Southern Norway - Norway - page 226

To reach the island, take a ferry departing for Pollen at Arendal's harborfront.
Departures are every 30 minutes from 9am to 6pm mid-June to mid-August,
and the boat makes stops at two or three other islands before reaching Merdøy.
The ferry costs 30NOK ($4.25) each way, and the trip takes 20 minutes. For
schedules and more information, contact the tourist office.
Lying 20km (13 miles) west of the center of Arendal is Grimstad, site of the
Grimstad Bymuseum-Ibsenhuset, Henrik Ibsen Gate 14 ( & 37-04-46-53 ), in
the center of town. Henrik Ibsen worked in this town at a pharmacy while pur-
suing the pharmacist's daughter. Ibsen also wrote his first play, Catalina, here.
The Grimstad museum includes the old pharmacy and Ibsen's house. Admission
is 35NOK ($4.95) for adults, 10NOK ($1.40) for children. Open May 1 to
September 15 Monday to Saturday 11am to 5pm, Sunday noon to 5pm.
5 Kristiansand S: The Summer City ¡
526km (327 miles) SE of Bergen; 342km (213 miles) SW of Oslo
Visitors heading to Bergen and the fjord country often arrive in Norway at Kris-
tiansand S (not to be confused with Kristiansund N in the north). The biggest
city and an important port of Sørtlandet (the south coast), Kristiansand S offers
the most attractions, the largest number of hotels and restaurants, and the most
activities of any town along the southern coast.
Founded by King Christian in 1641, Kristiansand S is a busy port and indus-
trial center, yet it has many charming old streets and antique houses clustered
cozily together. Water surrounds the city.
Kristiansand S is the largest town in the south and Norway's largest ferry port.
Kvadraturen, “the quadrant,” is known for its right-angled street plan that was
influenced by the Renaissance period's strict adherence to form. Markens is the
town's pedestrian precinct and meeting place.
The fifth-largest city in Norway, with some 75,000 inhabitants, Kristiansand
is called Sommerbyen or “the Summer City.”
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE By Plane Kristiansand Airport lies at Kjevik, 16km
(10 miles) east of the city center. Braathens ( & 81-52-00-00 ) flies from Oslo to
Kristiansand. An airport bus runs between Kjevik and the heart of Kristiansand.
By Train Anywhere from three to six trains link Oslo and Kristiansand daily,
taking 4 1 ⁄ 2 hours, with a one-way ticket costing 531NOK ($75). Call & 81-50-
08-88 for more information or visit www.nsb.no.
By Bus Nor-Way Bussekspress buses ( & 81-54-44-44; www.nor-way.no)
travel down from Oslo in 5 1 ⁄ 2 hours, a one-way ticket costing 380NOK ($54).
Buses run two to four times daily.
By Ferry International ferries link Kristiansand to Hirtshals in the northern
reaches of Denmark's Jutland peninsula. Ferries run three to four times daily,
depending on the time of year, with the sea voyage taking 4 hours. Color Line
( & 22-94-44-00; www.colorline.com) operates these ferries. This is the short-
est ferry link between Norway and Denmark. Depending on the time of year,
fares can range from 170NOK to 410NOK ($24-$58). The highest fares are
charged on weekends from mid-June to mid-August.
By Car From our last stopover at Arendal, the E18 continues southwest in
Kristiansand.