The boat Sundbåten in Kristiansund
Start your sightseeing trip with a 20 minutes’ walk in the harbour basin and the town’s four lands: Kirkelandet, Innlandet, Nordlandet and Gomalandet. This charming boat is the town’s pride and trademark and is still widely used by both locals and visitors to Kristiansund.
Vanndamman and Kringsjå hiking area
A 10 minutes' walk from the pier, you will find the hiking area Vanndamman. On your way, you will pass many characteristic, colourful houses that describe Kristiansund as a polychrome town. The swan pond is the haunt of the town's ducks, swans, and peacocks. This is a popular family area where they can feed the birds and have fun in the playground. It is also one of the town's green lungs, with a lush environment a short distance from the town centre. The hiking area Kringsjå/Vanndammene has vibrant and varied vegetation and is a unique coastal botanical garden. The site invites you to be active, play, and walk, with prepared and wide gravel paths providing good accessibility for bicycles, prams, and wheelchairs.
Varden lookout tower
Varden viewpoint is also situated at Vanndamman. From the tower’s top, you will get a magnificent view of Kristiansund and the ship berth, with the fishing village of Grip and Smøla on the horizon. Admission to Varden is free and open every day throughout the year.
“The Atlantic Cathedral” – Kirkelandet church
Do not miss the Kirkelandet church on your way to or from Vanndamman. The Atlantic Cathedral is said to be one of the finest modernist church buildings in Norway. This monumental building breaks people's traditional perception of what a church should look like. To really experience the architecture, you must enter the church and feel the optical illusion and the 30-metre-high, colourful glass altarpiece.
Klippfiskkjerringa – the Clipfish woman
One of the most popular and most photographed sculptures in Kristiansund is located down by the pier. The clipfish woman is a tribute to the many clipfish workers who contributed to the town's large export industry for 300 years. She will be happy to pose for a selfie!
Grab a bite at Bryggekanten
Are you perhaps hungry after your long hike? Close to Klippfiskkjerringa lies the Bryggekanten brasserie, restaurant, and bar. Here, you can enjoy good food and drink in modern surroundings with a beautiful view of Kristiansund's harbour area. Open for both lunch and dinner.