Southern Norway - Norway - page 228

Walking the Streets of the Old Town
The best-preserved district of the city is Posebyen , along the river in
the northeastern part of town. It survived a disastrous fire in 1892 that
swept over Kristiansand. The streets are filled with the original one- and
two-story houses that accommodated workers in the 19th century. You'll
see small-paned windows, iron fences, benches, and flower boxes. The
kitchens and bedrooms were built in the rear, with separate doorways
leading to little gardens. The most interesting parts of the area lie
between Festningsgaten and Elvegata and between Rådhusgaten and
Tordenskiolds. The best time to visit is on a Saturday mid-June to August
when a market is held with street stalls and all kinds of produce for sale.

Moments

neo-Gothic style in 1884. Summer concerts are presented here, especially at the
weeklong International Church Music Festival in mid-May, with organ, cham-
ber, and gospel music on tap. You can climb the tower for 20NOK ($2.65) for
a panoramic view of the area.
Kirkegata. & 38-10-77-50. Free admission. June-Aug daily 11am-2pm.
Kristiansand Dyrepark (Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park)
Today the major family attraction in the south of Norway, Kristiansand
Dyrepark has been billed by some as Norway's Disneyland. It's no Disneyland,
but it does provide summer amusements for the area. The highlight is Nordisk
Vilmark, a simulated wilderness area where you can walk on boardwalks over the
habitats of wolverines, lynx, wolves, and moose. The zoo itself contains many
exotic specimens, including some Arctic species, and diverse animals roam in
large enclosures. The park covers an area of 60 hectares (150 acres). Children
should delight in the Kardemomme by (Cardamom town), a recreated “town”
suggesting a hamlet in Africa. The town is based on a well-known children's
story by Thorbjørn Egner, and famous characters from Egner's story stroll about,
greeting visitors. A pirate ship, a circus, a play land, giraffes, a farm, and other
amusements, including a bobsled track and water slide, also await you here.
Signposted along E18. & 38-04-98-00. Admission, including all activities, 80NOK-200NOK ($11-$28)
adults, 70NOK-195NOK ($9.95-$28) children. Highest rates in midsummer. Mid-May to Aug daily
10am-7pm; Sept to mid-May daily 10am-3pm. Take the Dyreparkbussen from the center. The park is sign-
posted off E18 at a point 9km (5 1 ⁄ 2 miles) east of the center of town.
Kristiansand Kanonmuseum (Cannon Museum) Lying 8km (5 miles)
south of town, the Cannon Museum recalls the dark days of World War II when
the occupying Nazi forces were installed here. The museum preserves the Ger-
man's heavy “Vara Battery” cannons, which gave them control over the strategic
Skagerrak Straits. The 337-ton cannons could fire at a range of 55km (34 miles).
You can also visit the bunkers where 600 German soldiers and 1,400 laborers
lived.
Møvik. & 38-08-50-90. Admission 50NOK ($7.10) adults, 20NOK ($2.85) children. June 17-Aug 15 daily
11am-6pm; Aug 16-Sept Mon-Wed 11am-3pm, Thurs-Sun 11am-5pm; Oct to mid-June Sun 11am-5pm.

Kids

Oddernes Kirke One of the oldest and most beautiful parish
churches of Norway lies 1.5km (1 mile) east of the town center, reached by bus
no. 22. The church, whose nave and choir were built around 1040, was dedi-
cated to Saint Olav, the patron saint of Norway. After viewing the church's

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