Kristiansund

A city with four districts

Kristiansund is a colorful city that appears to float in the Atlantic Ocean only 30 minutes by car from the famous Atlantic Road. The city consists of four islands that together form a unique port area and the four districts Innlandet, Kirkelandet, Nordlandet and Gomalandet. Kristiansund is a city and municipality on Nordmøre in Møre og Romsdal, with around 24,000 inhabitants. The municipality consists of a group of islands, with five larger and several smaller islands, islets and reefs.

Postwar renewal

Kristiansund was almost destroyed in 1940, close to 900 houses burned down after the city was bombed. The city that meets the visitor today has been built up over the last 50 years. Much of the city lost its old character, but you can still experience history when you visit the old town in the lower part of Innlandet.

Colors by the sea

The new Kristiansund has acquired a distinctive character; notice the houses painted in cheerful colors and see how the gabled houses in the center of Kirkelandet are oriented towards the street and quay with its clipfish piers. Kristiansund is a clean, attractive city surrounding the harbor.

Clipfish and classic tones

Kristiansund is a city filled with culture. Opera, clipfish and Sundbåt are three things not to be missed when you travel here. Throughout the year you can experience around 100 different events, and attend for example, the Opera Festival Weeks, the Nordic Light Festival of Photography, the Clipfish Festival, the Tahiti Festival and the Kristiansund Festival - just to name a few.

Discover «fishan»

From ancient times Kristiansund's economy was based on clipfish. If you look at a menu at the city's restaurants and cafes, you will see that culinary traditions are alive and well today. We recommend stopping by one of the many popular places serving Kristiansund specialties like bacalao or "fishan", real fish and chips in traditional Kristiansund style.

The heart of the city - Sundbåten

Many locals consider Sundbåten as the very heart of the city. The boat is one of the world's oldest means of public transport and has been in continuous operation under the same logo since 1876. Sundbåten is almost as old as the famous tram in San Francisco which was built in 1873. The round trip between the four districts takes around 20 minutes.

The fishing village of Grip

14 kilometers north of Kristiansund you will find one of the city's most popular attractions in the summer, the colorful island of Grip. Until 1964, Grip was its own municipality and the country's smallest. Already in the Middle Ages Grip was a well-known and important fishing village. Today, the island has no permanent settlement, but the old buildings are original and mainly used as holiday homes.

Tour, photo exhibition and stave curch

During the summer months, a boat goes to Grip where you can join a guided tour to one of the colorful boathouses for a photo exhibition and hear the story of the island's small red stave church. The foundations of the church are from around the year 1300; it stands on the highest point of the island. You can visit the café during opening hours or just enjoy the picturesque scenery, fresh air and charming atmosphere.