ETR // Stage 13 // Molde - Ålesund

62°44'13.3"N 7°10'10.7"E
62.737022, 7.169638
Molde - Ålesund
VR EXPO - 60 Stages
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Distance

Molde - Ålesund
Radius 100 km
212 km

Highlights

More og Romsdal Art Center
Romsdal Museum
Krona
The Château
Sunnmøre Alps
Ålesund Museum
Ålesund Church
Art Nouveau District
Jugendstilsenteret
Alnes lighthouse

Explore the city of Roses

Before you hit the road (or take the ferry from Molde) you should dedicate a full day to a walking tour of 'The City of Roses'.

The city's current location dates from the late Medieval times but is preceded by an earlier Medieval township on Veøya, an island to the south. Molde was originally the name of a farm beside a natural harbour, which grew into a timber trading port in the late 16th century. Formal trading rights were introduced in 1614, and the town was incorporated through a royal charter in 1742.

The town continued to grow throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, becoming a centre for Norwegian textile and garment industry, as well as the administrative centre for the region, and a major tourist destination. After World War II, Molde experienced accelerated growth, merging with Bolsøy Municipality and parts of Veøy Municipality on 1 January 1964, and has become a centre for not only administrative and public services, but also academic resources and industrial output.

Romsdalsmuseet and Krona

Romsdalsmuseet outdoor museum consists of a collection of about 35 old traditional buildings, displaying Romsdalen's building traditions and way of life from the 1600's to the 1900's. Krona, the magnificent new addition is an indoor musuem containing permanent exhibits showing the living conditions in the region through different centuries, and also several temporary exhibitions that you can catch at different times of the year.

Molde Gothic Cathedral

Molde Cathedral was opened in 1957 and is a double-nave long church in the Gothic style. Also worth a visit while you're here.

Ålesund Art Nouveau & Jugendstil

Ålesund is built on a row of islands extending out into the ocean, and it’s most famous for its beautiful Jugendstil architecture. After a fire destroyed the city in 1904 it was rebuilt in vibrant Art Nouveau style. Take a slow walk through downtown Ålesund’s Art Nouveau district and visit Ålesund Museum, Museumsparken, the Fisheries Museum, Ålesund Church and inhale the unique atmosphere of this charming city. Time for a hike (or drive) to check out some of the beautiful mountain views near Ålesund from the the Aksla, Kniven, Rundskue or Fjellstua viewpoints. You can even see the Sunnmøre Alps from the top of Slogen.

Photos

Dave O'Byrne
European Touring Route AS

Partners

Jugendstilsenteret Art Nouveau Center

The Art Nouveau center was opened by Queen Sonja of Norway on June 6, 2003. Jugendstilsenteret is an Art Nouveau Center and part of the Foundation Cultural Quarter in Ålesund. The Art Nouveau Center is located in the former Art Nouveau designed building of Swan Pharmacy (Svaneapoteket) with the town's best preserved Art Nouveau interior. The building itself was designed by Norwegian architect Hagbarth Martin Schytte-Berg (1860-1944) and built between 1905 and 1907, and was the first listed Art Nouveau or Jugendstil monument in Ålesund (1984).

Jugendstilsenteret is an interpretive center exhibiting both modern multimedia exhibitions and international art, and was selected as the millennium site for Møre og Romsdal county.

Ride west out to Alnes lighthouse

Just a nice 30-minute ride/drive from Ålesund, Alnes lighthouse is easily accessible for riders and drivers, and is therefore one of the most visited lighthouses in Norway. You can find the lighthouse about 4 kilometres northwest of Leitebakk.

Situated on the north side of Godøy island in the municipality of Giske in Møre og Romsdal county, Alnes lighthouse was established in 1852 to guide fishing boats safely to the harbor of the small fishing community of Alnes.

The current lighthouse was built in 1876 and is still in operation, just with a few modifications. The lighthouse was automated in 1982 and is now owned by the municipality of Giske. The galley and the tower are open for tourists from May to October, and the old keeper's house has a café and an exhibition hall where artwork from local artists are displayed. There is also a small historical museum inside the lighthouse tower. Well worth it for the ride out here.