By Julie Coe, Editorial Director |
The Sunnmøre Alps in western Norway. Photo: James Harvey-Kelly |
At the Jugendstilsenteret, a design museum in Ålesund, Norway, one focus is dragestil, the country’s particular form of art nouveau. Up the stairs of an old pharmacy lies a treasure trove of fascinating, fantastical work inspired by Norse myths and Viking lore. A visit here sets the perfect tone for a voyage into the surrounding Sunnmøre Alps, a region of craggy peaks and mystical fjords. In our latest travel feature we explore this area of western Norway, which is gaining in popularity as travelers seek out cooler summer destinations.
And in Italy, we look inside Casabianca, the townhouse gallery newly opened by Paolo and Antonella De Santis, the couple behind the highly acclaimed Lake Como hotel Passalacqua, where they share their collection of art and design. Come summer, it will also offer three guests suites, for a full immersion in the De Santis lifestyle. |
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Norway’s Spectacular Sunnmøre Alps |
The Union Øye hotel’s main building dates back to 1891. Photo: James Harvey-Kelly |
Most evenings at the Union Øye hotel, guests assemble in the living room to hear a staff member tell the tale of Linda, the resident ghost. The hotel, which is hidden deep at the end of the Norangsfjord, has stood in the shadow of Norway’s Sunnmøre Alps since 1891. Around the turn of the 20th century, it was a frequent summer destination for German emperor Kaiser Wilhelm II. During one of these stays, a hotel maid named Linda fell in love with a soldier in the Kaiser’s service. The couple got engaged and promised to marry on the Kaiser’s return. But it wasn’t to be: the soldier died in the interim, and when Linda learned of his fate, she threw herself into the fjord. She has haunted the property ever since. |
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An Art and Design Gallery from the Founders of Passalacqua |
The salotto, or living room, at Casabianca, featuring “Holding Emptiness” (2012) by Marina Abramović. Photo: Casabianca |
The founders of Passalacqua—ranked the top hotel in Europe by the World’s 50 Best—and its sister property, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, have added to their Lake Como mini-empire: Casabianca is a new art space from Paolo and Antonella De Santis, featuring the couple’s collection of modern and contemporary works amassed over the past 40 years. |
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Our calendar of must-see exhibitions |
V&A East Museum in London. Photo: Peter Kelleher © Victoria & Albert Museum, London |
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