A modern city with a renaissance profile
Welcome to Kristiansand, the administrative, business and cultural capital of South Norway! Definitely a modern city with a pronounced renaissance profile. Right in the middle of what international media have named “the coolest riviera”.
After King Christian established the city in 1641, it gradually developed into the administrative centre of the region. The present population of 78.000 makes Kristiansand Norway’s fifth largest city.
Centrally located on the South coast of Norway, Kristiansand offers convenient domestic as well as international travel and transportation – by air, sea, rail and road.
In addition to a substantial service sector, local business spans from advanced process industry to leading suppliers of offshore technology. With a strong link to the Agder University College, Kristiansand has one of Norway’s most competent IT and telecommunications clusters.
Music plays a key role on the city’s cultural stage, with the Quart Festival and the International Church Music Festival as the most prominent annual events.
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Kristiansand – city full of energy
Kristiansand Municipality has made a brochure in English about Kristiansand. The purpose of the brochure is to present Kristiansand to the international business community and to potential jobseekers abroad.
Administrative centre with strong industrial traditions
Many of Kristiansand’s around 36.000 work places are related to the city’s function as the regional centre and the county capital of Vest-Agder. Public and social services, along with education are the most employment sectors, with trading, hotels and restaurants as runners-up. Major banks and international management consultants make important contributions to the development of local enterprises.
Access to vast hydro-electrical resources in southwest Norway was important for the establishment of process industry in Kristiansand. Norwegian Elkem and Canadian Falconbridge were among the pioneers, and both companies remain key elements in the local industry.
Deeply rooted in a mechanical industry based on strong maritime traditions, creative engineers have developed companies such as Hydralift and Maritime Hydraulics into world leaders within advanced offshore oil and gas technology. Although recently acquired by international enterprises National Oilwell and Aker Kværner, the know-how built up in and around these corporations still play important roles in the business life of Kristiansand.
With strong ties to the advanced research and development faculty of the Agder University College, the region constitutes one of the country’s strongest clusters within information technology and telecommunications.
Internationally oriented University (UiA)
photo credit: Andreas Solberg
Agder University (UiA) has 8,000 students and 840 teaching and administrative staff. Thus it is one of the largest University in Norway. Study programmes include Business and Economics, Engineering and Technology, the Humanities, Mathematics, Nursing, Teacher Education, as well as Fine Arts.
There is heavy emphasis on international student exchanges through European and national co-operation programmes and bilateral agreements. Students are encouraged to continue their studies abroad. Either by taking an integrated part of their study programme with Socrates / Nordplus partners in Europe, with partners in the Unites States, Australia and Asia, or through post-graduate studies abroad.
Additional key university level educational institutions in Kristiansand offer studies within journalism (Mediehøgskolen) and business administration (BI Norwegian School of Management).
Effective city administration
Like other Norwegian municipalities, the city of Kristiansand is responsible for day care facilities, child welfare, and primary and lower secondary schools. In addition to public libraries, primary health care, financial support for welfare clients, care for the elderly and disabled. Its responsibilities also include the fire department, the harbour, municipal roads, water supply, sewerage, garbage collection and disposal, as well as organisation of land use.
To carry out these tasks the city of Kristiansand employs approximately 5,500 people – 4,200 man-years, mainly within the health and educational sectors.
The chief administrative officer (the rådmann) manages the city administration. In addition to his management responsibilities, the rådmann is also responsible for preparation of the budget and other matters to be approved by the city council.
The 2004 budget totals NOK 2.8 billion (EUR 326 million), which includes operations as well as investments.
Most Norwegian municipalities have a hard time balancing their budgets, and Kristiansand is no exception. However, through a continuous improvement process over a number of years politicians and the administration have achieved ambitious cost reduction goals.
In two benchmarking studies for good municipal governance, Kristiansand made considerable progress from 1999 to 2002. The studies were conducted according to an adapted version of the Bertelsmann criteria. This method portrays the municipality as a service provider (ideally) under democratic control, its learning capacity, and includes an evaluation of the municipality as a workplace.
Kristiansand achieved its best scores in the field of co-operation between politics and administration. However, results are almost equally good with regard to democratic control, decentralisation and delegation, controlling and reporting, innovation policy, as well as citizen and customer orientation.
The studies were carried out in co-operation with Kristiansand’s Nordic twin towns: Kerava (Finland) Trollhättan (Sweden), Hjørring (Denmark) and Rekjanesbær (Iceland).
Busy cultural scene
The downtown area of Kristiansand is an interesting place to spend an evening out. A number of art galleries and the impressive regional museum Sørlandets Kunstmuseum present varied contemporary art. The Night Gallery presents experimental open-air video art. Students and intellectuals give life to numerous cafés and pubs that cater to most international tastes.
Regional institutions such as the Agder Teater, Kristiansand Symfoniforkester as well as the Sørlandet kunstmuseum are all based in Kristiansand. The city’s own cultural activities include a public library, a natural museum and a botanical garden, cinemas, as well as activity centres for children and youngsters. The Quart Festival and the International Church Music Festival are among the most reknown musical events.
Kristiansand recently established a cultural foundation – Cultiva – with a considerable capital (NOK 1.4 billion). The purpose is to secure creativity and innovation in local art, culture and knowledge institutions activities. This effort may well contribute to developing Kristiansand into one of the leading cultural cities in Norway.
Communication and travel
Because of short ferry crossings and frequent sailings to neighbouring countries, Kristiansand is frequently referred to as Norway’s “Gateway to Europe”. Color Line will get you there from Hirtshals, Denmark, in only five hours (3 ½ in the summer). DFDS ensures good connections from Newcastle (UK) and Gothenburg (Sweden) throughout the year.
Kristiansand International Airport offers frequent shuttle flights to Oslo, Stavanger and Bergen. International connections are maintained through several daily direct flights to Copenhagen.
The south-western branch of the national railroad system runs through the city, linking passenger and freight trains with the west coast (Stavanger) as well as the rest of the country via Oslo.
Departing from Kristiansand, a number of scenic local roads let travellers follow the curving coast-line, with inviting detours to scenic towns, beaches and campsites.
In addition the national road system provides fast transportation in three main directions: by the coastal route E39 to Stavanger and Bergen, the inland route (N39) via the scenic Setesdal valley to the Fjord country, and the E18 to Oslo and Stockholm.
Regional information
Kristiansand is the county capital of Vest-Agder, which together with Aust-Agder – its neighbouring county to the east – constitute the Agder or Sorlandet region. The total Agder population is around 250,000.
Historically regional trade and industry developed around the exportation of timber to neighbouring North Sea countries. The wood resources also gave birth to fast growing ship building and shipping industries. Thus local culture has been heavily influenced by shipping and other activities related to the sea, including fishing. Presently the varied and green coastline, with its charming old out-ports is an important element in numerous recreational activities.
The sheltered coastline with scenic fishing villages and vast uninhabited areas is one of the region’s most valuable assets and provides unforgettable experiences.
A short inland drive by car brings visitors to the scenic Setesdal valley with some of the oldest preserved rural wooden settlements in Norway. The northern part of the valley offers excellent winter sports facilities.
Tourism – catering to most tastes
Due to its favourable climate and location by the sea and a number of family oriented activities, Kristiansand and the immediate surroundings is a favourite summer recreational area to most Norwegians. An increasing number of foreign visitors share this fascination for the region.
photo credit: Andreas Solberg
Even within the city limits you will find one of the most attractive coastal sceneries in northern Europe. This sheltered area is the playground of a large fleet of pleasure crafts – many on their way to secluded beaches or abundant fishing grounds.
Salmon fishing is open to the public in the Otra, a well-known salmon river that literally runs through the city. The city offers a number of restaurants and bars in all categories with opening hours allowing guests to fully profit from the light summer evenings.
Open-air restaurants on the seafront offer fresh seafood, as well as venison and other game from neighbouring districts. Only ten minutes on foot from the busy city centre, countless paths allow you to disappear in the tranquillity of the woods – a much sought after retreat appreciated by locals as well as visitors. With its one-storey ancient wooden houses – all painted in a bright white colour, Kristiansand is regarded as one of Europe’s best preserved Renaissance cities. Cobblestone streets give the old town the appearance of a living museum – just a few blocks from the busy commercial part of the city.
Agder Naturmuseum and Botanical Garden offers a number of rare plants, while the impressive open-air museum at the Vest-Agder Fylkesmuseum shows early building fashions as well as insight into the daily lives of our ancestors. Built around the works of painter/sculptor Kjell Nupen, is an impressive theme park with water as a central element. Nearby is the historic fortress Christiansholm, built to protect the city from its enemies.
The Ravnedalen is a beautiful natural park to the north east of the centre.
Kristiansand Dyre- og fritidspark (Zoo and activity park) is the favourite of all families visiting the region. This intersting park offers Nordic and other animals in a natural setting, in addition to commercial attractions.
The city’s commercial activities are centered on Markensgate, which is a pedestrian street. The Markensgate offers a number of informal cafés, and is the number one meeting place for the locals. The Sørlandsparken commercial centre is located 5 kilometers to the east, hosting a large shopping mall, specialised retailers, and other businesses.
Facts and figures
- Population: 78,000
- Education: 25 per cent have university and/or college degrees
- Home ownership: 43 per cent live in privately owned houses
Area
- Total 277 km sq
- Populated 36 km sq
- Agricultural 10 km sq
- Productive forests 150 km sq
- Lakes 15 km sq
- Inhabitants per km sq 258