1. A walking tour

The compact heart of Kristiansand is wonderful to wander on foot and sprinkled with street art. Begin in Posebyen, the old town characterized by white wooden houses, then onto Markens, the main pedestrian street, and the independent boutiques and bakeries of Skippergata. After a visit to Kristiansand Cathedral, one of Norway's largest, finish up in Fiskebrygga (Fish Market) for superlative seafood.

2. Kunstsilo

Just across the water from the cruise terminal, a former grain silo turned architectural landmark houses the world’s largest collection of Nordic modern art. Opened in 2024, the pared-back interior of the building - carved from 30 silos - is just as worth seeing as the 5,500 artworks that fill it.

3. Odderøya peninsula

A former naval base-turned-arts quarter, the rocky, tree-clad Odderøya peninsula is only a 20-minute stroll away, laced with hiking trails and studded with artist workshops, cafés, and the Kilden Performing Arts Center.

4. Cozy drinking dens

If the weather is blustery, there are numerous retreats worth hunkering down in. Tollbodgata, or ‘bar street’, forms the backbone, but veer off to find Bakgården, a cozy nook billed as one of the best cocktail bars in Scandinavia, Brygghuset, a craft-beer micro-brewery, and Club 21 on the top floor of the Radisson Blu Caledonien Hotel for panoramic city views. For a first-rate caffeine fix, try Camillo Bastrup.

5. Kristiansand Kunsthall

Found on the city center’s main square, this free-to-enter progressive art gallery is a light, bright space whose rotating exhibitions are a thought-provoking and calm way to spend a few hours.