Things to see and do Kristiansand

This park was created around 1880 by General Wergeland. It is located behind the city and is very easy to reach on foot. It is very pleasant to walk around in the summer and enjoy a pastry in the café or in the heart of the park, where concerts are held on a covered stage. It is also the starting point for walks in the region. The restaurant, Cafe Generalen, offers the best burgers in town and is a great place to stop in the summer, especially when the weather is nice. Also cultural events.

The cathedral dates from 1885 and was built in the neo-Gothic style by the architect Henrik Thrap-Meyer. At 60 metres long, 38.7 metres wide and 70 metres high, it is one of the largest in the country. Classical music concerts are regularly held here. There are guided tours to the top of the tower from mid-June to mid-August. Some tours are also in English. Weekday organ recitals in summer at 11am or 3pm.

This fortress was built in 1672 and was designed by the architect Willem Coucheron in order to be able to defend the city of Kristiansand in case of need. The fort was actually used only once, in 1807, against an attack by the British (from the HMS Spencer). In 1872 it was closed and is now owned by the municipality of Kristiansand. In summer, temporary exhibitions of art and crafts. A relatively interesting visit.

Opened in 1828, the Agder Museum is the only natural history museum in the region. It is also one of the oldest in the country. It includes a botanical garden, permanent exhibitions ("The Ice Age", "Minerals", "From the Sea to the Earth", etc.) and temporary exhibitions. It's always a pleasure to walk around in this kind of place, learning a bit about the local plants and animals. If your steps take you there in spring, don't miss this visit!

A good lesson for French animal parks: it covers over 150 hectares and is in impeccable condition despite being 45 years old. Among the most unusual animals: the red panda, the wild snow goat and the wolves in their little fenced-in forest. Among other games and attractions for children, there's the famous town of Kardemomme By, recreated in 1991 after Thorbjørn Egner's book, Gens et brigands de Pimentville (published in French in 1992 by Esprit Ouvert). This town of gentle brigands features a pirate ship that transports children to Summer Island in the South Sea. We also love Aqualand, with its outdoor pool heated to 26°C. Inside the park, in the miniature town, you'll feel like you're in a North African village. It's all there. You can rent child-sized houses, from 4 to 6 beds. Kids (and parents) love it!
This zoo is one of the biggest in Scandinavia and the largest in Norway. We recommend visiting during the summer months to see the animals in the African and Asian pavilions outdoors. However, it's worth visiting all year round, especially in winter to see the Siberian tigers, wolves and elks. The zoo is open all year round and staffed by qualified personnel. A little anecdote: the "Zoo Keepers" are also the actors in a TV show, broadcast on a Norwegian channel, where you can follow the daily life of the animals in the park!

The museum houses one of the largest guns ever created, the Vara Battery. So, firearms, history and big guns lovers beware! It was built by the Germans during the occupation of the country, during the Second World War, and later joined its acolytes Dora and Gustav in the list of the most fearsome weapons of war in the world. It was later used and finally dismantled by the Norwegian army.

It is a large 19th century mansion on the northern outskirts, near the church of Oddernes, in an English park with wild flowers. The ballroom displays a collection of paintings by anonymous painters and copies of masters. The small charming salons are furnished in the English Empire style. A magnificent building. In the building opposite, a small museum of natural history exhibits a naturalized musk ox and a polar bear.

This medieval church has a very rich baroque decoration with some Renaissance touches here and there. Its runestone is one of the most beautiful in Norway. Organ concerts in summer. The church is pleasant to look at. The adjoining cemetery is quiet and you can walk between the sober Norwegian gravestones. If you are passing by, consider stopping by, but perhaps don't make a detour on purpose either.

The Kunstsilo museum aims to be the catalyst for modern Nordic art. A must-see venue, it houses exhibitions from the former Sørlandet Art Museum alongside the Tangen collection, the heart of the new museum, comprising 5,000 works by 300 artists. The Sørlandet Art Museum presented exhibitions of works by Norwegian artists from 1800 to the present day. Its usually remarkable temporary exhibitions demonstrated a certain open-mindedness when it came to art. Like the old museum, the new one features play areas for children.