Norway by 62 Nord
A shrill scream breaks the peace. A woman is launched 20 foot up and out, over the fjord.
“My father tired of milking goats” beamed Daniel Gaard Bygdetun the owner of Christian Gaard “he decided to milk tourists instead!”. He thrusts the back of his current victim again, we hear her wail and we watch her soar. L’Oreals best lotions and potions could not buy his skin, glowing in the midday Norwegian sun. A family reunion could not match his grin, stretched across this face and cramping his cheeks. I immediately trusted him with my life. Lucky, as I was next on his rope swing that catapults you over Trandal fjord.
You may have heard of Bergen, the gateway to Norways fjords, or seen photos of Trollfjord or the northern lights in the Norwegian arctic. However, you probably haven’t heart of Alesund, Norway’s Wild West. In cowboy country, folktales sound more like fairytales and the scenery looks blockbuster movie ready. A dramatic and unspoilt place where the fjords tumble down to meet the sea.
You are closer to the Arctic Circle than capital city here, temperatures rarely rise above 20 degrees and the Northern Lights are repeat guests on a winters night. Yet, almost all the locals we meet have weathered tanned skin. Transpires that this is somewhat in their make up. Since the 1700’s Norwegian fishing ships sailed from Alesund to Spain, heavy with salted fish destined to be on tapas. Fishermen would return with Spanish wives, the legacy of these love stories literally etched on peoples skin today.
The fjords are baltic, as deep as the mountains around them are high. Humpback whales use them as highways in migration season (November - January) and shoals of herring call them home year round. Waterfalls zigzag through where the mountains meet greenery and red-washed villages are scattered along the waters edge. Red a legacy from when the colour was the cheapest paint to produce by mixing ochre and cod liver oils. David points at a ferry leaving from across the fjord, “my daughter will be on that, her primary school is in that village.” She hops off the boat and skips up the hill half an hour later.
Back in the bar, I eye ball the mothballed and overwhelmingly wooden memorabilia of the Trans Twins who founded this place. They were icons. Daniel proudly tells me that when one twin was jailed the other would swap places in prison with him every other week in visiting hours.
Alesund marries tradition with a dystopian future. Litter is as dated as Shakespeare but foraging for your lunch is part of their culture. The air is so clean that farmers aren’t allowed to spread manure without sufficient wind and everyone drives a Tesla. Extraordinary places lend themselves to extraordinary spaces and the fjords around Alesund have some if Norway’s best places to rest. Owned by 62 Nord, if James Bond had a family manage his Hotel portfolio, this would be them.
Storfjord
from price: £220 a night Bed & Breakfast
A Norwegian blockbuster movie set.
Storfjord Hotel is made up of grass roofed wooden cabins, low rise and scattered on the edge of a fjord. Oak scented, local staff hypnotise you immediately. With so much new to eat and drink let them steer you on the menu and you too will pat you belly and smack your lips every time you reminisce. The hotel is a platform to explore the fjords by boat, foot, bike or Tesla.
Union Oye
from price: £200 a night Bed & Breakfast
If Chitty Chitty Bang Bang did Norway
Like stepping back in time, community built and run just around the corner from Norway’s narrowest valley and Norway’s most iconic mountain to summit - Slogen. A painted ceiling at the bar was created with the same hands as the pianist that plays on Saturdays. The time travel experience means time stops here, eat when your hungry, explore when the sun is high and nest by the fire when the fresh air has defeated you.
The Blue Room is haunted
Brosundet
from price: £160 a night Bed & Breakfast
In the centre of Alesund, Brosundet is the perfect base to settle into Norwegian life, hospitality and hygge. The SPA has outdoor baths and a platform to swim in the city fjords. The perfect place to start or finish a fjord adventure.
Molja Lighthouse is a standalone working lighthouse you can book for the night for a one in a million stay
Eat & Drink Tips
Eat - Kami Skotholmen, on an island facing out to the ocean it is the most epic setting I’ve ever had soup in
Drink - Christian Gaard
Getting There
Flights to Alesund go via Oslo and Bergen so you can top and tail your trip with a visit to capital and groovy university town, the gateway to the fjords.
Pay for a window seat and pray for a clear weather day, the views of Norway from above are sensational.