worlds first steel, covered lifeboat in 1904. He sailed it across the Atlantic to prove its effectivness. |
 Lifeboat interior. Room for up to 22 survivors. Enclosed lifeboats were not adopted until the 1970's. |
 Photographer's studio |
 General store |  Dentist's office |