Kristiansund
Encyclopedia
Kristiansund ˈkrɪstɪansʊn is a city and municipality on the western coast of Norway
, in the Nordmøre
district of Møre og Romsdal
county
. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund. Other villages in the municipality include Kvalvåg
, Rensvik
, and Frei
.
). On 1 January 1964, the island municipality of Grip
(population: 104) and the Dale area on Nordlandet
island (population: 963) were merged into Kristiansund. The island and municipality of Frei
was merged with Kristiansund on 1 January 2008.
in 1742. The last element of the name, sund, means "strait
". The old name of the town/village (originally the island Kirkelandet
) was Fosna or Fosen (Old Norse
: fólgsn) which means "hiding place" (here 'hidden port'). It was also often named Lille Fosen ("the small Fosen") to distinguish it from the island Storfosna
("the big Fosen") in Ørland
.
Before 1877, the name was written Christianssund, from 1877-1888 it was spelled Kristianssund, and since 1889 it has had its present spelling, Kristiansund.
Before the introduction of postal code
s in Norway in 1968, it was easy to confuse the name Kristiansund with Kristiansand
in the south. It was therefore obligatory to always add an N (for north) to Kristiansund (Kristiansund N) and an S (for south) to Kristiansand (Kristiansand S).
because the old name of the town (Fosen) was misinterpreted as Fossund (as a compound of foss which means waterfall and sund which means strait
). There are, however, no waterfalls in the municipality.
Another myth concerning the coat-of-arms is that there was a mix up, between Kristiansund's and Molde
's intended shield. The Dano-Norwegian government officials in charge of the giving of the coats, had a party to remember the momentous occasion and became too drunk and hungover to remember which was which, and so Molde got the coat with a whale (which are scarce in between the Romsdal
fjord
s) and Kristiansund got the waterfall (since Molde is on the mainland and Kristiansund lies in the open sea, it would be more likely that the waterfall was intended for Molde
's mountains and the whales for Kristiansund.)
has three parishes within the municipality of Kristiansund. It is part of the Diocese of Møre
and the Deanery
(Prosti) of Ytre Nordmøre.
St. Eystein Catholic Church is the only catholic
church in Kristiansund.
and Aure
to the northeast, Tingvoll
to the east, Gjemnes
to the south, and Averøy
to the southwest. In the northwest, the small island of Grip
is located. The municipality is surrounded by the Freifjorden
and Kvernesfjord
.
Kristiansund is built on four main islands, with many smaller islands. The island of Nordlandet
("North Land", humorously nicknamed Marokko
), is the second largest island and the site of the local airport, Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
(IATA code: KSU). Kirkelandet
, third in size is made up of two areas Kirkelandet and Gomalandet. In the local dialect, Kirkelandet (the "Church Land") is pronounced "Kirklandet", without the middle e. The smallest island is Innlandet ("Innermost Land"; humorously, "Tahiti
"). The largest island in the city is Frei
which was merged into Kristiansund on 1 January 2008. The highest point of the municipality is located in Frei
, Freikollen at a height of 629 metres (2,063.6 ft).
The island of Grip
, located northwest of Kristiansund is also a part of the municipality. It was Norway
's smallest municipality, and also one of the most remote until it merged with Kristiansund in 1964. Today the island of Grip holds status as a deserted fishing village, but in the summer season it is a popular tourist attraction due to the very special location and architecture. Grip stave church
, the second smallest Stave church
of Norway
(Undredal stave church
is smaller), is also located at Grip. It is also where Grip lighthouse
is located.
Kristiansund is one of the most densely populated cities of Norway, having what is arguably the country's most urban small city centre, due to the relatively small size of the islands on which it is built and the very constricted central harbour/town area of Kirkelandet
.
some areas at the western coast of Norway were ice-free. There was also a lot of food in the sea around Kristiansund at that time, and it is believed that the first settlement arrived in Kristiansund around year 8000 BC.
During the Viking ages
there were many important battles around Kristiansund. The most famous one was the Battle of Rastarkalv
on the island of Frei
, where the Norwegian King Håkon the Good
fought against the Eirikssønnene-group. There is now a memorial monument located near Rastakalv, where the battle was fought.
The island of Grip
was an important fishing community during the Middle Ages, and was considered to be the most important municipality in the region at the time. The natural harbour in Lille-fosen, close to where Kristiansund is located today was also frequently used for fishing purposes.
.
Dutch sailors brought the knowledge of clipfish
production to Kristiansund at the end of the 17th century, and for a number of years the city was the largest exporter of clipfish in Norway, exporting goods mainly to the Mediterranean
countries. The city's clipfish production was also part of the reason why it was awarded town status in 1742.
The local newspaper of Kristiansund is Tidens Krav
, which also functions as a local newspaper for the other municipalities located nearby the city.
and the Gulf Stream
gives Kristiansund a much warmer climate than its latitude
would indicate.
, Finland
Härnösand
, Sweden
Fredericia
, Denmark
Together the three cities hold a tournament called Nordiske Dager ("Nordic Days").
Though fairly small in size, the city of Kristiansund contain many green parks and gardens, frequently used by the city's inhabitants. There are two larger parks near the city centre. The first one is located near Langveien, and was constructed in the aftermath of World War II
. The second one is located in Vanndamman. This area used to be part of the city water supply, due to the large amount of small lakes in the area. (hence the name "Vanndamman" (The Water ponds)) The two parks are partly linked together, but the Langveien-park serve more as an urban recreation area due to the short walking distance from the city centre, while the Vanndamman-park is more suitable for outings and jogging
.
Started in 1876 and still going strong is the Sundbåt ("Sound Boat"/"Strait Crossing Boat") shuttle service with a capacity of a few tens of passengers, travelling between the islands. The small motor ferry
crosses the harbour from Kirk(e)landet to Innlandet, then goes on to Nordlandet, to Gomalandet, and back to Kirkelandet, repeating the round trip in half-hour intervals morning to evening on weekdays. The Sundbåt bears the distinction of being the world's oldest motorized regular public transport
system in continuous service.
The road to Kristiansund from the mainland, Norwegian National Road 70
is connected to European Route E39
at the bridge/tunnel system called Krifast
. After passing through the underwater Freifjord Tunnel
from the central part of Krifast, National Road 70 crosses Frei
, and enters Kristiansund over the Omsund Bridge
onto Nordlandet. The Nordsund Bridge
brings the Rv 70 to Gomalandet and its terminus in downtown at Kirkelandet
. Another high bridge, the Sørsund Bridge
, leads from Kirkelandet to Innlandet. E39 leads southwest to Molde
and northeast via E6
to Trøndelag
and Trondheim
.
There was a car ferry
going from Kirkelandet
to Averøy
, whose people have been commuting to town for many years for work as well as selling agricultural products. The ferry to Averøy connected Kristiansund to Norwegian National Road 64, which continued along the scenic Atlanterhavsvegen to Molde. The ferry was replaced by the 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) long underwater Atlantic Ocean Tunnel
in December 2009. A second car ferry goes from Seivika on Nordlandet
to Tustna
in the northeast (road: RV 680), with further road and ferry connections to the islands Smøla
and Hitra
, and to Aure
on the mainland.
Besides roads and car ferries and Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
, connections to/from Kristiansund consist of the traditional coastal express Hurtigruten
connecting coastal towns from Bergen
in the south to Kirkenes
in the north, and the high speed catamaran
passenger service Kystekspressen
to Trondheim. Another option to get to Kristiansund is to fly with Scandinavian Airlines from several other Norwegian cities.
Kristiansund is known as the major bacalao city of Norway. Bacalao
is made of salted, dried codfish
, and has traditionally been exported in large amounts to Spain
, Portugal
and Latin America
as food suitable during Lent
. In recent years Kristiansund has become the major oil
and gas
city at the mid-northwestern coast. Oil companies like Royal Dutch Shell
and Statoil
have offices in Kristiansund from where they serve their offshore installations at Haltenbanken (one of the northernmost underwater oil fields in the world).
Due to the city's heavy involvement in fish processing
and international shipping, there used to be as many as seven consulates in Kristiansund, mainly to Latin countries. Currently, there are only five left: Britain
, Finland
, Latvia
, the Netherlands
, and Portugal
.
. The city is probably best known for housing Norway's oldest opera, which was established in 1928 by Edvard Bræin. There is an annual opera festival held every February in Kristiansund named The Opera Weeks (Operafestukene). In addition to this, Kristiansund is also host city of Northern Europe
s largest photo festival, Nordic Light. Even though this is a rather "young" festival, (Est. 2006) it has grown to become one of the most important of its kind in Europe
, attracting famous photographers from all around the world, like Don McCullin
, Jock Sturges
and William Klein
. Other smaller festivals held in Kristiansund include The Tahiti Festival and Kristiansund Church, Art and Culture Festival (shortened to the KKKK-festival in Norwegian).
Kristiansund's main football team, Kristiansund BK, is a result of the merger between the two largest football teams in the city, KFK and Clausenengen, which got together so they could make an elite football club in Kristiansund. KBK now plays in the second division in the Norwegian football league.
Other popular sports in Kristiansund include Volleyball
, Wrestling
, Swimming
, Ice skating
and Handball
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, in the Nordmøre
Nordmøre
Nordmøre is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund, Averøy, Tingvoll, Surnadal, Rindal, Aure, Halsa, Eide, Sunndal, Gjemnes, and Smøla...
district of Møre og Romsdal
Møre og Romsdal
is a county in the northernmost part of Western Norway. It borders the counties of Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Sogn og Fjordane. The county administration is located in Molde, while Ålesund is the largest city.-The name:...
county
Counties of Norway
Norway is divided into 19 administrative regions, called counties . The counties form the primary first-level subdivisions of Norway and are further divided into 430 municipalities...
. It was officially awarded township status in 1742, and it is still the major town for the region. The administrative center of the municipality is the city of Kristiansund. Other villages in the municipality include Kvalvåg
Kvalvåg
Kvalvåg is a village in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village has a population of 230. The village lies on the southeast side of the island of Frei, along the Freifjorden, about northeast of the village of Frei and southeast of Rensvik....
, Rensvik
Rensvik
Rensvik is a village in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The village is located on the northern part of the island of Frei, just west of the Omsund Bridge which connects to the island of Nordlandet. The village has a population of 2,067...
, and Frei
Frei
Frei is a village, island, and former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kristiansund between the Kvernesfjord and Freifjord...
.
General information
The municipality of Kristiansund was established on 1 January 1838 (see formannskapsdistriktFormannskapsdistrikt
Formannskapsdistrikt was the name for a Norwegian local self-government districts put into force in 1838. This system of municipality was created in a bill approved by the Storting and signed into law by King Carl Johan on 14 January 1837...
). On 1 January 1964, the island municipality of Grip
Grip, Norway
Grip is an archipelago, a deserted fishing village, and a former municipality about northwest of the city of Kristiansund. It is located in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway...
(population: 104) and the Dale area on Nordlandet
Nordlandet
Nordlandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is located just east of the city center of Kristiansund, and is one of the boroughs of the city...
island (population: 963) were merged into Kristiansund. The island and municipality of Frei
Frei
Frei is a village, island, and former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kristiansund between the Kvernesfjord and Freifjord...
was merged with Kristiansund on 1 January 2008.
Toponymy
The city, formerly named "Christiansund", is named after the Danish-Norwegian king Christian VIChristian VI of Denmark
Christian VI was King of Denmark and Norway from 1730 to 1746.He was the son of King Frederick IV of Denmark and Norway and Louise of Mecklenburg-Güstrow. He married Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach and fathered Frederick V.-The reign and personality of Christian VI:To posterity Christian...
in 1742. The last element of the name, sund, means "strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
". The old name of the town/village (originally the island Kirkelandet
Kirkelandet
Kirkelandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is split in two by the Vågen inlet, with the western half called Kirkelandet and the eastern half called Gomalandet...
) was Fosna or Fosen (Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
: fólgsn) which means "hiding place" (here 'hidden port'). It was also often named Lille Fosen ("the small Fosen") to distinguish it from the island Storfosna
Storfosna
Storfosna is a populated island in the municipality of Ørland in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is located between Kråkvåg and Garten at the mouth of the Trondheimsfjord. The traditional district of Fosen is named after this island...
("the big Fosen") in Ørland
Ørland
Ørland is a municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. It is part of the Fosen region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Brekstad. Other villages include Uthaug, Opphaug, and Ottersbo...
.
Before 1877, the name was written Christianssund, from 1877-1888 it was spelled Kristianssund, and since 1889 it has had its present spelling, Kristiansund.
Before the introduction of postal code
Postal code
A postal code is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail. Once postal codes were introduced, other applications became possible.In February 2005, 117 of the 190 member countries of the Universal Postal Union had postal code systems...
s in Norway in 1968, it was easy to confuse the name Kristiansund with Kristiansand
Kristiansand
-History:As indicated by archeological findings in the city, the Kristiansand area has been settled at least since 400 AD. A royal farm is known to have been situated on Oddernes as early as 800, and the first church was built around 1040...
in the south. It was therefore obligatory to always add an N (for north) to Kristiansund (Kristiansund N) and an S (for south) to Kristiansand (Kristiansand S).
Coat-of-arms
The Coat-of-arms is from 1742. It shows a waterfallWaterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
because the old name of the town (Fosen) was misinterpreted as Fossund (as a compound of foss which means waterfall and sund which means strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
). There are, however, no waterfalls in the municipality.
Another myth concerning the coat-of-arms is that there was a mix up, between Kristiansund's and Molde
Molde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
's intended shield. The Dano-Norwegian government officials in charge of the giving of the coats, had a party to remember the momentous occasion and became too drunk and hungover to remember which was which, and so Molde got the coat with a whale (which are scarce in between the Romsdal
Romsdal
Romsdal is the name of a traditional district in the Norwegian county Møre og Romsdal, located between Nordmøre and Sunnmøre. The district of Romsdal comprises Aukra, Fræna, Midsund, Molde, Nesset, Rauma, Sandøy, and Vestnes. It is named for the valley of Romsdalen, which covers part of Rauma.The...
fjord
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
s) and Kristiansund got the waterfall (since Molde is on the mainland and Kristiansund lies in the open sea, it would be more likely that the waterfall was intended for Molde
Molde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
's mountains and the whales for Kristiansund.)
Churches
The Church of NorwayChurch of Norway
The Church of Norway is the state church of Norway, established after the Lutheran reformation in Denmark-Norway in 1536-1537 broke the ties to the Holy See. The church confesses the Lutheran Christian faith...
has three parishes within the municipality of Kristiansund. It is part of the Diocese of Møre
Diocese of Møre
The Diocese of Møre is a diocese in the Church of Norway which geographically consists of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. Its bishop and cathedral are located in the county administrative center of Molde...
and the Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
(Prosti) of Ytre Nordmøre.
| Parish (Sogn) | Church Name | Year Built | Location of the Church |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kristiansund | Kirkelandet kirke Kirkelandet Church Kirkelandet Church is the main church of the municipality of Kristiansund, in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It was built in 1964, and it is located on the island of Kirkelandet. The church is part of the Diocese of Møre of the Church of Norway. Sverre Reinert Jansen is the Dean.-Building:The... |
1964 | Kirkelandet Kirkelandet Kirkelandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is split in two by the Vågen inlet, with the western half called Kirkelandet and the eastern half called Gomalandet... |
| Grip stavkirke Grip stave church Grip Stave Church is a stave church in the fishing village of Grip in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on a small island about northwest of the city of Kristiansund in the Norwegian Sea.... |
1470 | Grip Grip, Norway Grip is an archipelago, a deserted fishing village, and a former municipality about northwest of the city of Kristiansund. It is located in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway... |
|
| Nordlandet | Nordlandet kirke | 1914 | Nordlandet Nordlandet Nordlandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is located just east of the city center of Kristiansund, and is one of the boroughs of the city... |
| Frei | Frei kirke | 1897 | Frei Frei Frei is a village, island, and former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kristiansund between the Kvernesfjord and Freifjord... |
St. Eystein Catholic Church is the only catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church in Kristiansund.
Geography
The city borders SmølaSmøla
Smøla is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hopen, other villages include Dyrnes, Råket, and Veiholmen.-General information:...
and Aure
Aure, Norway
Aure is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre is the village of Aure. Other villages include Stemshaug, Todalen, and Tjeldbergodden. Aure has one of the largest wooden churches in Norway.The municipality includes many...
to the northeast, Tingvoll
Tingvoll
Tingvoll is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is the village of Tingvoll. Other villages include Meisingset, Kvisvik, and Torjulvågen.-General information:...
to the east, Gjemnes
Gjemnes
Gjemnes is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway on the Romsdal peninsula. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre is Batnfjordsøra, which lies along the Batnfjorden and is a former steamship landing place...
to the south, and Averøy
Averøy
Averøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruhagen. Other villages in the municipality include Sveggen, Bremsnes, Vebenstad, Kvernes, Kornstad, Kårvåg, and Langøy.The...
to the southwest. In the northwest, the small island of Grip
Grip, Norway
Grip is an archipelago, a deserted fishing village, and a former municipality about northwest of the city of Kristiansund. It is located in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway...
is located. The municipality is surrounded by the Freifjorden
Freifjorden
The Freifjorden is a fjord in the municipalities of Kristiansund, Tingvoll, and Gjemnes in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The long fjord begins near the island of Tustna and flows southwest between the islands of Nordlandet and Frei on the west side and the mainland peninsula of Straumsnes and...
and Kvernesfjord
Kvernesfjord
Kvernesfjord is a fjord between the municipalities of Gjemnes, Kristiansund, Averøy, and Eide in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The fjord is about long....
.
Nordlandet
Nordlandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is located just east of the city center of Kristiansund, and is one of the boroughs of the city...
("North Land", humorously nicknamed Marokko
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
), is the second largest island and the site of the local airport, Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget is a small size international airport located next to the small mountain Kvernberget, east southeast or from the town center of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, opened in 1970 and caters to the county's northern district, Nordmøre. The airport...
(IATA code: KSU). Kirkelandet
Kirkelandet
Kirkelandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is split in two by the Vågen inlet, with the western half called Kirkelandet and the eastern half called Gomalandet...
, third in size is made up of two areas Kirkelandet and Gomalandet. In the local dialect, Kirkelandet (the "Church Land") is pronounced "Kirklandet", without the middle e. The smallest island is Innlandet ("Innermost Land"; humorously, "Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
"). The largest island in the city is Frei
Frei
Frei is a village, island, and former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kristiansund between the Kvernesfjord and Freifjord...
which was merged into Kristiansund on 1 January 2008. The highest point of the municipality is located in Frei
Frei
Frei is a village, island, and former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kristiansund between the Kvernesfjord and Freifjord...
, Freikollen at a height of 629 metres (2,063.6 ft).
The island of Grip
Grip, Norway
Grip is an archipelago, a deserted fishing village, and a former municipality about northwest of the city of Kristiansund. It is located in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway...
, located northwest of Kristiansund is also a part of the municipality. It was Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
's smallest municipality, and also one of the most remote until it merged with Kristiansund in 1964. Today the island of Grip holds status as a deserted fishing village, but in the summer season it is a popular tourist attraction due to the very special location and architecture. Grip stave church
Grip stave church
Grip Stave Church is a stave church in the fishing village of Grip in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located on a small island about northwest of the city of Kristiansund in the Norwegian Sea....
, the second smallest Stave church
Stave church
A stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts have lent their name to the building technique...
of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
(Undredal stave church
Undredal stave church
Undredal Stave Church is a stave church in the village of Undredal, Aurland municipality, Sogn og Fjordane county, Norway....
is smaller), is also located at Grip. It is also where Grip lighthouse
Grip Lighthouse
The Grip Lighthouse is located in Grip in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The lighthouse was built between 1885 and 1888 on the high islet of Bratthårskollen, north of Gripholmen....
is located.
Kristiansund is one of the most densely populated cities of Norway, having what is arguably the country's most urban small city centre, due to the relatively small size of the islands on which it is built and the very constricted central harbour/town area of Kirkelandet
Kirkelandet
Kirkelandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is split in two by the Vågen inlet, with the western half called Kirkelandet and the eastern half called Gomalandet...
.
8000 BC–1066
Many scientists believe that the very first Norwegian lived near the city of Kristiansund. At the end of the last Ice ageIce age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
some areas at the western coast of Norway were ice-free. There was also a lot of food in the sea around Kristiansund at that time, and it is believed that the first settlement arrived in Kristiansund around year 8000 BC.
During the Viking ages
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
there were many important battles around Kristiansund. The most famous one was the Battle of Rastarkalv
Battle of Rastarkalv
The Battle of Rastarkalv took place in AD 955 on the island of Frei in the county of Møre og Romsdal, Norway.This was one of several battles between the forces of King Haakon the Good and those of the sons of Eirik Bloodaxe...
on the island of Frei
Frei
Frei is a village, island, and former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kristiansund between the Kvernesfjord and Freifjord...
, where the Norwegian King Håkon the Good
Haakon I of Norway
Haakon I , , given the byname the Good, was the third king of Norway and the youngest son of Harald Fairhair and Thora Mosterstang.-Early life:...
fought against the Eirikssønnene-group. There is now a memorial monument located near Rastakalv, where the battle was fought.
Middle ages
Grip, Norway
Grip is an archipelago, a deserted fishing village, and a former municipality about northwest of the city of Kristiansund. It is located in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway...
was an important fishing community during the Middle Ages, and was considered to be the most important municipality in the region at the time. The natural harbour in Lille-fosen, close to where Kristiansund is located today was also frequently used for fishing purposes.
17th to 18th century
During the 17th century a small settlement developed around the area we know today as Kristiansund harbour. As more and more settlers arrived, the area became an important trading port for fishing and the lumber transportation along the coast. The Dano-Norwegian government established a customs station here, which was controlled by the main trading port in TrondheimTrondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
.
Dutch sailors brought the knowledge of clipfish
Clipfish
Dried and salted cod, often called salt cod or clipfish , is cod which has been preserved by drying after salting. Cod which has been dried without the addition of salt is called stockfish....
production to Kristiansund at the end of the 17th century, and for a number of years the city was the largest exporter of clipfish in Norway, exporting goods mainly to the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
countries. The city's clipfish production was also part of the reason why it was awarded town status in 1742.
Media
There are two local TV stations in Kristiansund. The larger one is TVNordvest, (TV North-West) which broadcasts local news from the area around Kristiansund on a daily basis, as well as some other TV shows. The second one is TV Kristiansund, which is more of a culture channel, broadcasting cultural news from Kristiansund, like shows from the city Opera.The local newspaper of Kristiansund is Tidens Krav
Tidens Krav
Tidens Krav ' is a local newspaper published in Kristiansund, Norway. It was founded in 1906, is published Monday through Saturday, and reports news from Nordmøre.-Circulation:...
, which also functions as a local newspaper for the other municipalities located nearby the city.
Climate
Kristiansund has a maritime, temperate climate with cool-to-warm summers and relatively short and mild winters. The city structure with the unique natural harbour of the city combined with warm wind from the southwest of the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
gives Kristiansund a much warmer climate than its latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
would indicate.
Government
The city council of Kristiansund have 45 representatives. (as of 2008) Per Kristian Øyen from the Labor Party (Arbeiderpartiet) was elected in 2007 as the mayor of Kristiansund, succeeding Dagfinn Ripnes.2007 election
As of 2007 the following parties have representatives in the city council of Kristiansund:Twin towns
Kirstiansund is twinned with: KokkolaKokkola
Kokkola is a town and municipality of Finland.The town is located in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Central Ostrobothnia region. The town has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Härnösand
Härnösand
Härnösand is a locality and the seat of Härnösand Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 18,003 inhabitants in 2005. It is called "the gate to the High Coast" because of the world heritage landscape rises just some miles north of Härnösand...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Fredericia
Fredericia
Fredericia is a town located in Fredericia municipality in the eastern part of the Jutland peninsula in Denmark, in a sub-region known locally as Trekanten, or The Triangle...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Together the three cities hold a tournament called Nordiske Dager ("Nordic Days").
Parks and gardens
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The second one is located in Vanndamman. This area used to be part of the city water supply, due to the large amount of small lakes in the area. (hence the name "Vanndamman" (The Water ponds)) The two parks are partly linked together, but the Langveien-park serve more as an urban recreation area due to the short walking distance from the city centre, while the Vanndamman-park is more suitable for outings and jogging
Jogging
Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running.-Definition:...
.
Transport
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
crosses the harbour from Kirk(e)landet to Innlandet, then goes on to Nordlandet, to Gomalandet, and back to Kirkelandet, repeating the round trip in half-hour intervals morning to evening on weekdays. The Sundbåt bears the distinction of being the world's oldest motorized regular public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
system in continuous service.
The road to Kristiansund from the mainland, Norwegian National Road 70
Norwegian National Road 70
National Road 70 is long and runs between Kristiansund and Oppdal in Norway.The road starts in downtown Kristiansund. It passes an intersection with the terminus of County Road 64, before passing past Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget. The road crosses via the Nordsund Bridge from the island of...
is connected to European Route E39
European route E39
E 39 is the designation of a 1330 km long north-south road in Norway and Denmark, running from Klett just south of Trondheim to Aalborg, via Orkanger, Vinjeøra, Halsa ... Straumsnes, Krifast, Batnfjordsøra, Molde ... Vestnes, Skodje, Ålesund ... Volda ... Nordfjordeid ... Sandane, Førde,...
at the bridge/tunnel system called Krifast
Krifast
The Kristiansund Mainland Connection is a road system on the highways and that connects the municipality of Kristiansund to the islands of Frei, Bergsøya, and Aspøya to mainland Norway. Krifast opened in 1992 and consists of of road and of bicycle paths...
. After passing through the underwater Freifjord Tunnel
Freifjord Tunnel
The Freifjord Tunnel is a long undersea tunnel under the Freifjorden in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The tunnel begins on the island of Frei in the municipality of Kristiansund and then descends below the Freifjorden and ends on the island of Bergsøya in the municipality of Gjemnes...
from the central part of Krifast, National Road 70 crosses Frei
Frei
Frei is a village, island, and former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located in the present-day municipality of Kristiansund between the Kvernesfjord and Freifjord...
, and enters Kristiansund over the Omsund Bridge
Omsund Bridge
Omsund Bridge is a bridge that crosses the Omsundet between the islands of Frei and Nordlandet, in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is actually made up of two bridges, since the main bridge does not span the entire strait...
onto Nordlandet. The Nordsund Bridge
Nordsund Bridge, Kristiansund
Nordsund Bridge is a bridge that crosses the Nordsundet between the islands of Nordlandet and Gomalandet in the town of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The bridge is long, and the maximum clearance to the sea is ....
brings the Rv 70 to Gomalandet and its terminus in downtown at Kirkelandet
Kirkelandet
Kirkelandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is split in two by the Vågen inlet, with the western half called Kirkelandet and the eastern half called Gomalandet...
. Another high bridge, the Sørsund Bridge
Sørsund Bridge, Kristiansund
Sørsund Bridge is a bridge that crosses the Sørsundet strait between the islands of Kirkelandet and Innlandet in the town of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The long bridge has 19 spans, with a main span of...
, leads from Kirkelandet to Innlandet. E39 leads southwest to Molde
Molde
is a city and municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Romsdal region. The municipality is located on the Romsdal Peninsula, surrounding the Fannefjord and Moldefjord...
and northeast via E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
to Trøndelag
Trøndelag
Trøndelag is the name of a geographical region in the central part of Norway, consisting of the two counties Nord-Trøndelag and Sør-Trøndelag. The region is, together with Møre og Romsdal, part of a larger...
and Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
.
There was a car ferry
RORO
Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels...
going from Kirkelandet
Kirkelandet
Kirkelandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is split in two by the Vågen inlet, with the western half called Kirkelandet and the eastern half called Gomalandet...
to Averøy
Averøy
Averøy is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Bruhagen. Other villages in the municipality include Sveggen, Bremsnes, Vebenstad, Kvernes, Kornstad, Kårvåg, and Langøy.The...
, whose people have been commuting to town for many years for work as well as selling agricultural products. The ferry to Averøy connected Kristiansund to Norwegian National Road 64, which continued along the scenic Atlanterhavsvegen to Molde. The ferry was replaced by the 5.7 kilometres (3.5 mi) long underwater Atlantic Ocean Tunnel
Atlantic Ocean Tunnel
The Atlantic Ocean Tunnel is an undersea tunnel that connects the city of Kristiansund with the island of Averøya to the west in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The long tunnel reaches a depth of , making it one of the deepest undersea tunnels in the world. Construction began in 2006 and the...
in December 2009. A second car ferry goes from Seivika on Nordlandet
Nordlandet
Nordlandet is an island in the municipality of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The island is located just east of the city center of Kristiansund, and is one of the boroughs of the city...
to Tustna
Tustna
Tustna is an island and a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The administrative centre was Gullstein. The island is located in the present-day municipality of Aure. The island lies between the islands of Golma and Stabblandet and Solskjel .-History:Tustna was originally a...
in the northeast (road: RV 680), with further road and ferry connections to the islands Smøla
Smøla
Smøla is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hopen, other villages include Dyrnes, Råket, and Veiholmen.-General information:...
and Hitra
Hitra
Hitra is a municipality and an island in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. The municipality covers the island of Hitra and several smaller islands, and is part of the Fosen region...
, and to Aure
Aure, Norway
Aure is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is part of the region of Nordmøre. The administrative centre is the village of Aure. Other villages include Stemshaug, Todalen, and Tjeldbergodden. Aure has one of the largest wooden churches in Norway.The municipality includes many...
on the mainland.
Besides roads and car ferries and Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget
Kristiansund Airport, Kvernberget is a small size international airport located next to the small mountain Kvernberget, east southeast or from the town center of Kristiansund in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway, opened in 1970 and caters to the county's northern district, Nordmøre. The airport...
, connections to/from Kristiansund consist of the traditional coastal express Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten
Hurtigruten or Hurtigruta is a Norwegian passenger and freight line with daily sailings along Norway's western and northern coast. Sometimes referred to in English as Norwegian Coastal Express, Hurtigruten ships sail almost the entire length of the country, completing the roundtrip journey in 11...
connecting coastal towns from Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
in the south to Kirkenes
Kirkenes
is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...
in the north, and the high speed catamaran
Catamaran
A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
passenger service Kystekspressen
Kystekspressen
Partsrederiet Kystekspressen ANS branded as Kystekspressen or the Coast Express is a shipping company that operates passenger ferry services between Trondheim and Kristiansund, Norway. Three ships are used on the route, that includes the branch lines Trondheim–Sula and Sistranda–Halten...
to Trondheim. Another option to get to Kristiansund is to fly with Scandinavian Airlines from several other Norwegian cities.
Commerce and industry
Bacalhau
Bacalhau is the Portuguese word for codfish and—in a culinary context—dried and salted codfish. Fresh cod is referred to as bacalhau fresco .-Use:...
is made of salted, dried codfish
Dried and salted cod
Dried and salted cod, often called salt cod or clipfish , is cod which has been preserved by drying after salting. Cod which has been dried without the addition of salt is called stockfish....
, and has traditionally been exported in large amounts to Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
as food suitable during Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
. In recent years Kristiansund has become the major oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
city at the mid-northwestern coast. Oil companies like Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
and Statoil
Statoil
Statoil ASA is a Norwegian petroleum company established in 1972. It merged with Norsk Hydro in 2007 and was known as StatoilHydro until 2009, when the name was changed back to Statoil ASA. The brand Statoil was retained as a chain of fuel stations owned by StatoilHydro...
have offices in Kristiansund from where they serve their offshore installations at Haltenbanken (one of the northernmost underwater oil fields in the world).
Due to the city's heavy involvement in fish processing
Fish processing
The term fish processing refers to the processes associated with fish and fish products between the time fish are caught or harvested, and the time the final product is delivered to the customer...
and international shipping, there used to be as many as seven consulates in Kristiansund, mainly to Latin countries. Currently, there are only five left: Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
Culture and sports
Kristiansund is an important cultural centre in the region of NordmøreNordmøre
Nordmøre is a traditional district in the Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the municipalities of Kristiansund, Averøy, Tingvoll, Surnadal, Rindal, Aure, Halsa, Eide, Sunndal, Gjemnes, and Smøla...
. The city is probably best known for housing Norway's oldest opera, which was established in 1928 by Edvard Bræin. There is an annual opera festival held every February in Kristiansund named The Opera Weeks (Operafestukene). In addition to this, Kristiansund is also host city of Northern Europe
Northern Europe
Northern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
s largest photo festival, Nordic Light. Even though this is a rather "young" festival, (Est. 2006) it has grown to become one of the most important of its kind in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, attracting famous photographers from all around the world, like Don McCullin
Don McCullin
Donald McCullin, FRPS CBE is an internationally known British photojournalist, particularly recognized for his war photography and images of urban strife...
, Jock Sturges
Jock Sturges
Jock Sturges is an American photographer, best known for his images of nude adolescents and their families, primarily taken at communes in Northern California and at the Atlantic-coast naturist resort at Montalivet, France. His work has been the subject of controversy...
and William Klein
William Klein
William Klein is a photographer and filmmaker noted to for his ironic approach to both media and his extensive use of unusual photographic techniques in the context of photojournalism and fashion photography...
. Other smaller festivals held in Kristiansund include The Tahiti Festival and Kristiansund Church, Art and Culture Festival (shortened to the KKKK-festival in Norwegian).
Kristiansund's main football team, Kristiansund BK, is a result of the merger between the two largest football teams in the city, KFK and Clausenengen, which got together so they could make an elite football club in Kristiansund. KBK now plays in the second division in the Norwegian football league.
Other popular sports in Kristiansund include Volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, Wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, Swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, Ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
and Handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
.
Tourist attractions
- The archipelago of Grip, southwest of Kristiansund was until 1964 the smallest municipality of NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Today it is a deserted fishing village, but is a popular tourist attraction for the special architecture and unique location. Norway's smallest stave churchStave churchA stave church is a medieval wooden church with a post and beam construction related to timber framing. The wall frames are filled with vertical planks. The load-bearing posts have lent their name to the building technique...
, which was constructed in the end of the 15th century is also located at Grip. - Sundbåtene in Kristiansund claims to be the world's oldest public transport system, founded in 1876. The small "Sundbåt" passenger ferries crosses between the four "lands" of the city.
- The old city structure in Vågen is a center for the historical fishing settlement in Kristiansund. Mellemværftet is also located here, which is an old shipbuilding facility for sailer ships. The Norwegian Clipfish Museum is also located here.
- Innlandet is an old city part of Kristiansund with very special and unique coastal architecture. Innlandet is the part of Kristiansund that was least damaged during the bombings of Kristiansund during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. - Nordic Light is an annual festival of photography arranged for the first time in 2006, and is currently the largest of its kind in Northern EuropeNorthern EuropeNorthern Europe is the northern part or region of Europe. Northern Europe typically refers to the seven countries in the northern part of the European subcontinent which includes Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden...
. The festival is represented by Morten Krogvold. - Festiviteten (Kristiansund Opera) is the oldest opera house in Norway. It is built in Art Nouveau-style, and was completed in 1914. It is one of the few older buildings in the city centre of Kristiansund that survived the bombing of the city during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Notable residents
The following people are from, or have their roots in, Kristiansund.- Frode Alnæs (b. 1959); pop singer, guitarist, entertainer (Dance with a StrangerDance with a Stranger (band)Dance with a Stranger is a Norwegian rock band from Kristiansund. The band was founded in 1983 and broke apart in 1994. Since then they have had a few reunion concerts, as well as releasing compilation CDs.-Discography:*Dance with a Stranger...
pop band and solo career) - Karsten AlnæsKarsten AlnæsKarsten Alnæs Norwegian author, historian, and journalist, received advanced dual degrees in history and literature from the University of Oslo. Before becoming a fulltime author, he worked as a journalist and taught at the Norwegian School of Journalism...
(b. 1938); fiction and popular history writer (his parents were from Kristiansund) - Edvard Fliflet BræinEdvard Fliflet BræinEdvard Fliflet Bræin was a Norwegian composer and conductor. He is best remembered for the composition Ut mot havet and the opera Anne Pedersdotter.-Personal life:...
(1924–76); choir and orchestra composer and conductor, two operas and three symphonies - Ingar KnudtsenIngar KnudtsenIngar Knudtsen is a Norwegian novelist and poet, who was born 23 December 1944, in Smøla, Norway. He published his first book in 1975. Since then, he has released roughly one book every year. Only a few of his works have been translated into English....
(b. 1944); fantasy & science fiction author - Jan Erik Mikalsen (b. 1979); composer
- John Neergaard (1901–64); baritone singer at the KielKiel Opera HouseThe Peabody Opera House is a civic performing arts building in St. Louis, Missouri. Founded as the Kiel Opera House, it opened it 1934 and operated until 1991, when it and the adjacent Kiel Auditorium were closed so the auditorium could be demolished and replaced by the Scottrade Center...
and NurembergNurembergNuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
opera houseOpera houseAn opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
s - Arnulf ØverlandArnulf ØverlandOle Peter Arnulf Øverland was a Norwegian author born in Kristiansund and raised in Bergen. His works include Berget det blå and Hustavler .-Life:...
(1889–1968); author (born in Kr.sund, raised in BergenBergenBergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
) - 120 Days120 Days120 Days is a Norwegian band. The group consists of Jonas Dahl, Arne Kvalvik, Kjetil Ovesen, and Ådne Meisfjord, and was formed in 2001 under the name 'The Beautiful People'. Originally based in their hometown of Kristiansund, they moved to Oslo in 2002. After two EPs on the Public Demand label,...
(formerly "The Beautiful People", founded 2001); rock band - Babe Didriksen (Zaharias)Babe ZahariasMildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field...
(1914–56); U.S. golfer, athlete, and Olympic gold medalist (her father Ole was from Kristiansund) - Anders GiskeAnders GiskeAnders Giske is a retired Norwegian football player. He is the father of Madeleine Giske. He became the athletic director in Sogndal in 2005 after working in SK Brann.-Honours:* DFB-Pokal finalist: 1990–91...
(b. 1959); football player (German BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
1983–92: Nuremberg, Bayer LeverkusenBayer LeverkusenBayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.-Origins and early years:On 27 November...
, Köln1. FC Köln1. FC Köln is a German association football club based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia. It was formed in 1948 as a merger of the clubs Kölner Ballspiel-Club 1901 and SpVgg Sülz 07....
) - Gudrun HøieGudrun HøieGudrun Anette Høie is a Norwegian sport wrestler from Kristiansund.She won a gold medal in the FILA Wrestling World Championships in 1989, 1990, 1993 and 1998, a silver medal in 1991, and bronze in 1999. She was European champion in sumo wrestling in 1998...
(b. 1970); female wrestlerAmateur wrestlingAmateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA : Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style...
, four times world champion - Øyvind LeonhardsenØyvind LeonhardsenØyvind Leonhardsen is a Norwegian former footballer. He retired after the 2007 season, and at that moment he was captain of Strømsgodset IF in the Norwegian Premier Division, ending a career with nine years in English football with clubs like Wimbledon, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa...
(b. 1970); football player (English Premier League 1995–2004: WimbledonWimbledon F.C.Wimbledon Football Club was an English professional association football club from Wimbledon, south-west London. Founded in 1889 as Wimbledon Old Central Football Club, the club spent most of its history in amateur and semi-professional non-League football before being elected to the Football...
, LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, TottenhamTottenham Hotspur F.C.Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, Aston VillaAston Villa F.C.Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
) - Ole Gunnar SolskjærOle Gunnar SolskjærOle Gunnar Solskjær is the manager of Norwegian first division side Molde. He is better known as a former footballer who spent most of his career playing for Manchester United. Often dubbed "the baby-faced assassin," he played 366 times for the Red Devils and scored 126 goals during a very...
(b. 1973); football player (Manchester UnitedManchester United F.C.Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
1996–2007) - Sigurd FrisvoldSigurd FrisvoldSigurd Frisvold is a Norwegian general who served as Chief of Defence of Norway from 30 April 1999 until 1 April 2005.-Awards:...
(b. 1947); ArmyNorwegian ArmyNorway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
GeneralNorwegian military ranksThe green part represents soldiers and the equivalent of non-commissioned officers. The blue part represents officers. Norway does not have a NCO-system and thus Sergeant and Quartermaster are grouped with the officers under the common designation befal...
, former Chief of Defence - Steinar Wiik Sørvik (b. 1962); defence lawyer (several national level crime trials)
- Vera ZorinaVera ZorinaVera Zorina was a Norwegian ballerina, musical theatre actress and choreographer.-Background:Vera Zorina was born Eva Brigitta Hartwig in Berlin, Germany. Her father Fritz was a German and her mother Billie Hartwig was Norwegian. Both were professional singers...
(1917–2003); dancer and choreographer - Dagfinn KochDagfinn KochDagfinn Koch is a musician.He studied at the State Academy of music , and at Hochschule der Künste Berlin Dagfinn Koch (born 1964, Kristiansund, Norway) is a musician.He studied at the State Academy of music (Norges musikkhøgskole) (Lasse Thoresen, composition; Olav Anton Thommessen,...
(b. 1964); musician