Brosundet is the inner channel that cuts through the heart of Ålesund, and the waterfront buildings along it form the most photographed stretch of the city's Art Nouveau architecture. The channel was historically the centre of the fishing industry — warehouses and quays line both banks — and even now it has a working quality that separates it from more prettified waterfronts elsewhere.
Walking the length of the channel takes twenty minutes and gives you the best street-level view of the Jugendstil facades: the oriel windows, the curved gables, the carved animal heads and floral motifs that decorate almost every building. The old warehouse district immediately south of the channel has been converted into restaurants and small shops, and the Apotekergata street nearby has good independent cafes.