Hotel Brosundet

Snow is falling thick and fast when I am welcomed in from the cold to the roaring fire in Hotel Brosundet’s cosy lobby, which is already decorated for Christmas with an oversized stocking over the mantelpiece and a towering, bauble-adorned tree. It’s the first year that the hotel is open for the whole winter, which is adding to the holiday-cheer-filled atmosphere in early-ish November. The boutique — which stands in the same spot seafarers used to sell fish oil in what was originally a fish-packing warehouse — is well stocked for festive shopping, with pine-scented candles and bubble-bath kits from Sprekenhus, and hand-knitted jumpers, hats and gloves from outdoor merino-wool brand Devold and its luxurious offshoot, OAD. These sustainably driven outfitters are both owned by the multi-talented Flakks, the Norwegian family behind Brosundet, Storfjord and Union Øye, various renewable energy businesses, and — perhaps most notably for today’s Arctic Circle explorers — experiential, emission-free adventure curators, 62° Nord. Depending on the day’s excursion, you might cycle deep into snow-dusted pine forests, drive over sea-spanning bridges in a Bond-worthy, electric supercar, cruise along the fjords in svelte, eco-friendly vessels, or carve your way through the Sunnmøre Alps on a summit-to-sea ski tour. The Devold factory is also just seven minutes’ boat ride away from the hotel, with a discount for guests and the chance to meet some of the local craftspeople on offer.

As I slide open the balcony door in my waterfront suite, I spy one of the 62° Nord boats moored in Ålesund’s harbour. Usually, it would be taking intrepid guests on a fjord cruise along Geirangerfjord’s glacial pathways, or the mountain-cradled Hjørundfjord — if it weren’t for the weekend’s amber weather warning. I take in the view of the icy blue waters and bobbing sailing yachts with twinkling lights wrapped around their masts for just a few moments, before a bone-chilling wind begins to whistle through. Daylight hours are dwindling in these parts, giving me just under four hours to admire this art nouveau port town before sundown. 

The ongoing blizzard encourages me to find less fjord-focused (and mostly indoor) ways to pass the time. The short but bracingly cold walk from Hotel Brosundet to Jugendstilsenteret, the city’s art nouveau museum housed within a former pharmacy, is eased by a pastry pitstop at Buttiken for cinnamon buns (yes, plural) and velvety, cream-topped hot chocolate. As I cross the cobblestoned streets, sleet turns to head-pelting hailstones, prompting a wonderfully unhurried wander — to allow the storm to abate — around the museum’s exhibitions and thoughtfully curated gift shop, displayed in the original pharmacy cabinets. Two of the upstairs rooms are laid out as a bedroom and lounge from the era, featuring solid mahogany furniture inlaid with intricate intarsia patterns. I enjoy imagining how I would fill the shelves of a painted birchwood bookcase by Valentin Kielland, one of Norway’s most idiosyncratic furniture makers within the art nouveau period; or the dinner conversations a Dragestil carved wooden chair might have been privy to over the years. Those in the market for Nordic antiques can also peruse the impressive collections at Gallery Artifex and second-hand wares at Trankokeriet, the second of which is housed within an old sea cottage overlooking Molja Lighthouse. Residents of Brosundet’s Room 47 spend the night within these rounded walls, and a breakfast basket is delivered to the weathered door each morning. 

There’s a gap in the snowfall as I return to Brosundet for an afternoon soak in one of the outdoor wellness tubs, which are filled with Sprekenhus foam for an extra bubbly bath. The wind starts to pick up again, blowing bubbles into the air and over the hotel’s pontoon, creating the illusion of yet more snow. As a recent cryotherapy and cold-water-swimming convert, I can’t resist swapping the tub’s warm waters for a just-above-freezing sea dip. It’s always such a mood- and energy-booster for me, and I don’t usually have the luxury of thawing out in a wood-burning sauna afterwards. 

Tonight’s dinner spot is just down the street at Sjøbua, Brosundet’s elegant seafood restaurant. Gently flickering candles and the sound of waves lapping against the walls create the feeling of being aboard a ship, enhanced by the platters of grilled langoustine, delicate Arctic char and the catch of the week being sent out from the kitchen. Be sure to save room for something sweet — in my case, aquavit-marinated cloudberries encased within wafer-thin krumkake, Norwegian waffle-cookies — or take your pick from the cheese trolley. Everything you eat is fished, farmed or foraged from the surrounding coastline, meaning that the menu changes from season to season. Similarly, the Sunnmøre region supplies the ingredients for dressed-down sister brasserie, Apotekergata No 5, where I tuck into pinnekjøtt croquettes and a citrusy lutefisk the following evening. These dishes are comfort-food takes on the specially prepared lamb and rehydrated fish served at Norwegian Christmas dinners. And while I can’t bring back the traditional fish-drying racks needed to recreate the latter at home, I am returning from Brosundet with uncharacteristically high excitement levels for the festive season ahead.