The view
Islands and bridges.
Yiannis Theologos Michellis — CC0 · GangerRolf — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rüdiger Stehn from Kiel, Deutschland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · GangerRolf — CC BY-SA 3.0 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Aksla is a hill rising above the town of Ålesund on Norway's west coast, and from its top opens the best-known view of the town, its islands and the surrounding fjords. It stands right on the edge of the centre, so it can be climbed on foot from the streets. Ålesund has an unusually consistent architecture, with most of its buildings built between 1904 and 1907, after a fire destroyed the town, in the Art Nouveau style known locally as Jugendstil. The town has a national centre explaining the style and its rebuilding, and it belongs to a European network of Art Nouveau towns. From the top the town spreads over narrow islands linked by bridges, with colourful houses topped by small turrets and pointed roofs, surrounded by blue water and green islands, while the snow-capped Sunnmøre Alps rise on the horizon. In summer the sky stays light late into the night. Visitors climb a long flight of steps from the town park to the viewpoint, or drive to the top, and sit on the terrace at sunset. Many combine it with a walk through the town's distinctive streets.
Islands and bridges.
Snowy peaks.
From the terrace.
Aksla, Ålesund, Norway
On foot by the steps or by car.
Summer sunset.
