Kristiansund

A Norwegian west-coast city known for dried cod (klippfisk), built across four islands. Ride the century-old ferry across the harbor, take a summer boat to the fishing village on Grip island, then drive to the Atlantic Road.

Kristiansund lies in the northern part of Møre og Romsdal County on Norway's west coast. The city is built across four islands: Kirkelandet, Nordlandet, Gomalandet, and Innlandet. It rose to prominence through three centuries of klippfisk (salted dried cod) exports, and it still ships dried cod to Portugal, Spain, and Brazil. It has an oceanic climate, with cool summers. The days are longest from June to August, and boats to the outer island of Grip run only in summer. The rest of the year is often windy and rainy, and winter daylight is very short.

Sightseeing falls into three parts. First, the harbor in the city center: see the statue of the klippfisk women, climb the Varden lookout tower, visit Kirkelandet Church, then take the Sundbåten ferry around the harbor, with stops at the Klippfisk Museum and the Melum shipyard. Second, take a fast boat to the fishing village on Grip island in summer. Third, to the south are Frei Island and Averøya, where you can climb Freikollen, see the WWII Kvalvik Fortress, and visit the Kvernes stave church. From there, you can drive through the Atlantic Tunnel to the Atlantic Ocean Road (on the Molde side).

Getting there: Kristiansund Airport has flights connecting to Oslo. You can also reach the city by bus from Molde or Ålesund, or by express boat along the coast. Hurtigruten coastal cruise ships call at this port. Plan to stay 1–2 days. Walking around the city plus the ferry is enough, but the outlying sights require a car.

Top sights

• Kvernes Stave Church – A 14th-century medieval stave church with 17th-century painted decoration inside, located on the east side of the Atlantic Ocean Road.
• Kristiansund – The clipfish capital built on four islands. Its harbor wooden houses, the Clipfish Museum and the small harbor ferries are its most distinc…
• Grip – A tiny fishing village on an archipelago in the open sea, with a small wooden church and lighthouse. It is one of the most remote small fis…
• Norwegian Clipfish Museum – The old 1749 fish warehouse Milnbrygga on the harbor tells the three-century story of how Kristiansund grew rich from salted and dried cod.
• Mellemværftet – A wooden boatyard in operation since the 18th century, preserving old slipways, a blacksmith shop and steam engines. It is one of the best-…
• Kirkelandet Church – A modernist concrete church completed in 1964, with a colored glass wall rising from floor to roof. It is hailed as one of Norway's most be…
• Varden – An old lookout tower on the hill behind the city center, overlooking the harbor embraced by four islands and the open sea. It is the best p…
• Sundbåten – Opened in 1876, it is considered the world's longest-running urban public ferry route, with small boats looping between the four islands.
• Festiviteten (Kristiansund Opera) – A 1914 Art Nouveau theater, home of Norway's oldest opera company, Operaen i Kristiansund. It hosts an opera festival every winter.
• Klippfiskkjerringa – A bronze statue on the harbor near the city center, honoring the women who dried clipfish on the rocks. It is the most photographed landmar…
• Freikollen – A 629-meter peak on Frei island, south of Kristiansund. From the summit, you can overlook the fjord, the offshore islands and the city all…
• Bremsnes Cave – A sea-eroded cave on the north shore of Averøy island, where Stone Age artifacts have been found. It is a short hiking spot near the exit o…
• Kvalvik Fort – The ruins of a coastal battery built by German forces during World War II, with gun emplacements, bunkers and tunnels, overlooking the ship…

Where to eat

• Smia Fiskerestaurant – A harbourside seafood restaurant in an 1787 former blacksmith's shop, known for bacalao, the salted dried cod tradition…
• Sjøstjerna – A family-run seafood restaurant on the pedestrian street, where Fodor's rates the bacalao among the best locally, with…
• Kranaskjæret Restaurant – A seaside restaurant built on rocks at the small-boat harbour, with a large outdoor seating area. The salt cod and fish…