Kristiansand, Norway

[Irish Cath]

Has anyone been to this port - would appreciate your views and experiences on ship excursions and exploring the area by self !

 

Thanks

[estebofarr]

Bringing this up front. I would also appreciate any suggestions for the day in Kristiansand.

[MMDown Under]

I'd also appreciate any information on touring Kristiansand, Norway, as we'll be visiting early July.

[gosport11]

We went to Kristansand,the ship docked a little way out of town,we walked in they were getting ready for a beach volley ball tournament so a lot of activety,

The town is laid out on a grid system so its quite easy to get around,the main square has a nice church and a modern shopping mall, there is a man made beach area which was being modenised its a popular holiday resort with the norwegians,some parts of the town look quite seedy,there is also a pedstrian shopping area with a good selection of shops by the time we docked it was our 8th stop so we were all ported out a nice stop but nothing to special as for futher afield i cant comment,worth a few hours ashore tho easy walking no hills,

There is also a port called Kristansund which is in a totally different part off the country, i think our friend goggle will be of more help :)

[MMDown Under]

We went to Kristansand,the ship docked a little way out of town,we walked in they were getting ready for a beach volley ball tournament so a lot of activety,

The town is laid out on a grid system so its quite easy to get around,the main square has a nice church and a modern shopping mall, there is a man made beach area which was being modenised its a popular holiday resort with the norwegians,some parts of the town look quite seedy,there is also a pedstrian shopping area with a good selection of shops by the time we docked it was our 8th stop so we were all ported out a nice stop but nothing to special as for futher afield i cant comment,worth a few hours ashore tho easy walking no hills,

There is also a port called Kristansund which is in a totally different part off the country, i think our friend goggle will be of more help :)

 

Thank you for your response, which is much appreciated.

 

It will be our 7th and last port. I guess it is a convenient final stop on the way back to the UK, from the Baltics, for cruise ships.

[MacThespian]

Has anyone been to this port - would appreciate your views and experiences on ship excursions and exploring the area by self !

 

Thanks

 

I've been there several times (a pen pal of mine from my high school days--long ago--lives there), but never on a cruise so can't discuss excursions. I really enjoy Ravnedalen, a national park, but I think you'll need transportation to get there. Kristiansand Dyrepark (http://www.dyreparken.no/*****-oss/Spraak/Kristiansand-Zoo-and-Amusement-Park/) is a small zoo that we also enjoyed; again, it's a little out of town, but I think there's public transportation.

 

Staying in town is easy. It's small and walkable. The cathedral makes a nice stop (though I'd say it doesn't compare to the majestic cathedrals of larger cities).

 

You can also check out this web site: http://www.kristiansand-norway.com/kristiansandtouristattractions.html

[havepassportwilltravel]

My husband has many cousins in Kristiansand, and we have been there four times in the last eight years. It is lovely, and easy, just to walk around in the downtown area, which also has a charming pedestrian shopping street. Though the cathedral is smaller than some, it is beautiful. There are places near the water (Fiskebrygga) to eat and enjoy the sun (when it is shining). There is a little touristy train that goes around town in the summer. Mostly, Kristiansand in the summer is about sunshine. While it isn't a "tourist-intensive" destination, it is a lovely spot just to relax, enjoy the waterfront and the people. There are dozens and dozens of small islands nearby, also, making it a small boat paradise. Wonderful, welcoming people!!

[adventuregrrl]

We were just in Kristiansand last week and really enjoyed our day in port. The town is cute and is an easy 5 minute walk from where we were docked. There are several cute book shops.

 

At MacThespian's recommendation, we went to Dyrepark which was fabulous! It is a zoo with huge open exhibits for the animals. The park itself is very large and is like a very nice hike in the woods. Our favorite exhibit was the animals of Norway exhibit --- which is huge and a really lovely walk in the forest. (Simply walk into town and take the M1 or 01 bus to Dyrepark Quality Inn stop - it's a 30 minute bus ride and costs 35 Kroner each way. The bus is super clean and it was also interesting to see what's outside the town.)

 

We ended our day with some delicious fish and chips and excellent beer at the outdoor, waterside restaurant Sommermeny. We then walked back through the fish market on our way back to the ms Rotterdam.

 

If you're interested, some of photos from our day in port are at:

 

[MacThespian]

We were just in Kristiansand last week and really enjoyed our day in port. The town is cute and is an easy 5 minute walk from where we were docked. There are several cute book shops.

 

At MacThespian's recommendation, we went to Dyrepark which was fabulous! It is a zoo with huge open exhibits for the animals. The park itself is very large and is like a very nice hike in the woods. Our favorite exhibit was the animals of Norway exhibit --- which is huge and a really lovely walk in the forest. (Simply walk into town and take the M1 or 01 bus to Dyrepark Quality Inn stop - it's a 30 minute bus ride and costs 35 Kroner each way. The bus is super clean and it was also interesting to see what's outside the town.)

 

We ended our day with some delicious fish and chips and excellent beer at the outdoor, waterside restaurant Sommermeny. We then walked back through the fish market on our way back to the ms Rotterdam.

 

If you're interested, some of photos from our day in port are at:

 

 

Glad you liked visiting the Dyrepark. It's something that not many visitors to Kristiansand know about.

[adventuregrrl]

Glad you liked visiting the Dyrepark. It's something that not many visitors to Kristiansand know about.

 

We wouldn't have gone if it hadn't been for your strong recommendation --- it was really a good way to get out and enjoy nature. Thanks again!

[adventuregrrl]

We ended our day with some delicious fish and chips and excellent beer at the outdoor, waterside restaurant Sommermeny.

 

I am a goofball --- I just learned the "Sommermeny" is Norwegian for "Summer Menu." The name of the restaurant that was so good is actually Sjohuset. :)

[SixOfSeven]

Adventuregrrl, thanks for sharing your terrific flickr slides. My wife, 9-year-old son, and I will be going on this same cruise in July, and it's great to see some of what is in store for us. We will definitely be going to Dyrepark.

 

I wonder if you could share info about what you saw at the Stavanger stop? We're really keen to see Pulpit Rock. I gather that the ship sails into Lysefjord far enough that you can see it from the water? There doesn't seem to be enough time in port to hike up and back to the Rock (because of the ferry ride needed to get to the trailhead), which is a real shame because the view from the rock looks completely amazing.

 

If you have any tips about what to see in Flam, that would also be most appreciated. It looks from your slides like you took the rail trip--was that an HAL excursion or on your own?

[kasi1979]

Hi,

 

thanks for the info regarding Dyrepark.

Is it right, that they charge 399 NOK per person in the summer?

We are interested in going, I´m just not sure, if we want to spend to much money.

 

Thanks.

[adventuregrrl]

Hi,

 

Is it right, that they charge 399 NOK per person in the summer?

Thanks.

 

We paid $299 NOK per adult for zoo only passes (rather than the combo with the water park). That works out to a little less than $50/USD person.

 

I wonder if you could share info about what you saw at the Stavanger stop? We're really keen to see Pulpit Rock. I gather that the ship sails into Lysefjord far enough that you can see it from the water? There doesn't seem to be enough time in port to hike up and back to the Rock (because of the ferry ride needed to get to the trailhead), which is a real shame because the view from the rock looks completely amazing.

 

If you have any tips about what to see in Flam, that would also be most appreciated. It looks from your slides like you took the rail trip--was that an HAL excursion or on your own?

 

Thanks. Glad you liked the photos.... In Stavanger, we too had wanted to hike up Pulpit Rock, but didn't have time. We actually spent the day walking around town and shopping. Stavanger is a really cute town with an interesting medieval church. We toured the church, then went shopping (bought a beautiful sweater) and cool pewter as well as our troll featured in several of our pics, then walked around all the old houses in Gamle Stavanger, followed by a good beer and our first ever Akevitt. Akevitt is a Norweigen liquor made from potatoes and caraway seeds. (It was really strong.)

 

Our Stavanger and Lysefjord pics are at:

http://www.flickr.com//photos/pierha...77240208/show/

 

In Flam, we took the train excursion. We really enjoyed the ride and seeing the waterfalls. At the stop at the top, we saw a fox near the wood pile. (We enjoyed the really beautiful scenery and were glad we book through HAL. One of the later trains was delayed by a few hours and our ship waited for them since they were a ship excursion.) We ended the day with some of the best beer we've ever tasted at the Aegir Brygerri.

 

 

Our Flam and Sognefjord pics are at:

 

Hope this helps!

[ozscotart]

Has anyone been to this port - would appreciate your views and experiences on ship excursions and exploring the area by self !

 

Thanks

 

We were there in May off HAL Ryndam, we docked fairly centrally, but it was quite a wet day. We took the petit train from the ship to the main street (10 euros return) and went to the art gallery, had a very nice coffee, I went round the gallery, which had a small selection of fairly dull 19th Norwegian painting and a more interesting contemporary collection.

I did some shopping and went back to the ship for lunch. We didn't go out in the afternoon, it was too wet.

 

To be honest, we wouldn't be enthusiastic about going back, or if we did, we would think about doing an excursion. There is a small, mildly interesting old town and old fishermans area, but you can see that in half an hour.

[SixOfSeven]

Loving your pics. Thanks so much for those and the additional info!

[adventuregrrl]

Loving your pics. Thanks so much for those and the additional info!

 

Thanks SixofSeven. We also stopped in Oslo (actually Sandefjord because of a strike at the time)...anyway if you're interested we have some pics of the ski jump museum, the big sculpture park, and the awesome Viking Ship Museum posted at:

[cruisesorlandet]

Kristiansand has a lot of hidden treasures to see and visit........staff from the local cruise network, cruise Sørlandet, will be able to give you information about attractions, prices, opening hours as well as transportation once you disembark. On our facebookpage, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cruise-Sorlandet/314521435263285. You can see more pics from Kristiansand and the surroundings as well as on our web page http://www.cruisesorlandet.com

 

To list attractions that can be reached easily:

 

The zoo and amusement park (defenetly worth the money but spend the day!)

The Vest Agder Open Air Museum

Trip to the islands with MB Hoellen (available with attraction shuttle from the port)

The Canon Museum

the Arkivet Museum (old Gestapo Headquarters)

The Ravnedalen Park and Baneheia Tour Terraine

The Art Museum

Sea Rafting

Golf

Diving

Helicopter Flihtseeing

River Rafting

Lindesnes Lighthouse

The Gimle Manor House Museum & Botanical Garden

The Mineral Park and Mineral Treasure Hunt

 

And I can keep going on :) if you need more info about these things please feel free to contact us at mail info@cruisesorlandet.com and we look forwards to seeing you in Kristiansand

[Kristiansand Tourist Info]

Hi adventuregrrl,

 

We here at the Tourist Office in Kristiansand are loving your pictures! Is it ok with you if we put a link to your pictures on flick on the Cruise Sorlandet Facebook page?

 

Kind regards,

Kristiansand Tourist Information :)

[Kristiansand Tourist Info]

Hello cruisers,

 

As of next year the Tourist Office in Kristiansand will be located at the new local authorities building, at the upper town square. Diagonally across from the cathedral.

 

We look forward to welcoming you there and at the cruise harbour when you arrive.

[little britain]

Does the ship dock in town or will we need to catch a bus please?

[little britain]

And will anything be open on a Sunday? I am guessing the church will only be for those attending services.

[Mairnealach]

Does the ship dock in town or will we need to catch a bus please?

 

Kristiansand is a very small town and cruise ships berth in its centre.

[heatherb1958]

Does the ship dock in town or will we need to catch a bus please?

 

Kristiansand was one of my favourite places last year from Independence of the seas .

I went hiking on the island to the right where the ship docks, Odderoya. The sun was shining and it was beautiful once you climbed high ,lovely views over to the islands . Afterwards I still had plenty of time to explore the town's streets.