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Photo: Bjoertvedt, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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.
SS Hestmanden is a Norwegian steamer, which since 2017 has served as Norsk krigsseilermuseum and a national memorial for the War Sailors. Hestmanden is the only preserved cargo ship that has sailed in convoys during both World War I and World War II. It is the only remaining ship of the more than 1,000 that were part of the Nortraship fleet during World War II, and therefore represents a central part of Norway's war history and maritime history. Called "the lucky ship", as it survived convoys in two world wars, Hestmanden is considered Norway's most valuable veteran ship. The ship is still sailing under its own power, to spread the history of the War Sailors effort.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.