There aren’t many places where the charm of a bygone age survives, authentic and unadulterated. Fewer still have carried this tradition uninterrupted through the tumultuous 20th century. Union Øye Hotel opened its doors in 1891 and has since remained one of the finest hotels in Europe.
The Sunnmore Alps, the mountains surrounding the Hjorundfjord, are among the most dramatic mountainscapes in the world. The peaks rise up to 1,700 straight up from the sea. The dales that crop up in this dramatic landscape are splattered with lovely groves and small lakes with water so pure you can drink it straight from the source.
Wyvern av Aalesund is a replica of the legendary Wyvern, a sailboat that crossed the Atlantic more than a dozen times and sailed around the world. The Wyvern was originally designed by Colin Archer, a beloved Norwegian shipbuilder ― he built the Fram, of polar exploration renown. The Wybern was built for an English couple and launched in 1897.
Head to the waterfront, and a few minutes by boat you can reach the old Devold Factory. It has now been turned to a series of shops and outlet stores where Scandinavian design is king.
Alesund’s past is linked with the fishing industry. Even though it was destroyed by a fire at the turn of the past century and took a detour down the path of Art-Nouveau, Alesund has never turned its back on its seafaring origins. On what used to the the old fish warehouse, you will find Brosunder Bar, the place to go for local brews, signature cocktails and a not negligible wine selection.
There are places that promise seclusion and to fend off all the distractions of the world… Then there’s Svinøy Lighthouse. Located on an island off Norway’s coast, the lighthouse guards the Norwegian Sea. Storms hit the island with waves taller than the island itself, and access is restricted to a few helicopter trips each year: 4 to be exact.
Accessible only by boat, Kami, on the islet of Skotholmen is the restaurant of choice for seafood, off the coast of Alesund. The place used to be a herring processing factory and even today it remains true to its history. According to Chef Magnus Bergseth, if you are on a tiny islet, on a former fish salting facility, completely surrounded by the ocean… you have to serve fish!
The waters of the Hjørundfjord mirror the sky, the cliffs and the forests: all is stillness, all is silence. I am paddling on a kayak, dwarfed by the towering walls. The sound of my paddle on the smooth water becomes a thundering splash.
During my last visit to Oslo, I was lucky enough to get reservations to Kontrast, a Michelin starred restaurant led by chef Mikael Svensson. The semi-industrial setting seemed perfect for experimentation and innovative cuisine. New Scandinavian in essence and origin, chef Svensson’s dished defy definition and are in constant evolution.
There aren’t many places where the charm of a bygone age survives, authentic and unadulterated. Fewer still have carried this tradition uninterrupted through the tumultuous 20th century. Union Øye Hotel opened its doors in 1891 and has since remained one of the finest hotels in Europe.
