Ålesund - Valldal (round trip)

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FRAM

Ålesund - Valldal - Ålesund This day trip from Ålesund to Valldal gives you the opportunity to explore the various offerings in beautiful Valldal. Valldal is famous for their strawberries, and if you visit during the strawberry season, it is a must to taste these delicious berries. However, Valldal has a lot more on the agenda! Valldal Naturopplevingar offers activities such as rafting, canyoning, kayaking and climbing. At Valldal Aktivitetspark you find a climbing park, zip-lines and Trolltunet activity area for children. Valldal center is beautifully situated by the fjord and offer a selection of shops and other service facilities. https://fram.trekksoft.com/en_GB/activity/79364/rundtur-til-valldal

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

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Points of interest

#1

Ålesund

(Photo: iStock.com) Ålesund is the largest town in Møre og Romsdal. The town is one of the world's main exporters of dried and salted cod and is internationally renowned for its characteristic architecture — a result of the catastrophic fire in 1904 which destroyed almost the entire town centre. More about this in Jugendstilsenteret. Today, Ålesund's population is growing, and is expected to surpass 50,000 inhabitants in a few years.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#2

Ålesund Rutebilstasjon

(Photo: bypatrioten.com) From Ålesund Rutebilstasjon (Bus station) you can jump on one of the many buses to transport you both near and far. Especially popular are the many tours with the FRAM buses. These will take you to unique nature, and places you just have to experience. Download one of the audio-guided routes, and experience the amazing region in a new way.

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#3

Linge

Linge is a village with a ferry connection between Åndalsnes and Geiranger. It is situated by Norddalsfjorden which is part of the fjord landscape between Storfjorden and Geirangerfjorden. The place is one of the northernmost with climatic conditions that allow fruits and nuts such as walnuts and peaches to be grown, but it is perhaps most well-known thanks to Martin Linge, the actor and member of the Resistance during World War II who grew up here. You can also see here a memorial dedicated to him. Eidsdal - Linge is a ferry connection on county road 63 and crosses Norddalsfjorden. The trip is 2.7 kilometres long and takes about 10 minutes. At Linge ferry terminal, there is a connection between county roads 650 and 63.

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Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#4

Main road

This is the main road in and out of Ålesund centre and consists of Aspøya and Nørvøya. Along the way, you will find the Color Line Stadion, the home ground of Aalesund Football Club.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#5

The Norwegian Maritime Competence Centre

Ahead of us is the region’s hub for education, research, and business development, Campus Aalesund. A high school and the Ålesund campus of Norway's largest university on one side of the road, and global companies on the other side paves the way for interaction between theory and practice. NTNU has mainly a science and technology profile, a variety of programmes of professional study, and great academic breadth that also includes the humanities, social sciences, economics, medicine, health sciences, educational science, architecture, entrepreneurship, art disciplines and artistic activities. Norwegian Maritime Center of Comptetenece - NMCC - aims to be one of Norway’s most important meeting places for innovation, competence and development. NMCC cooperates with a number of organizations both inside the NMCC building and outside to create more knowledge, innovation, development, and growth in the Sunnmøre region.

Audio guides available in:

English (British), Norsk bokmål

#6

Sunnmøre Museum

Sunnmøre Museum, located on the southern side of the bay, along E136, is a folk museum with exhibitions of cultural history, and a comprehensive collection of old houses and boats. Enjoy a walk among the characteristic houses and gain insight into the cultural history of Sunnmøre and old building methods. The museum documents and exhibits Sunnmøre's cultural history from The Stone Age to The Modern Era. The museum itself consists of 50 houses and 40 boats.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#7

Ålesund Hospital

Ålesund sykehus (Ålesund Hospital), the region's largest hospital, is situated between the E136 road and the fjord. Before the current hospital was built in the 1960s, Ålesund Hospital was in an old building in downtown Ålesund. The hospital offers diagnostics, treatment, rehabilitation and care for patients in Sunnmøre. In addition, the hospital has a range of functions covering the whole county.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#8

Amfi Moa

Do you like shopping? Then you have come to the right place. We are now at Amfi Moa, which with its 170 stores is among Norway's largest shopping centers in terms of turnover.Many well- known chain stores can be found here, as well as many unique, independent stores. The centre also has a real estate agency, a pharmacy, The Wine Monopoly and a large selection of eateries. Parking is free.

Audio guides available in:

English (British), Norsk bokmål

#9

Spjelkavik

(Photo: wikipedia) Spjelkavik is a district in Ålesund which includes the areas around Spjelkavik/Moa, in addition to the residential areas of Åse, Lerstad, Olsvika and Fremmerholen. Today Spjelkavik has about 10,500 inhabitants, and is Ålesund's second largest town district. The town district is located about 10 km from the centre of Ålesund and is among the fastest-growing areas in Ålesund.

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#10

Sjøholt

We now come to the small village and the traffic hub Sjøholt, which is located where the Ørskogelva River flows into the Storfjorden. Here the traffic is distributed in all directions, whether you are going to Ålesund, Molde, Geiranger or Oslo. The popular petrol station has been a favorite stop for both large and small cars for many decades. Sjøholt has some minor industries within repairs, furniture, plastic, and wood. South of the river mouth of Ørskogelva, you will find Ørskog church, a wooden church with a rectangular basilica built in 1873.

Audio guides available in:

English (British), Norsk bokmål

#11

Juvet Landscape Hotel

The Juvet landscape hotel is walking distance from the Gudbrandsjuvet ravine. Its unique architecture and location have earned the hotel several awards. It has also been mentioned in multiple design and architecture magazines.

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#12

Sunnmøre

(Photo: snl.no) This region in Møre og Romsdal is called Sunnmøre. The word Møre originates from Norse marr, 'ocean, sea', and can be interpreted as "the land by the sea". People from Sunnmøre are called sunnmøringer. Sunnmøre has about 140,000 inhabitants and covers an area of 5,234 km2. Sunnmøre's most important town is Ålesund and this is the biggest town between Bergen and Trondheim. Ålesund is the country's ninth biggest town and lies entirely on islands. Sunnmøre also has two other small towns, Ulsteinvik and Fosnavåg, and several large villages like Ørsta, Volda, Sykkylven, Hareid, Nordstrand, Stranda and Brattvåg. Many islands, long and narrow fjords, including Geirangerfjorden on UNESCO's world heritage list, and Sunnmørsalpene (The Sunnmøre Alps) dominate the landscape. This also gives rise to many nature-related activities. In the Sunnmørsalpene, it is possible to find some of the country's best alpine resorts, known as the "powder paradise". This area offers good opportunities for mountain hiking, climbing, ocean fishing, kayaking and scuba diving. The region also has a wide range of restaurants and accommodation facilities that based on the natural conditions. We recommend that you check out activities on the Visit Ålesund & Sunnmøre's website. A link is available in the app.

Audio guides available in:

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#13

Valle

Valle is a village and residential area in the Skodje municipality in Møre og Romsdal. The village has about 400 inhabitants and is located between Storfjorden and Skodjevika in Sunnmøre.

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#14

Gudbrandsjuvet

Gudbrandsjuvet is a ravine in the Valldøla river and is part of The National Tourist Route along county road 63 from Geiranger to Trollstigen. The gorge through which the Valldøla river passes is 5 metres wide and between 20 and 25 metres deep. The water has formed a system of potholes and intricate formations. The gorge is as deep below the water surface as above. According to a legend dating back to the 1500s, the ravine is named after a man called Gudbrand who ran off with a bride and escaped the groom by jumping across the ravine at its narrowest point. Gudbrand was declared an outlaw and spent the rest of his days in a stone hut in one of the sidevalleys above the ravine. That is how the valley got its name, Gudbrandsdalen, which is also its current name. The legend doesn't disclose whether or not he managed to take the bride with him across the ravine. There are good facililties to allow visitors to enjoy the view safely. There is also a café with an architectural style that matches the surrounding landscape.

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Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#15

Jordbærstova

Jordbærstova is located in the middle of the strawberry fields in Valldal. Here you can taste freshly picked strawberries, enjoy a nice meal, a good night's sleep or an exciting hike in the strawberry fields. Join a hike in the strawberry landscape and receive a tasty portion of local know-how. The hike takes about one hour and a reservation must be made a day in advance.

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#16

Valldal

Valldal is a beautiful village by the fjord, halfway between Åndalsnes and Geiranger. The valley stretches about 30 km from Storfjorden to the top of Trollstigen. Large parts of the valley consist of flat and low-lying grounds with ideal conditions for agriculture, and Valldal is known for its strawberries. Valldal has about 1,000 inhabitants concentrated in an area of 10 km along the fjord. Sylte by Storfjorden is the centre of Valldal and the centre of the Fjord municipality. Valldal is the closest neighbour to two important tourist destinations in Norway, Geirangerfjorden and Trollstigen. From Sylte, the county road continues through a tunnel to Fjørå and then to Tafjord. The road to Tafjord passes through a tunnel below the place where a crag fell down and caused the Tafjord accident in 1934. The big wave reached all the way to Valldal. In these areas you can try rafting, canyoning, spectacular mountain hiking and mountain climbing. You can rent ocean kayaks or spend the day at Valldal activity park for adults and children, a few kilometres in the direction of Trollstigen. The river Valldøla which runs through the valley, is ideal for rafting, but it is also a popular spot for salmon fishing.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#17

Vaksvik

The bus now runs along the small village of Vaksvik with its fairytale nature and beautiful surroundings in the middle of the majestic Storfjorden and Vaksvikfjellet. The area, and Vaksvikfjellet in particular, is popular among hiking and outdoor enthusiasts from the whole region and offers many fine hiking trails and ski slopes for the whole family.

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#18

The municipality Stordal

We now arrive at the beautiful furniture village Stordal, which is nicely situated by Storfjorden and is known as the portal to Geirangerfjorden and the UNESCO world heritage area. Stordal is known for its furniture industry, but farming has also traditionally had a strong position in Stordal with good, natural conditions for stock and growing various vegetables. Tourism is also important for the village.

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#19

Liabygda

Photo: Mattias Fredriksson Photography AB - Visitnorway.com Liabygda has about 260 inhabitants and offers a marvellous view of Storfjorden. From here the road continues to Valldal, Trollstigen and Geiranger. There is also a ferry connection to the village of Stranda. The locally renowned Trollbryggeriet (The Troll Brewery) has its production facilities here.

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#20

Solnør Golf Course

Solnør is the name of a farm in Skodje known since the Middle Ages; records show it belonged to the Giskegodset. The manor house was erected by Louis Daae in 1820 and has been declared a protected structure. Today the surrounding land is used as a golf course. A clubhouse for the members of Ålesund Golf Club has been added. According to the golf club's website, the course has 18 challenging holes. When Henrik Ibsen visited his wife’s relatives at Solnør in the summer of 1862, it is unlikely he came to play golf, but then the place may have inspired his famous piece Rosmersholm. Moldegård in Molde, however, also claims this distinction.

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#21

Digerneset

Digerneset is a large business area of some 400,000 square meters, located in the municipality of Skodje, close to europavei 136. The area is clear proof not only faith moves mountains. Money also provides such opportunities. Before the area was developed, some 2,000,000 cubic metres of stone (about 16 times the amount of stone the mountain Mannen in Rauma County would yield were it to collapse) were moved there to prepare the land for expansive construction to accomodate the large number of companies moving in. The name Digerneset stems from the former agricultural land situated further down the fjord. The farm there used to play an important role in the area’s cultivation but is now no longer operating.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#22

Liabygda og Strandafjellet skisenter

On the other side for the fjord you can see Stranda and Strandafjellet. Strandafjellet is a large skiing resort. It first opened in February 1957. The capacity at the time was 140 people per hour. The surface lift was powered by a station wagon engine running on gasoline. Today there is a cable car and a chair lift taking passengers to two different pavilions and starting points for different downhill slopes. The resort has been nominated several times for Norway's best skiing resort for off-piste skiing. The cable car also runs outside the winter season and offers an incredible view of Storfjorden..

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#23

Rosekirka

(Photo: fortidsminneforeningen.no) In the furniture village of Stordal, you can visit the Rosekirka church built in 1789. Its characteristic decorations in renaissance style on the walls, ceiling and pillars, make this a truly unique church building. Much of the interior comes from the old stave church that once stood here in The Middle Ages, including a beautiful crucifix and a baptismal font. The church is also part of the Stordal smallholding, where four beautiful buildings stand close together. The Prestestova from 1850, a granary from 1750 and the charming Løsetstova, a typical home from Sunnmøre from 1790, can be found next to the Rosekirka church.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#24

Dyrkorn

Norwegians have worn quality clothing from Devold since 1853 to protect themselves against weather and wind. Devold Sommerbutikk is a factory outlet for the historic company Devold. The outlet in the fjord village Dyrkorn has a large selection of traditional Norwegian knitted products made at Devold's factory in Langevåg right outside Ålesund.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

#25

Ytste-Skotet

(Photo: ytsteskotet @ Facebook) On the opposite side of Storfjord, on top of a steep ledge, there is a small farm called Ytste-Skotet, where people have been subsistence farmers since the Viking Era. It has now been restored and is open to visitors. The farm lay fallow until 1989 when it was donated to the organization, Storfjordens Venner (friends of Storfjorden), and it is currently operated by the foundation, Ytste-Skotet, in collaboration with Sunnmøre Museum. The buildings and landscape have been restored, and now serves as a living museum, where both school groups and individuals are welcome. In the summer there is a boat from Dyrkorn every Sunday.

Audio guides available in:

Norsk bokmål, English (British)

Ålesund - Valldal (round trip)

Points of interest