The views may take your breath away – which is quite OK. You will have plenty of opportunities to relax and exhale while travelling in the Møre og Romsdal area. Wind down on a mountain top overlooking engineers’ works of art and landscapes along the national tourist routes. Or immerse yourself in the warm waters of a spa centre, letting the fresh fjord air caress your face. When evening falls, enjoy delicious seafood coming directly from the fjord to your restaurant table in Ålesund.
Views that will take your breath away
Spring, summer, autumn
Last updated: 05.07.2024
Take in the view over Ålesund, the light and the fresh air coming in from the Atlantic Ocean.|© Samuel Taipale / Visitnorway.com
Take in the sights of sea spray from the ocean hitting the Atlantic Road or the colourful streets in Ålesund. Experience the ticklish feeling in your stomach as you meander down the winding mountain road Trollstigen and be fascinated by how the houses cling to the mountain along the fjord in Geiranger.
Under skydekket over Trollstigen skjuler det seg ingeniørkunstverk og naturunderverker | © Nordlandblog
Pust ut med kroppen senket i varmt vann, og utsikt over fjord og fjell i Geiranger. | © Hotel Union Geiranger/ Tone Molnes
Ålesund – open to the sea and the world
After the devastating town fire left Ålesund in ruins in 1904, a modern, youthful town arose in the narrow straits where fjords and mountains meet the ocean. This bustling commercial, industrial and fishing town has always looked out to the world. No less so during the reconstruction. The architects who designed Ålesund town centre created perhaps the most comprehensive town in the Art Nouveau style, or Jugendstil, in Europe.
You can experience Ålesund just as well on land as on water – or from the air if you like. Walk along the streets, admire the colours and decorations, and take in the feeling of town life. You can also glide through the Brosundet canal in a kayak or explore the marine life at Atlanterhavsparken – Northern Europe's largest saltwater aquarium. The most spectacular is probably the town seen from above. To reach the heights, you can climb the stairs to Aksla and take a break at Fjellstua 418 or climb the Via Ferrata from the town centre.
Ålesund er kåret til en av de vakreste havnebyene i Europa.|© Oddgeir Visnes/ TIBE
Discover the Art Nouveau city of Ålesund
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Rough or romantic in Geiranger
Travelling to Geiranger, whether by road or fjord, is like travelling into a postcard or an Instagram post. Of course, you can gaze and smile at snow-capped peaks, mighty waterfalls, green hills, and the blue-green fjord. But you can also go on beautiful hikes to farms where generations have been clinging to the mountainsides. Play in the countryside and experience it using a Via Ferrata and zipline, a rib or fjord cruise, or by canoeing and cycling. And relax in a jacuzzi at one of the best spa facilities in the country, at the centre of a UNESCO World Heritage fjord.
Se, da! I Geiranger er det tett mellom utsiktene som tar pusten fra deg.|© Tone Molnes
Find peace and quiet in Geiranger
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Meander through the landscape from Trollstigen to Geiranger
The Geiranger – Trollstigen National Tourist Route winds its way through fjords and mountains, Geiranger, via the adventure village of Valldal, past the viewpoints Gudbrandsjuvet and Trollstigplatået and to the summit capital of Åndalsnes. When Trollstigen, the stretch of road with 11 hairpin bends, opened in 1936, it improved the infrastructure between Nordmøre in the north and Sunnmøre in the south. Where people used to travel with cloven horses, cars could now swing their way over the mountain. You can reach the Trollstigen plateau and enjoy the view in more ways than by car and motorbike. Grab your bike and feel alive when reaching the top.
In summer, the trip along the national tourist route is more than a journey – it is the attraction itself. Take the train from Oslo to Åndalsnes and continue by bus from Åndalsnes railway station. The bus takes you over Trollstigen and Ørnevegen (the Eagle’s Road) to Geiranger. From here, you can travel by sea to Ålesund on a fjord cruise from Geiranger. Or go in the opposite direction, starting from Ålesund by boat.
Breathe in and exhale along the National Tourist Route Geiranger-Trollstigen
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Salty adventures and sweeping winds on the Atlantic Road
Just as a child may find joy in jumping from rock to rock across a small strait or in a river, engineers have played around and discovered the fastest, best, and most fun way to get from islet to islet in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There are plenty of opportunities for children and adults alike to play in this ocean area. Go on a seal safari, fish from the shore, grab your kite and surfboard or do yoga along the National Tourist Route, the Atlantic Road, outdoors and any time of the year.
Adventures by the sea
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Further places to take in and unwind
If you dream of elegant fjords, mighty mountains, or teeming birdlife, there are numerous opportunities here in the northwest. If you are visiting Trollstigen or on your way to the Atlantic Road, you can hike the mountain ridge Romsdalseggen and enjoy 10 kilometres of spectacular peak views. Or head north towards Smøla – a fantastic place for an active holiday among islets, reefs, and fishing villages.
Lundefuglene flokker til Runde hvert år. Kommer du til dette fugleparadiset kan du komme tett på naturen, og ikke minst folkene uti havgapet. | © Øyvind Kåre Sunde
From Ålesund and Geiranger, you can head out to Runde island. Birds – and people – come here from all over the world to enjoy the seascape. Maybe even find a treasure? You can also travel into the Hjørundfjord. Small hamlets and villages lie between the edge of the fjord and the jagged mountains of the Sunnmøre Alps, welcoming you to cosy luxury and raw nature.
