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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Oddernes Church

The oldest church in the area was built in the 11th century. Rune stone from when the church was built is moved into this beautiful, old church

Odderøya Museumshavn

The maritime museum and port at Odderøya marks the long traditions of Kristiansand as a seafaring city. On the hill behind are some ocher and red buildings that have history as a fortress and as a plague hospital.

Ravnedalen

(Ravens' Valley) is a lovely park just outside the city centre. It is surrounded with steep cliffs and presents the visitor with lush flower gardens and manicured laws perfect for picnics. If you forgot your picnic basket, there's also a café here. The peaceful idyll is usually disturbed only by an extensive bird life. But there are sometimes music performances in the summer.

Sørlandet's Art Museum (SKMU)

2 minutes walk from the cathedral

An art gallery with permanent and changing exhibitions. Varied works of art, own children's club.

The Boardwalk

Strandpromenaden

The boardwalk alongside the seafront in the town centre leads you through beautiful parks and passes Norway's second-largest fountain park (Otterdalsparken, also known as the Nupen Park), Christiansholm fortress from the 17th century (see above), playground for children and a public beach: Bystranda, the City Beach. The boardwalk continues along the western river bank of the river Otra (Otra elvepark) as a 40-km-long path for nature and culture.

Vest-Agder Museum Kristiansand

An open-air-museum that consists of a mainbuilding and about 40 other buildings, collected from the counties of Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder and Kvaderaturen, Kristiansand's old town. In the museum, you will also find miniature models of Kristiansand from late 19th century and a cafè.

DS Hestmanden

A merchant steamship that sailed during two world wars and is Norway's memorial to the efforts of seafarers. Kristiansand is a home port. Exhibition on board.

Posebyen

This is what's left of Kristiansand's old town. It still occupies several blocks on the eastern part of the town centre. Here you can still see small, white, single-storey, wooden houses occupy a whole block. Very peaceful just a few minutes' walk from the busy shopping streets.

Sørlandet

Full rigged ship. Home port: Kristiansand

Sørlandet is the world's oldest operational tallship and a unique cultural heritage of the maritime Norway. She is available for pre-ordered guiding or even to experience sailing for the "youth" of all ages.