December 14-29, 2025 December 16

This morning we arrive in Ålesund, experiencing beautiful cold winter weather. We will take an excursion to the local mountain Aksla, and afterwards we will explore Ålesund. Ålesund is a port city on the west coast of Norway, located at the entrance to the Geirangerfjord. It is known because most of the city was rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style after a fire in 1904, which is showcased in the Jugendstilsenteret Museum. A viewpoint on Mount Aksla offers panoramic views of Ålesund's architecture and the surrounding islands and fjords. It stands 189 meters tall and is considered the Hausberg of the city. The ridge extends about 3.5 kilometers from west to east across the island, largely occupying its northern half. From the Stadtpark Ålesund, 418 steps lead up to Aksla. In addition, it is also accessible by a road.

On the mountain, there are the viewpoints Fjellstua and Kniven. Fjellstua has a dining facility. From here, there is a wide view over the city of Ålesund, which is spread across three islands, as well as the surrounding fjord landscape. Between Fjellstua and Kniven stands the Kristofer-Randers monument.

The stairs to Aksla, which have existed at least since the end of the 19th century, were renovated from August 15, 2014, to May 15, 2015, after the storm Dagmar and fallen trees caused damage.

On the mountain, there are several German bunker facilities from the time of the German occupation of Norway.