Ålesund and the Sunnmore Museum

Take a fjord-side drive from “modern” Alesund to the old trading village at Borgund, where you’ll tour an open-air museum that could only be in Norway. At the delightful Sunnmore, you can wander freely among dozens of classic Norwegian farmhouses and boathouses, all moved here from their original locations. Some have sod and flower roofs, others seem barely large enough to change clothes in. Together they create an evocative time capsule of how people have lived in this region over time. The Sunnmore also presents a vast collection of period boats, including replicas of well-known Viking ships. Local boatbuilding traditions have been passed along for ages, and vessels built here are believed to be among the coast’s most reliable. You’ll even see a notorious fishing vessel used in the clandestine “Shetland Bus"" program that carried Norwegian partisans and crucial supplies across the North Sea during World War II. On the way back to town, you’ll be treated to a breathtaking panorama of mountains, islands and sea from the Mount Askla viewpoint known as Fjellstua.

• Wear casual weather-appropriate clothing.
• Flat, comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
• Bring a hat and sunglasses/sunscreen as needed.