Hidden gems of Ålesund : A local’s guide
Ever since I started living in Ålesund, I noticed how diverse and rich this town can be. It is even more impressive when you take into consideration there is only about 65000 inhabitants living in the whole municipality and that only a quarter of them live in “sentrum”, city center. The town comes with a lot of small hidden gems that I love rediscovering again and again. Here are a few of them, hoping this will give you the desire to discover even more the beauty of the most visited city of Norway.
1. The warm benches - Varmebenkene
From all the secrets we could talk about, there is one that has more chance to be encountered hazardously. Therefore, it is probably the most known one in this list: the warm benches next to Hellebroa bridge. These gifts to the city from the Tafjord company have been installed in 2013, for the 25th anniversary of the company who works with energy recovery (among other things). Made with steel, the benches are warmed at 35°C (95° Fahrenheit) all year round using residual waste to produce energy by burning them. One of the best feeling is to sit here during or after a winter snowy day, with a warm chocolate/coffee in your hands and your back warmed, looking at the harbor in front of you.
2. Room 47 - The Molja lighthouse
Of all the hotel rooms you can find in town, there is one that is a bit different. The Molja lighthouse has been transformed into a special hotel room – aka the room 47 – now owned by the Brosundet Hotel. Even if it doesn’t look so big, there is pretty much everything you need inside. A custom design queen size bed, a full shower and the little cherry on top of the cake ? The breakfast is delivered in a basket on the steps of the lighthouse in the morning.
3. Bymisjonsenteret
Bymisjonsenteret is “an open and inclusive meeting place for everyone looking for a community”. They have social gatherings, events and activities.
Probably the cheapest coffee in Ålesund with affordable food and cakes. The staff consists of employees, but also volunteers.
On their online store, you can find handmade products, made with heart from people who fall outside of the ordinary labor market for various reasons. Buying from them ensure that surplus materials are being used instead of being thrown away. This also helps the people making those in two ways: helping them with self-confidence and sense of accomplishment but also contribute to overcome something difficult and to accompany them to a better life.
4. Nordre Gravlund cemetery
Established in 1879 when the Ålesund church cemetery was slowly starting to fill up, Nordre Gravlund has only been used until World War II. It is a peaceful, full-of-grass-place to walk and wander in.
During fall, with all the colored leaves on the ground or during snowy days of winter, the atmosphere is absolutely unmatched.
5. The tunnel(s)
Our last gem is a big one, I promise. And really is “hidden”.
Ålesund is traversed by many underground tunnels, going in every directions. Walking paths, car roads, parking spots, shelters, shortcuts, etc. The possibilities are endless. Nothing surprising when you know that the islands around here are all connected by subsea tunnels. But in a town like Ålesund, where the elevation is significant, using underground space really makes sense. Even during the second World War, many tunnels were built and used through the Aksla mountain. If some of them have been closed now, you can still access the bunkers.
If you’re more like the adventurous kind and you like “getting lost”, you could venture through one of them, from Kongens gata to the Bybadet swimming pool or the Ålesund’s prison (or the other way around). Otherwise we would still recommend you going through “Korsatunnelen”, the most used one in town : connecting St. Olavs Plass to Keiser Wilhelms gata. Very often, this tunnel hosts numerous events, such as the yearly Christmas market. According to which time of the year you are visiting, it could be very interesting to check if something happens in there !
