Sunnmøre in Norwegian, but maybe Sunnmore in English, is the heart of Fjord Norway. The region is in the Western Norwegian county of Møre and Romsdal at 62º North. I was born in Sunnmøre, and it will always be the place I call home. Writing this piece is all about my love for my home area. Sunnmøre is surrounded by some of the most alluring Alps and bewitching fjords that make you fall in zen in less than 10 minutes.
Almost all photos are taken by the talented Michaela Nichole.
Michaela Potterbaum is an adventure wedding photographer based in Nashville, TN + Ålesund, Norway. In addition to weddings, she photographs commercially for Lonely Planet, leads adventure trips, and offers photography mentorship.
Sunnmøre the Heart of Fjord Norway a Quick & Informative Guide
Flying in over Aalesund is one of the most captivating things you can do. Because you are flying into a fairytale land, take a deep breath of that fresh salty air from the rough North Sea when you are landing. Welcome to the heart of Fjord-Norway, one of the yet undiscovered nature secrets.
Sunnmøre has an Exquisite Landscape, Fresh Air, & Tranquility!
World-famous fjords, spectacular waterfalls, breath-taking viewpoints, hiking with a fjord view
1. Aalesund The City of Art Nouveau Architecture
The ocean and mountains surround Ålesund in every direction, and this town is a vital harbor of many stories. Faced with the rough seas of the North, Ålesund exports more of the dried, salted cod, also known as klipfish, than anywhere else in the world. People from Spain, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, and Nigeria eat bacalao, and Norwegians fish it and often eat it.
Jugendstil or Art Nouveau Architecture surrounds Aalesund because the city burned down after a devastating fire in 1904. I recommend walking around and soaking in this beautiful style of Architecture while in Aalesund. Read: How to spend 36 hours in the city.
Explore the Town of Aalesund
My favorite advice for anyone traveling to Aalesund is to climb the 418 steps from the town park to the local mountain of Aksla, where the reward is a panoramic view of the town center, the beautiful Alps, and the graceful fjords. Walking around and hiking in Sunnmore is free, rambling with the only meaning of being! See if you can find the local’s secret – Kniven, which gives a 360-degree view of the Aalesund area. Then, when it’s dinner time, go to XL Diner and eat the Norwegian Bacalao in Norway!
If you have more time, go exploring the fishing village of Alnes and the Alnes Lighthouse. It is only a 15-minute drive from Ålesund. Get into nature and walk the beautiful landscape from the seashore to the mountains, and take a minute or more and enjoy the scenic surroundings.
Tips: Traveling Around Sunnmøre on The Local Ferry: Svele!
When traveling around in Sunnmøre and on the local ferry, you need to eat svele! Svele is a thick pancake filled with fluffy buttercream and sugar, and sometimes even with brunost our favorite cheese, that taste similar to a caramelized flavor. Then, of course, you must drink strong black coffee to svele.
2. Sunnmøre Museum
If you stick around for a day or five, you will most likely see some outstanding sunsets in Sunnmøre.
3. Visit Geiranger the King of the Fjords
We have plenty of fjords; if you are traveling to Norway, make sure you see one of the many fjords. Because if you have traveled to Norway and not seen a fjord, have you then been to Norway? The Geiranger fjord is one of the most majestic fjords with dazzling wild waterfalls that have changing rainbows and lush green scenery.
I will also recommend visiting the spectacular Hjørunfjord with the Alps of Sunnmøre and the cute village of Trandalen.
The Geiranger Fjord you can visit by going on a road trip, which also includes the magnificent Dalsnibba viewpoint. Or you can take the famous Hurtigruten cruise from Aalesund, which goes every day in the summer.
4. Road Trip to The Scenic Atlantic Road
The Atlantic Road is one of the Northwest National Tourist Routes in Norway, and should not be missed if you are road tripping through Norway. Best of all the Atlantic road is a great starting point if you are heading on a road trip in Northern Norway. Vibrant coastal landscape to bare rocks and the exposed parts of the coast like Hustadvika.
This National Tourist Route has been called the world’s most beautiful drive and voted the “Norwegian construction of the century” – Visit Norway.
The Atlantic road gives a great picture of living on the coast. From a sunny day on a summer day to a more harsh foam sprayed journey with saltwater cascading over the road from the northwest in the fall, storms are a significant difference. The Atlantic Road trip experience will give you great memories of nature and landscape.
5. Going Off-Grid & Living The Dream
I love Sunnmøre’s possibility of losing the world for some time. Go hiking, go Kayaking or go to the beach and listen to the waves and create tranquility by just being surrounded by pure nature power. How many birds can you hear singing? Or how many flowers do you know the name of when walking around in the nature? Can you hear your heartbeat?
Maybe you even make the trip to Hoddevik, a famous surf spot for surfers worldwide. Hoddevik is in the region of Stad and the westernmost part of mainland Norway.
Hoddevik and the area around is where I spent my childhood, between the sandy beach and high mountains that are wild and rugged. Hoddvik is a true masterpiece of pure nature, and the road down is curvy and steep, but the reward is tranquility. Lapoint Surf Camp has an offer for all surfers. Or maybe you go eagle-watching while fishing cod for dinner
6. The Swing of Dreams & Beauty
Swing away with a view of the divine life. You can find the swing at the tiny but charming village of Trandalen at the heart of Hjørung Fjorden, and this pearl of beauty is only reachable by boat, or if you are feeling sporty, walk over the mountain from the neighboring town.
From Aalesund, it takes two ferries to get to Trandalen: Solevåg – Festøy and Standal to Trandal; this takes around one hour.
To get into the swing, you have to visit Christian’s Farm with Fjord Cruise to Hjørundfjord
7. Explore the Spectacular Trollstigen
Another great National Tourist Route in Sunnmøre is Gerianger & Trollstigen, translated into Trolls Road, Norwegian love the story-tells about the Trolls in the mountains of Norway. The best part of a Troll story is that you can adjust according to your imagination – You can always watch the Norwegian movie Troll Hunter for inspiration.
Back to Trollstigen, it is a feast for the eye. It is all about seeing it from the right height and angle, and you can feel the view of hitting your stomach, afraid of heights? Me as well, but it will be thrilling!
If you are in the area of Trollstigen, maybe you want to spend a day in Åndalsnes and do the famous hike of Romsdalseggen? Or perhaps you are jumping on the most scenic train ride in Norway on the way to Oslo?
For more information about Sunnmore and Aalesund, I recommend the region’s homepage Fjord Norway.
Last Information about Sunnmøre
Remember, if you are planning to travel to Sunnmøre, you need time! With 48 hours, you will only scratch the surface, but with five days or a week, you are getting closer to a fantastic experience and great memories of Sunnmøre. The Fjord Norway region has a tremendous diversity of things you can do and explore. Everything from hiking, climbing, Kayaking, fishing, surfing, bird watching, and diving. Sunnmøre offers many things if you have the time to receive them.
Remember to pack for all seasons when traveling to Sunnmøre & Norway!
3 Comments
[…] services were notified of a fire at a home on Leinøy in the herøy municipality,within the Sunnmøre region. Firefighting teams from Fosnavåg and Myrvåg were promptly dispatched to address the […]
Depends on how Advanced your hiking is going to be. I would check out: Åndalsnes, Geiranger, Stranda And Ålesund.
Hi! Loved your post, thanx! We are planning to visit this area next summer. Our main activity will be hiking in the mountains with our dog. Do you have some advice of an perfect area/village to stay from which it is easy to explore the area and start hikes if we don’t want to travel long to the starting points of hiking trails? Would be great to hear from you! Thanx!