Alesund

In 1904, a fire destroyed almost the entire town of Alesund. What rose from the ashes, rebuilt in just three years, was an extraordinary concentration of Art Nouveau architecture — turrets, spires, ornamental facades, and mythical figures carved in stone, all on a scale that seems disproportionate to this small fishing town on Norway’s western coast. The Jugendstil Centre tells the story, but the streets tell it better. Every building is worth looking up at.

Climb the four hundred and eighteen steps of Aksla for the panoramic view — the town spread across its islands, the harbour, and the Atlantic stretching to the horizon. Beyond the city, Geirangerfjord is reachable by road, and the coastal landscape of Sunnmore offers some of Norway’s finest island-hopping. The Atlantic Sea Park, one of Scandinavia’s largest aquariums, sits at the ocean’s edge where the fishing boats return.

When to go: May through August for the best weather and longest days. June is particularly luminous. The Norwegian Food Festival in August showcases the region’s seafood. Winter brings storms and dramatic skies but few tourists.