North Sea Cruise: Kristiansand
In this third post of a multi-part series, Bethany explores Kristiansand, Norway on her North Sea cruise on Crystal Serenity.
I spent a wonderful day in Kristiansand, Norway. From visiting an interesting open-air museum to exploring the town center, I really enjoyed my day here in Kristiansand.
North Sea Full Itinerary
Below is the full itinerary for the trip. This post includes details about Kristiansand. Looking for info on other stops? Check out the ‘Links’ section at the end of this post!
- August 5-6: Copenhagen, Denmark
- August 7: North Denmark
- August 8: Kristiansand, Norway
- August 9: Sandnes, Norway
- August 10: Kirkwall, Orkney, Scotland
- August 11: Lerwick, Shetland, Scotland
- August 12-13: Tórshavn, Faroe Islands and a sea day
- August 14-17: Reykjavik, Iceland
- August 16: South Coast of Iceland
Welcome to Norway
We sailed into the port of Kristiansand, Norway on the morning of August 8. I had some nice views of the port area as we docked. After enjoying breakfast in The Marketplace on the ship, I stopped to capture my 47th flag here in Norway.
Starting the Excursion
Our first stop on today’s excursion was a scenic lookout with a nice view of the ship in the nearby harbor. This area also has some old bunkers from the early 1900s, and we had a few minutes to explore them and soak in the gorgeous views here.
Vest-Adger Museum
Next up on today’s excursion: the Vest-Adger Museum. This is an open-air museum with several original buildings from the 1600s-1800s.
Our visit started at Bygaden (the town street). This section has houses from the town center of Kvadraturen in Kristiansand. Along with residential houses, there is also a general store and a workshop. These buildings date from the 1800s. We were free to explore the buildings on our own, and I started in the Sea Captain’s house.
In the Bygaden section, I also checked out the other residential houses. These are more typical family homes of the time (in comparison to the larger and more luxurious sea captain’s house).
It was also interesting to see the inside of some of the old workshops here as well.
I then spent some time in the Minibyen (“Mini City”), a miniature model of Kvadraturen as the city appeared in the 1880s and 1890s. All of the miniature buildings here were built by the “Mini-builders,” a group of local retirees who built the model as a hobby.
We then moved on to the Setesdaltunet section. This section has buildings from Valle and Bykle, including houses, barns, and saunas. The buildings here date from the mid-1600s.
Our local museum guide brought us into one of the old buildings and showed us some artifacts. She first showed us an early version of an iron (damp clothes were laid on the flat board and the round one was rolled back and forth on top). These were carved by men as a way to propose to a woman – their version of an engagement ring! She also showed us some women’s socks. The women at that time had very large calves from lugging water in wooden buckets all day. Large calves meant a woman was a good candidate for a wife (she was hard working and dependable), so women with smaller calves would stuff their socks with grass or potatoes!
The Island of Flekkerøy
After the open air museum, we drove a bit further from the mainland through the Flekkerøy Tunnel. This is an undersea tunnel that is 7,612 feet (2,320 meter) long and connects the mainland to the island of Flekkerøy. This pretty island is a residential district in the municipality of Kristiansand. There are just under 4,000 residents who live here on the island.
We stopped at a small cafe to enjoy some local pancakes and tea or coffee. They were delicious!
We then had a bit of free time to walk around and enjoy the gorgeous views on the island. This island was established over 500 years ago by fishermen, and fishing is still a major part of island life today.
Back to the Ship
After a great morning excursion, we returned to the ship. I took a quick “ship selfie” before heading out to explore Kristiansand.
Exploring Kristiansand
I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and headed out to explore the main areas of Kristiansand. There is a pretty fish market at the pier where my ship is docked. A quick and easy walk past the fish market takes you right to the heart of Kristiansand.
There is a large and lively pedestrian area here, and many people were out and about on this gorgeous afternoon. This area is a mix of shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars. I found a small stand selling some fresh produce and couldn’t resist getting some strawberries. I sat and ate them in a sunny spot near a large fountain.
Kristiansand Domkirke
My last stop this afternoon was the Kristiansand Domkirke (Cathedral). This is the cathedral of the Church of Norway. It was built inn 1885 and holds about 1,000 people, making it one of the largest cathedrals in Norway.
As I walked back to the ship, I passed by the fish market area again. I simply couldn’t resist stopping at the local ice cream shop to get my daily fix! The salted caramel was a delicious end to a lovely day in and around Kristiansand.
Captain’s Welcome Reception
We had the Captain’s Welcome Reception this evening. Our Captain, Mr. Birger Borland, is rather charming! I also got to take several passes on the dance floor. Crystal has a small group of “Ambassadors” on each cruise, to provide company for us solo travelers if we choose. There weren’t many other solo women at the event this evening, so they all took turns dancing with me! Even though I have two left feet, it’s always fun to let loose and cut a rug every now and then.
Dinner at Waterside
After the reception, I headed to Waterside (the main dining room on the ship) for another delicious dinner.
- Appetizer: Duo of Crab, with avocado and chamomile foam
- Main Course: Dover sole (which was expertly deboned table side!), with glazed baby vegetables and parsley potatoes
- Dessert: “Ile Flottante” (“floating island”) – soft meringue, passion fruit sauce, mango salsa
Conclusion
Kristiansand, Norway, is a delightful place to spend a day! I enjoyed visiting a few different places here today…an interesting open-air museum, a pretty little fishing island, and a bustling old town area. The gorgeous weather just enhanced the experiences throughout the day.
Links
Check the main page for this cruise to read more about my adventures:
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