When travelling further south in Norway, a great place to stop is a town fondly called the Hollywood of Norway. This is where Norwegians go to spend their summers and where tourists and foreigners go to catch fun.
This Norwegian summer heaven is none other than Kristiansand. In Kristiansand, the summers are long and full of warmth, making it one of the most attractive cities in the usually cold Scandinavia region. When going to Norway, make sure that Kristiansand is one of the cities on the list of places to visit.
Read on for some of the fun and attractions that await the hearty traveller in Kristiansand.
Visit Kristiansand zoo and amusement park
Kristiansand is Norway’s largest zoo and located about 11 kilometers east of Norway Hollywood. It is also the second most visited amusement attraction in Norway.
Kristiansand zoo and amusement park covers an impressive 150 acres of land which give the animals enough area to roam. Unlike other zoos, animals in Kristiansand zoo are free to roam about and visitors can get up close and personal with them. Getting bored of looking at the more than 140 species of animals living in the zoo,? Then there is an amazing show always on over at the amusement park a swashbuckling pirate show for all the family young and old.
Go shopping
Kristiansand offers one of the best shopping experiences in southern Norway. Kvadraturen in downtown Kristiansand has over 300 shops, over 100 bars and countless number of restaurants and cafes. Shopping is a dream with just about anything on offer to buy in Kvadraturen including summer cloths, works of art, toys, gift items and keepsakes. Even for thoses not interested in shopping, a walk down the streets of Kristiansand is always an interesting experience in summer.
Spend some time at the beach
A visit to Kristiansand is incomplete with doing this, everyone must spend at least a few hours on Bystranda beach. Bystranda beach is also commonly known as the city beach and is one of the most exciting places to spend a hot afternoon. Apart from bathing in the sun, loads of games to play on the beach including beach volleyball, skating on a wooden ramp, or the more basic card and board games. There are palm trees scattered all over the beach to give the whole place a more tropical setting. During the summer, there are series of concerts, shows and festivals taking place on this city beach.
Enjoy a summer festival on the beach
When visiting Kristiansand in the summer, lots of different events and programs will be taking place on different beaches around the city. Some of these events go on till far into the night but thankfully, Kristiansand has a number of accommodation options for visitors including the very popular and affordable Yess Hotel in Tordenskjoldsgate.
One of Norway’s largest beach parties takes place in Kristiansand attracting over 30,000 festival goers. One of the popular events to look out for is Palmesus where a lot of international stars and celebrities perform. Palmesus takes place sometime in July and is usually sold out so get the tickets in early!
