Kristiansand

Agder Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden

and Gimle Gård are two museums, located at Gimle, east of river Otra. In the natural history museum and botanical garden you will find a collections of flora, examples of the fauna and minerals of South Norway in very lifelike exhibitions and rich minerals deposits. Gimle gård is a former mansion, now a museum.

Amfi Vågsbygd

A shopping centre about 5 minutes' drive west of town, in the Vågsbygd area.

Mon-Fri 10:00-20:00, Sat 10:00-18:00

Ansgar Chapel

Ansgarkapellet, St Ansgar's Chapel

A rare, small chapel (9x9x9 m) for those seeking silence and wonder. Triangular glass construction made by multi-artist Kjell Nupen who brings light into the chapel.

Every day 08:00-20:00

Aquarama

Indoor swimming facilities, including water slide, swimming pool, hot water pool and diving towers. Next door there are several other rather dry sports facilities. Open all year.

Mon Wed Thu 12:00-21:00, Tue Fr 06:00-21:00, Sat Sun 10:00-18:00·190 kr

Arkivet

Foundation with museum exhibition

This former Gestapo headquarters is a centre for peace and human rights. The building has a creepy history. During World War II, the local headquarters of Gestapo was located there. Many Norwegian opponents of the Nazi regime were imprisoned there and were subjected to cruel torture, some were sent on to concentration camps and many lost their lives in the struggle for resistance. The museum exhibition takes you back to the crime scene of the 1940s.

Mon-Sat 10:00-15:00·Adults 80 kr, children 40 kr, families 200 kr

Badelandet Aqua Park

Connected to Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park

A waterpark, outdoor or indoor (separate ticket required). Water slides, bubble baths, coral reefs, wave pool and swimming pools. The season lasts from April to October. 129 kr.

Bakgården Bar

Pub ("Både &") with entrance from the street and bar in the backyard (next to each other).

Baneheia

A wooded area with outstanding views of the city, very nice and idyllic ponds and lakes, jogging/hiking trails, lighted tracks and opportunities for freshwater swimming in the summer season. The forest area has an extensive bird life. Note:The best viewpoint is Drageknatten, magnificent views of the city center, the harbor and parts of the archipelago.

Barbarossa Restaurant Bar & Scene

Varied menu. Here you can order from traditional Norwegian cuisine to dishes from remote areas. For the cheapest dishes, order from the week's menu. Live music and DJ on Fridays and Saturdays,

Closed on Sundays, extended opening hours Fridays and Saturdays

Bragdøya

An island in the middle of the approach to Kristiansand. Take the boat over from the small port of Augland (Vågsbygd) west of the town center. Discover the island (which is mostly a green space) and experience the abandoned coastal culture at Bragdøya Coast Culture Center.

Bystranda

A nice sandy blue flag beach with swim pier, sun deck and palm trees - ideal for children.

Christiansholm Fortress

This small fortress was completed in 1672, and was for two centuries used for military purposes, as protection of the eastern port. It has only been in war once, in 1807 when the city was attacked by British Royal Navy ships. It is today used for many purposes and various events, exhibitions, concerts and conferences.

Christianssand Brygghus

A micro-brewery, pub and restaurant. Barbecue from charcoal grill.

Beers from 50 kr

Escape Room

In the mood to play? Play, learn, discover and solve puzzles!

Fiskebrygga

The Fish Quay/The Fish Market

There is still a fish market here, but there are also several, mostly maritime, restaurants around the central waterfront. During summer, locals arrive in their boats and anchor up here. Lovely place for an ice cream.

Hamresanden

approx. 9 km east of town

A 3-km-long, sandy, blue flag beach that can be crowded on warm summer days. There is also a water slide open in the summer months. If swimming is not tempting, there is also a scenic strolling route along the beach.

Harvey's Sportsbar

A popular American sportsbar, with a wide range of hamburgers and live sports. A crowded place during the weekends and Thursday nights (2 for 1).

Open now · closes 3 am tomorrow

Heidi's Bier Bar

German, Bavarian style beer bar with the party atmosphere of afterski and octoberfest.

Håndverkeren

Restaurant house that offers affordable, traditional Norwegian food, taproom and concert venue. Sunday buffet from 189 kr.

Høllen

An old outport, 20 minutes drive along E39 west of the city centre. Take a walk in the outport and Åros beach nearby, or try your luck at fishing, and even take the sightseeing boat all year round to the even moore picturesque outport of Ny-Hellesund where there is also a rare restaurant and guesthouse.

Høyt & Lavt Kristiansand

Climbing park

Kristiansand's climbing park is by lake Grotjønn in a hiking area.

100 to 310 kr, depending on height

Høyt & Lavt Odderøya

Indoors activity park, Xland Adrenaline Park

Inside this indoors park there are 110 different items, low and high-altitude obstacle trails, climbing walls, climbing grids, zip-coaster, zip-lines, free fall-offs and more. Attractive on rainy days.

Every day 10:00-22:00

Kilden Performing Arts Centre

The landmark building at the western pier of Odderøya

Was opened 2012. A location for concerts, theater, and opera performances.

Kristiansand Cannon Museum

Batterie Vara

Here you will find the world's second largest cannon mounted on land. It was mounted by the occupying German forces in 1940 to guard the shipping lanes of the Skagerrak. Here you can ride the narrow-gauge railway that once was used to draw very heavy grenades.

3 Feb-11 May: Sun 12:00-16:00, 18 May-11 Jun: Mon-Wed 11:00-15:00, Thu-Sun 11:00-17:00, 12 Jun-17 Aug: daily 11:00-18:00, 18 Aug-28 Sep: Mon-Wed 11:00-15:00, Thu-Sun 11:00-17:00, 5 Oct-30 Nov: Sun 12:00-16:00

Kristiansand Cathedral

Kristiansand domkirke

In the Neo-Gothic style, by the square in the very center of town is one of the largest cathedrals in Norway. Beautiful inside and worth visiting.

Kristiansand Dyrepark

Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park

Has a wide selection of animals in, for the most part, natural habitats. The main attractions are lions, tigers, wolves, red pandas, and a reptile house. Other activities here include a log run, a large play area, and a pirate castle with Norway's favourite pirate, Kaptein Sabeltann (Captain Sabretooth). During the summer, there are pirate shows late at night. There's also a kind of toy town called Kardemomme by (Cardamom town) which is based on a book by Norwegian children's writer Thorbjørn Egner.

Adults kr 130-kr 340, children kr 110-kr 270 (depending on season) Once inside, all activities are free

La Pizza

Traditional Italian pizza out of a converted shipping container.

Daily 15:00 - 22:00·120-200 kr

Markens gate

The main shopping street in the city centre. Most of the street is pedestrianised. Most of the shops are chain stores, but it is still a busy and nice main shopping street. A few independent stores are still here. It's a central gathering place for most locals, and thus more than a shopping street. Markens gate is the starting point of the indoor shopping centres Sandens, Lillemarkens and Slottet or elsewhere in Kvadraturen.

Myren Mansion

Myren Gård

A former mansion with houses in the best Swiss style, now a public park in English style, known for plants and trees from the more southern parts of the world, especially for the large rhododendron collection. View of the western port.

Møllepuben

(2019: Went bankrupt and temporarily closed)

Traditional, Norwegian style pub Local bands play for dancing several nigths a week.