Ålesund Fisheries Museum

The Ålesund Fisheries Museum (Fiskerimuseet) is housed in Holmbua, a white warehouse dating from 1861 on the mole at the entrance to the harbour. It is one of the few places in town where you can sense what Ålesund lived on before it became famous for its Art Nouveau architecture.

Why is the building special?

A great fire destroyed most of central Ålesund in January 1904. Holmbua is among the few buildings that escaped it. Between 1924 and 1986 it was occupied by the company Oluf Holm A/S, which was tied to fish processing. So the museum is not set up in an arbitrary hall but in a genuine former waterfront works.

What will you see inside?

The displays show how the sea and its fish built the wealth of the Sunnmøre region:

• The cod liver oil industry: how oil from cod liver was produced and traded.
• Klippfisk: the traditional processing of salted and dried cod, important for Norwegian exports.
• Deep-sea fishing: an exhibit running up to 1960, with trawlers and life at sea.
• The role of local women: women's part in packing fish and working ashore.
• "VEL I HAVN": a separate exhibit on the Sunnmøre pilot service, from the Middle Ages to today.

How does it relate to Aalesunds Museum?

The fisheries museum belongs to a wider museum offer in the city. Aalesunds Museum, the town museum, was founded in 1903 and took over a collection on fishing that had been gathered since 1862. That collection was lost in the 1904 fire, and in 1931 the museum moved into a patrician house on Østre Korsahaug. It covers the fire, sealing, shipping and the Second World War, and shows the lifeboat Uræd, which crossed the Atlantic in 1904. A single ticket can cover both museums on the same day, so combining the two visits makes sense.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the museum? On the mole at the harbour entrance in Ålesund, in the white Holmbua warehouse.

Did the building suffer in the 1904 fire? No. Holmbua is one of the buildings the fire spared.

Is it worth pairing with Aalesunds Museum? Yes. One shows work at sea and in the processing plant, the other the story of the town, including the fire and its aftermath. Check current opening hours beforehand, as they can be limited outside summer.

Who is it for? Anyone interested in industrial history, shipping and the life of Norway's coastal communities. It complements a walk around the harbour and the Art Nouveau town centre.

Visitor tips

The museum sits right by the harbour, so it fits easily into a walk along the quay. Allow an hour or two, and spend the rest of the day on the other sights of central Ålesund. Check the Viti museums website for current hours before you go, since in winter the museum may open only at weekends.