ALESUND

fishing port, Mre og Romsdal fylke (county), western Norway. lesund lies at the mouth of Stor Fjord and is set on two islands, Nrvya and Aspy, which are connected by bridges. It dates from the 9th century when Rollo (Rolf) the Ganger built a castle nearby, but township status was not acquired until 1848. After the town burned in 1904, it was rebuilt with stone instead of wood. lesund is a regional commercial centre and a point for touring the hills of the Sunnmre region, the Norang valley, the ye glaciers, the island of Runde, and the Viking village of Giske. The site of Norway's largest fishing harbour, it is a base for cod and halibut fishing trawlers and the headquarters of the Arctic sealing fleet. Milk and fruit are produced locally. Pop. (1989 est.) mun., 35,614.