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Ålesund is internationally renowned for its Art
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Nouveau architecture. In 1904, most of the center was destroyed by fire, and the German Kaiser Wilhelm II, who came to the fjords every summer in his imperial yacht, led a drive to rebuild it. Art Nouveau was all the rage at the time, and the architects seized their chance to create a whole town in the style. 50 architects, strongly
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inspired by international influences and National Romanticism, designed more than 400 houses.
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A wander through the town center also reveals a lively urban scene with pleasant restaurants and cafés, and the picturesque Brosundet canal with its fishing boats. The beauty of the town can be appreciated from the town mountain Aksla, which affords a breathtaking view of the town and the entire region with its mountains, islands and fjords.
On the way up to Aksla, you'll see a statue of the Norse adventurer Gange Rolv, better known to
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history as Rollo. He married the daughter of a French king, founded the Duchy of Normandy and was the ancestor of William the Conqueror.
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Ålesund is Norway's largest fishery port, and it's industry includes a number of fish product plants – with substantial export, ships technology, engineering workshops, and other service institutions for the fishing industry. It also has a strong traditions in the furniture- and plastics industry.
The Atlantic Sea-Park, one of the largest
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aquariums in Northern Europe, is beautifully situated by the waterfront and provides a fascinating insight into the multitude of life beneath the waves.
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Magnificent fjord landscapes with excellent facilities for fishing, wide forests with idyllic summer farms and old forest roads, barren mountains and summits with wide, panoramic views surrounds Ålesund.
On the northern islands the Atlantic Ocean has created sculptures of potholes and caves from boulders from the Viking era. From the top of the Mt. Skjerdingen, you can enjoy a
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fantastic view of the Sunnmøre and Romsdal Alps. Monuments from the Bronze Age and the Viking era are found on the islands of Giske.
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