Kristiansand




 * Not to be confused with Kristiansund in West Norway or Kristianstad in Sweden.

Kristiansand is the capital of Vest-Agder County, Norway. With 93,000 inhabitants (2019), it is the fifth largest city of Norway, and one of the southernmost ones. The city has had a cathedral since 1885, and a university since 2007. The city has many challenging offers for active tourists. There are always something to do for families, solo travelers, couples, business travellers, hikers, sea sports enthusiasts or party enthusiasts.

Understand
Kristiansand is the largest city in South Norway, and is located between Oslo and Stavanger.

Kristiansand is on Norway’s southern Skagerrak coast and has long been a favourite summer holidays spot amongst Norwegians. The sea and surrounding fjords are great for recreational activities like fishing and sailing. Kristiansand is the business city and the cultural capital of Southern Norway. Called “the coolest riviera” by the media, it is a modern city with a cosmopolitan history.

The city is also nicknamed "Norway's flower town" because of the many planted flowers that characterize downtown. Kristiansand offers many attractions and sights, many are especially aimed at families with children.

Few other cities have such a large and varied offer of accommodation as Kristiansand.

The name
The city was named after its founder, King Christian IV of Denmark and Norway in 1641.

The name was written "Christian(s)sand" (for "Christians sand" - meaning en:(King) "Christian's Sand") until 1877. Then, the ch was changed to k, the form was changed to "Kristianssand". The name was again changed to its present form Kristiansand in 1889. The city is sometimes called Kristiansand S, where S stands for South, to distinguish it from Kristiansund in central Norway, a name introduced by the postal service.

Location
Kristiansand was founded on a flat sandy moor west of the river mouth of river Otra, and gouged out by contemporary ideal town with seven streets parallel to the river, and ten streets perpendicular to these. The old town district is called Kvadraturen and street lines are the same today. King Christian IV bought the city ground of existing large farms and allowed large green areas inside the city. Baneheia and Ravnedalen are among these. Kristiansand today consists of the historic centre, in addition to the suburbs.

Sørlandsparken is an area east of the town centre that consists of several large trading companies in addition to Sørlandssenteret which is the largest shopping centre in Northern Europe. The largest zoo and amusement park in Norway are here.

Orientation
For convenience, the city can be divided into six larger districts:
 * Søgne is the westernmost part of the municipality, which includes Langenes, Åros, Høllen, Ny-Hellesund, Tangvall and Lunde.
 * Songdalen, northwest of the city centre, which includes Nodeland, Greipstad and Finsland.
 * Vågsbygd which includes Flekkerøy, west of downtown.
 * Kvaderaturen (almost square network of streets) including downtown and Posebyen.
 * Torridal north of downtown on both riverbanks of Otra which includes the areas Grim, Dalane, Strai, Mosby, Sødal and Haus.
 * Lund between the river Otra and Topdalsfjorden (E18 Varoddbrua bridges).
 * Tveit, northeast of downtown which includes Kristiansand Airport, Hamresanden and Ryen.
 * Randesund, east of Topdalsfjorden, which includes Sørlandsparken, the zoo and amusement park, Hånes, Søm, Dvergsnes and Tømmerstø.

Climate
Kristiansand's climate is characterized by differences in temperature and precipitation at the Four Seasons, but climate is fairly temperate thanks to warm air being wafted across the Atlantic from the Gulf Stream.

Kristiansand usually have a lot of summer sunshine compared to most of Norway. The weather in summer makes Kristiansand to an important seaside resort for Norwegians from other locations in Norway. From June to August, the sea temperature is at levels which makes outdoor swimming comfortable.

There may be heavy snowfall in winter with south-southeasterly winds (snow record at Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik is 170 cm), but the snow rarely stays long at the coast of Skagerrak.

Culture
Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park (See below) is the second most visited tourist attraction in Norway. In addition to animals from all continents, the park offers amusements for children and adults. Pirates are a central themes, there are pirate ships and own pirate village. During the summer there is an own pirate show which for decades has attracted a large number of children.

Kristiansand has a flourishing cultural life. The city is known especially for music (for example, the symphony orchestra and several festivals) and Kilden Performing Arts Centre, but there is also an art museum for the visual arts and several art galleries, cinema and theater. Several of the cultural activities Kristiansand offers are located to Odderøya close to the city center (see do below).

IK Start is the best known football club in the city and is in the top league of Norway (their home ground is Sør Arena), in addition to sports clubs within, among others, athletics, basketball, handball, golf, badminton and ice hockey.

In Kristiansand, there are several mosques and many churches which includes Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist and Pentecostal congregations.

Economy
As the largest city in the southernmost part of Norway, Kristiansand has an expanding export industry that spans a wide range, from process industry, oil and gas technology, renewable energy and ICT, to fisheries and other food, bedding, and tourism.

Get in
Kristiansand is the southern communications center in Norway.

By car
Kristiansand sits along E18, the highway from Oslo. The highway's name changes to E39 when  passes Kristiansand on its way to Stavanger. Route starts in Kristiansand and takes you through the natural beauty of the Setesdal Valley to Hovden and further to Haukeligrend on the Hardangervidda (Hardanger Plateau). Route 41 starts from the E18 east of the city centre, passes great sceneries and takes you to the inland of Telemark. Take your time: parts of this route is narrow and winding.

By bus
The bus connections from Oslo and the towns along the western shore of the Oslo Fjord are excellent. Nor-Way Bussexpress has 9 daily connections from Oslo, Konkurrenten.no 4-7 buses while Lavprisekspressen runs twice daily and FlixBus once daily. You are guaranteed a seat; if the bus is full, the bus company will add an extra bus. Lavprisekspressen and FlixBus provide online ticketing only. These express buses are usually just as fast as the trains from Oslo. From towns such as Larvik, Tønsberg and Sandefjord you might arrive several hours later if you go by train.

There are also infrequent express bus connections from Stavanger and along the Setesdal, with connections from cities such as Bergen and Haugesund. Regional buses run frequently along the coast, from Lyngdal and Lista in the west to Arendal in the east, run by several different bus companies. In winter time there are also buses that travel between Kristansand and different ski resorts in the hinterland and mountains.

The bus terminal is about 100 m from the main shopping street, Markens, and next to the ferry terminal and the train station. There's also a taxi stand here.

By cruise ship
The port has a lot of cruise ship arrivals in the summer, and is one of the biggest cruise ship ports in Norway. From the cruise ship port, is a walking distance to city centre and the boardwalk, the bus terminal, the ferry terminal and the railway station.



On foot
The city centre is quite compact, which means that everything is within walking distance.

Suburbs are spread over quite a large area.

By bus
Boreal  operates the white city buses (search time tables). Eastbound buses depart from the Henrik Wergeland street, while westbound buses depart from the Tollbod street or the bus terminal, but not both. Northbound buses (to Vennesla) leave from the bus terminal.

The main lines going from west to east is called the Metro bus. You can expect a bus every 5 minutes on weekdays. Service elsewhere is quite frequent during daylight hours, but the frequency drops significantly in the evenings and on weekends. Night buses operate Fridays and Saturdays.

By car
Most roads except the highway is just one lane each way - thus rush hour should be avoided.

Parking might be difficult in the city centre, try the parking houses. There's a toll booth on all roads leading to town.

By motorcycle
In the city and especially in the outskirts of the city, motorcycle often is the best mode of transport. There are many winding but picturesque country roads to explore. Follow the speed limits.

By bicycle
Kristiansand is a pioneer town for a network of separate paths for cyclist. There are dedicated bike lanes along most of the main roads in the city and paths along the major roads. Kristiansand is connected to the North Sea Cycle Route (Route 1) like the neighbouring coastal towns.

By taxi
Taxis are expensive. In Kristiansand, there are three major taxi companies:

By small boats
Good moorings if you have your own boat, and a nice guest marina with many facilities for visitors.

In the summer it is also possible to rent a small boat by Kristiansand Feriesenter Dvergsnestangen and Roligheden Camping (see below).

There are also several sight seeing boats for tourists in the summer if you want to go to sea without your own boat.

Summer boats from Pier 6 (pier just by Clarion Hotel Ernst)


 * Summerboat to the archipelago islands Bragdøya, Dvergsøya and Stokken (late June to mid August) from Pier 6
 * Archipelago cruise from Pier 6 to Lillesand (July to mid August)

See




Parks

 * See also Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park (Kristiansand Dyrepark) and Agder Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden, both above.



Do

 * Bird watching: Watch wild birds, such as Wryneck and Hawfinch, and seabirds, such as swans and ducks in the woodlands just in the outskirts of the city center. See also Baneheia (below).
 * Forests: In Kristiansand, there are many forests, never more than a short walk away. Near the town centre are areas for walking or winter activities at winter time:
 * (east of the river Otra) A wooded area with picturesque marked trails and small, idyllic lakes. Cafè by lake (Vaffelbua), where you get freshly baked waffles and coffee on Sundays 11:00 to 16:00.
 * Skiing: Even if Kristiansand receives litle snow at winter time, there is a popular ski-lift in Tveit, not far from the airport. If the snow is gone, there is a challenging downhill bicycle track.
 * Skiing: Even if Kristiansand receives litle snow at winter time, there is a popular ski-lift in Tveit, not far from the airport. If the snow is gone, there is a challenging downhill bicycle track.
 * Skiing: Even if Kristiansand receives litle snow at winter time, there is a popular ski-lift in Tveit, not far from the airport. If the snow is gone, there is a challenging downhill bicycle track.


 * Swimming: Do not forget your swimwear, swimming possibilities are many, outdoors and indoors, in saltwater or freshwater such as the lakes 3. Stampe and Jegersbergvannet, swimming pools, beaches and rocks.
 * The beautiful archipelago off Kristiansand (Skjærgården) consists of amazing landscapes, a paradise of islands, skerries, and rocks. In the summer time, you can reach it by sight-seeing-boat from the town centre, MS Bragdøya. The archipelago and the surrounding fjords is also a beautiful setting for sailing and fishing
 * Diving A-dykk (at Dvergsnestangen by Kristiansand Feriesenter) offers diving tips, diving courses, wreck diving, night diving, air refilling and diving for disabled.
 * Windsurfing: Learn how to windsurf. Many opportunities for practising this sailing sport in Kristiansand.
 * Farm holiday, see the section sleep.
 * Fishing: If you fish in the rivers in the area, you must purchase a fishing licence. The rivers are rich in fish like salmon and trout. If you like to fish in the sea and deep sea fishing, there are good opportunities for that in the Kristiansand area.
 * Play golf: In Kristiansand, there are two golf clubs with their own courts, both a few kilometers outside the city centre, Bjåvann and Kristiansand Golfklubb No reason to let the golf equipment be left at home!
 * Farm holiday, see the section sleep.
 * Fishing: If you fish in the rivers in the area, you must purchase a fishing licence. The rivers are rich in fish like salmon and trout. If you like to fish in the sea and deep sea fishing, there are good opportunities for that in the Kristiansand area.
 * Play golf: In Kristiansand, there are two golf clubs with their own courts, both a few kilometers outside the city centre, Bjåvann and Kristiansand Golfklubb No reason to let the golf equipment be left at home!
 * Fishing: If you fish in the rivers in the area, you must purchase a fishing licence. The rivers are rich in fish like salmon and trout. If you like to fish in the sea and deep sea fishing, there are good opportunities for that in the Kristiansand area.
 * Play golf: In Kristiansand, there are two golf clubs with their own courts, both a few kilometers outside the city centre, Bjåvann and Kristiansand Golfklubb No reason to let the golf equipment be left at home!
 * Play golf: In Kristiansand, there are two golf clubs with their own courts, both a few kilometers outside the city centre, Bjåvann and Kristiansand Golfklubb No reason to let the golf equipment be left at home!

Second hand market
In the period from early June to late August, the Second hand market Posebyen Market is open every Saturday in Posebyen (old town).

Live music

 * Tuesdays from late June to early August there ar free live concerts at Fiskebrygga (The Fish Market).
 * Thursdays from late June to early August there are free live singalong conserts on the main square in the middle of the city centre.

Music festivals
Until 2007, Kristiansand was the site of the Quart Festival, a multi-day music festival - the largest of its kind in Norway.


 * Palmesus, the annual music festival at the Bystranda beach in early July.
 * Måkeskrik in Bendiksbukta, also at Odderøya is an annual music festival later in July.
 * The Dark Season is an indoor annual club music festival in late October.

Constitution Day celebration
(Annually, May 17) In Kristiansand, like in most Norwegian cities, there are traditional parades of schoolchildren before noon and citizens after noon. In addition, Kristiansand has its own conclusion of the day, with dancing in the streets ("Tapto") and spectacular fireworks.

Learn
There's also several small, private higher education schools, among them a Christian journalism school at Gimlekollen and a local departement of BI Norwegian Business School (programs for master and bachelor degree)

Work

 * Looking for a job in the Kristiansand area? See this website.

Specialty stores

 * Eventyrskogen Souvenirs at Kristiansand Zoo and amusementpark

Drink

 * For more information on drinking in Norway, see the section Drink (Norway)

Alcohol in stores
Under Norwegian law, people over the age of 18 can buy alcoholic beverages in regular stores, only if they contain up to 3.75 volume percent alcohol. Alcoholic beverages, strong beers, wines and spirits containing more than 3.75 per cent are sold to persons over the age of 20, only at the state monopoly company Vinmonopolet, in Lillemarkens in the city center, in Amfi Vågsbygd and at Sørlandssenteret. Probably Norwegian prices are higher than you are used to. See Shopping malls.

Local brewing
In the Kristiansand area are much locally brewed, tasty beer. Particularly well known is the brewery Christianssands Bryggeri (CB), and there are several local producers of craft-brewed beer. The locals are proud of their local beer, and it is considered good manners to start with a brand from Agder if you are drinking beer at a bar or a pub.

Mainly coffee

 * Geheb is the largest chain of patisseries and cafes in Kristiansand.
 * Dampbageriet is a minor chain of patisseries and cafes.
 * Drømmeplassen (Skippergata 26) calls itself the dream place.

Camping
Set up your tent or rent a cottage.

In Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement park
Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement park offers a variety of accommodation services and a motorhome camp in the summer within the park area:

Seasonal
Summer accommodation June, July, August:

Hotels in Sørlandsparken
Approx. 12 km east of the town centre, close to Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement park and the large shoppingcentre Sørlandssenteret. There is no airport hotel at Kristiansand Airport, so these are almost as close as you can get.

Hotels Downtown
The city center of Kristiansand is also called Kvadraturen.

Connect

 * Kristiansand Public Library (Rådhusgata 11)
 * International Internet Cafe  (Vestre Strandgate 24)
 * Internettkafè 123  (Kirkegata 22)

There are also many Wi-fi hotspots scattered around town, including many eateries, cafes and various hotels.

Stay safe
Norway is a fairly safe country in general, and Kristiansand is no exception, but for your safety it is advisable to take good care of your belongings. Though you might want to be extra careful at night in weekends, due to occasional drunk youths stumbling around.

Emergency numbers

 * If you are unsure which emergency number to call, is the central for all such and rescue services and will put you in contact with the correct department.
 * For non-emergencies, the police is to be called on or Agder Police District at.
 * If you are unsure which emergency number to call, is the central for all such and rescue services and will put you in contact with the correct department.
 * For non-emergencies, the police is to be called on or Agder Police District at.
 * For non-emergencies, the police is to be called on or Agder Police District at.

Safety at sea
Every year there are reports of foreign visitors that get into trouble in small boats at sea. In this area, fatal incidents also occur. Please note that life jackets are required and follow the usual marine traffic rules. Keep low speed in the archipelago and be sober.

Winter conditions
In the very southernmost parts of Norway, the winters are rarely harsh but also in Kristiansand is both snow and ice in the winter months of December to March. In winter, watch out for icy patches, and when hiking in the forests beware when crossing snowy clearings — they may well be frozen lakes with snow over them, which may look safe but could crack. Finally, beware of snow and ice falling from the roofs in downtown Kristiansand, also where it is not warned.

Stay healthy
In acute illness or if accident occurs contact:

There are many pharmacies (apotek) in Kristiansand, that are selling medications and can give you advice on the treatment of injury and disease.

Water
The tap water of Kristiansand is clean and nice drinking water, so do drink tap water instead of bottled water without worries to save money.

Dangerous animals
There are few wild animals that can hurt. However, some people get wasp stings and tick bites. In case of complications, consult a doctor. The only poisonous snake is the common European adder. In case of an adder bite, seek medical attention immediately. Wild carnivore mammals in Norwegian fauna are so shy that few people ever come in close contact with them. Vehicles that collide with wild moose and deer represent a greater danger.

Cope
Kristiansand is a nice small city, and almost every Norwegian speaks English more or less fluently. Most people will respond in English to any question you may have. Some Norwegians also speak some German, due to the proximity of the language, and that they study it in school. The local Norwegian Bokmål dialect may sound like Danish.

Visa and MasterCard are normally accepted in any restaurant, taxi or store. ATMs accept all major credit and debit cards and are available in English language. The currency is Norwegian kroner (crowns).

More guidance

 * - An easy way to see sights down town for adults and children. (25-30 minutes) Departure from crossing Markens gate / Gyldenløves gate during the summer season. From cruise ships when they arrive.

Go next

 * Lillesand is a pleasant, picturesque but sleepy little town 25 minutes' drive along the E18 east of Kristiansand city. The town is consisting of picturesque white wooden houses around a small harbor, which can be quite busy in summer. In June, July and August, you may experience a part of the amazing archipelago Blindleia between Kristiansand and Lillesand by the sightseeing boat MB Øya.  Return by bus.
 * Vennesla is a village, 15 km north of Kristiansand, on the banks of the river Otra. The Setesdal Line (Setesdalsbanen) is a heritage railway and railway museum that runs on the 8-km-long, wild and scenic stretch between Grovane and Røyknes stations in Vennesla, Sundays in June, July and August.

Further afield

 * Grimstad is a city east of Kristiansand, known as the residence of the famous Norwegian authors such as Henrik Ibsen and Knut Hamsun, its picturesque wooden houses and for good swimming spots for families with children.
 * Arendal is the second largest city in Agder along E18 towards Oslo. The city is on a slope leading down to the famous harbor basin Pollen, perfect for a lunch. Take a small ferry with no cars to Merdø in the beautiful archipelago!
 * Evje is a village north of Kristiansand along the National Route 9 towards Setesdal. Here you can go rafting in small rivers and for those who are ineressert in geology, a visit to  the Mineral Park in Evje should be mandatory.
 * Hovden is the closest major ski resort at winter time, and the starting point for hiking in the mountains in the summer time. Hovden is located at the top of Setesdal along the National Route 9, 160 kilometres (99 mi) from Kristiansand.
 * Mandal along the European route E39 is known as the hometown of the famous sculptor Gustav Vigeland.  Narrow and charming streets to stroll. The Mandal river runs in the midst of town, and the sandy beach Sjøsanden is just outside the centre.
 * Lindesnes Lighthouse (Turn off the E39 west of Mandal, and follow the county road 460 to the lighthouse at the endpoint), dating back to 1656, sits at mainland Norway’s southernmost point. Worth a visit is also the lighthouse museum. The nature and the environment around the lighthouse are breathtaking.