Kristiansand is one of Norway’s largest cities, and it is located on the country’s south coast. There have been settlements in the region before King Christian IV founded Kristiansand in 1641 as the only market town on the coast between Skien and Stavanger. The town developed on a sandy plain by the water, and hence the old name, Christianssand. The area was undeveloped, and therefore Kristiansand could be laid out from the start according to the king’s wishes, which meant straight and right-angled streets. Residents of the area were ordered to move to the new city, where they were given trading privileges and tax exemption.

Kristiansand became a garrison town in 1666, and the bishop’s seat in Stavanger was moved here in 1682, which gave rise to significant development. The following centuries had ups and downs, as the population fell in decline when Norway was separated from Denmark in 1814, and the city’s economy deteriorated for a period. Later, the industry was developed together with the establishment of hydropower in southern Norway, and in recent years Kristiansand has gone through a major development due to offshore business.

Today you can go for some nice walks in Kristiansand, which is very scenic. The old center is called Kvadraturen, and it is a neighborhood that goes back to the town plan of Christian IV’s Kristiansand. All streets in Kvadraturen are at right angles to each other, and they were planned from the start with identical width and with the same length between the individual streets at intersections. The central element is the square in the middle of the Quadrangle. The square follows Rådhusgata and forms a large open space with the green area of Wergelandsparken.

You can see the city’s town hall on the square, which was built in 1864 as a combined town hall and prison. On the opposite side of Torvet square is Kristiansand Cathedral, which is one of Norway’s largest churches. The cathedral is the fourth church on the site, and the current neo-Gothic version was completed in 1885, and it was built using the walls of the previous church, which was burned down in 1880. A detail is that the altar is to the west, which was due to the use of the remaining walls for the new building.

In Kvadraturen you can also see Posebyen, which is the only area that survived the town fire in 1892. In the cozy streets such as Kronprinsens gate, Gyldenløves gate and Skippergata, there are many small charming wooden houses. You can also take a walk along Markens gate, which is Kristiansand’s main street and laid out as a pedestrian area on the central section. You can also walk from Torvet along Festningsgata towards Kristiansand’s active harbor.

Christiansholm Fortress is located here, which was built 1666-1672 as part of the city’s defense and as a supplement to the sea forts Christiansø Fortress and Fredriksholm Fortress further out in the fjord. The two forts were built to protect Flekkerøy’s harbour, while Christiansholm Fortress was built on an island off the town as a defense of Kristiansand. Today, the fortress is a well-preserved tower fortress used for various activities and events. Next to Christiansholm Fortress is the city’s marina, and east of it you can enjoy Kristiansand’s city beach. The beach is very popular in the season, and at the beach you can also go to the Aquarama water park.

If you want to learn more about the history of Kristiansand and Setesdal back to the end of the 16th century, you can visit the Kristiansand Museum, which is an interesting open-air museum. There are around 40 buildings here, which in different ways show what life was like in the old days. Here is e.g. a farm from 1869 and a schoolroom from the 19th century, and you can also see a miniature version of Kristiansand in the early 20th century.

From here you can go to Gimle Gård, one of the region’s most beautiful manors. The house was built at the end of the 18th century by the merchant Bernt Holm as a retreat. Today, the stately main house is furnished like a manor house, which tells the story about the past centuries, and the house is surrounded by a beautiful park. There is also a natural history museum and a botanical garden here. There are also other museums in the city, such as Sørlandets Kunstmuseum, which has both its own art collection and changing exhibitions.