Kristiansand, Norway

What a lovely little town. One would never know the area has been settled since 400 AD! King Christian IV formally founded the town in 1641 – thus the name. Because of location, it was useful for defense which allowed it to grow into a major port. Today, the town is redeveloping the port area into a walkable ‘seaport village’ to attract all those cruise ships to help the economy. Just hope it doesn’t lose its charm.

The Kristiansand Performing Arts Center welcomes cruise ship passengers.

The ‘must sees’ in Kristiansand include the un-congested pedestrian street of lovely cafes and shops, Posebyen (the old town with its white wood houses), the cathedral at the city center and the Fiskebrygga (fish market). ALL walkable from the cruise dock. So – off we go. First stop is one of those lovely little cafes on the pedestrian street. This is Norway’s version of Starbucks and a repeat of a similar pic you might remember from the Alesund post. That is because they have the BEST hot chocolate and this wonderful cinnamon roll – not too sweet with just the right amount of cinnamon;-)

Ahh – what a great way to start the morning!

After that great nourishment, continue down the pedestrian way and be amazed and the sights – –

Cinderella must be getting ready for the ball.

Even the City’s manhole covers are interesting – depicting the central square.

As one can see, the centerpiece of the central square is the Cathedral with its elegant simplicity. This Neo-Gothic cathedral built in 1884 contains beautiful wood ceilings and along with wood framed organ pipes. AND – they were having an organ recital within minutes to provide a great respite with outstanding music. The organist was fabulous and very informative introducing each piece played and discussing the fiber optic connectivity of the organ to the pipes, which allowed the console to be in the middle of the floor. What a treat!

The model ship hanging in the Cathedral is a model of the Danish steam frigate Jylland, and it commemorates the Danish sailors who died following a major naval battle in 1864.

Energized from the beautiful concert, it was time for a brisk two block walk to Old Town with all its white, wood houses lined up side by side. This old town is one of Northern Europe’s largest collections of charming timber houses. Interesting – but a bit monotonous – until you find a few cute little places with a little color or a few plants outside.

One of many charming houses in the downtown area.

Now – a little diversion you might find odd. But, a very interesting discovery in this old part of town. The garbage system! As one looks up and down the street, there are NO apparent garbage cans or those large ugly bins that are always overflowing;;-( That’s because they have this unique system of vertical ‘bins’ in the ground that housing units are assigned to and must have a key fob to gain access. Never know what one might find when wandering these little towns.