I just spent a long weekend in Kristiansand and Mandal in Southern Norway. We had a Monday off and were looking for cheap flights. Kristiansand, Norway popped up as a great balance between city and nature. We were able to explore Kristiansand, Norway’s fifth largest city, and also get in some sport climbing, hiking and seaside views.
We spent Friday evening in Kristiansand and then headed off to Mandal for the latter half of the weekend (read part two for more on Mandal, Norway).
We landed around 6 pm on Friday. Kristiansand airport is teeny. When you walk out the arrivals terminal, the rental car office is to the left. The friendly man behind the Budget counter welcomed us and offered the car within 20 minutes. Then it was a short drive to the Yess! Hotel Kristiansand.
Yes, that’s yes with 2 s and an exclamation mark. Despite the quirky name, this accommodation served its purpose. The receptionist was friendly and offered us free parking just behind the building. We stayed in a five-person room with an en-suite. It was cozy, yes, but the beds were comfy and the towels were included. An affordable and convenient choice for one night. Breakfast was also included, but we slept past 10 so missed it.
After we checked-in, we decided to make the most of the late night sunshine. During summers in Norway, it doesn’t get dark until after 10 pm. We headed to Odderøya to climb.
Odderøya is a former naval base now a hiking, climbing and recreational area. There’s a small parking lot on the drive up. There are lots of marked hiking trails, bouldering routes, sport climbing routes and swimming areas. The best part, it overlooks both Kristiansand and the sea making for the perfect sunset spot.
A walk around the entirety of Odderøya is about 3 km (1.5 miles), but we came for the sport climbing. We found the crags quickly, but the area was crowded. At the far end, we found an empty project that seemed to be a 5+ or so. We didn’t have a guidebook, so it was difficult to be sure. Julie had done most of our research on 27crags. All four of us were able to climb the long route before night fell and hunger struck.
Despite the late night sunshine, The late night restaurant game was minimal. We had to skip our reservation at Monsoon, an Asian fusion restaurant on the main street because the kitchen closed at 10 pm.
Turning to Google, we meandered along, past the church and the shops into a restaurant or two, but none were serving food anymore. One friendly hostess recommended we try Burger Bordello – so off we went.
Expectations were low, a subpar burger joint across the street from McDonald’s. Surprisingly we were greeted with a Mexican-style cantina, Diá de Los Muertos style skulls on the walls, a bright bar stocked with tequila and a red food truck parked in the back.
Burger Bordello was by far the best meal we enjoyed in Southern Norway. The pulled pork nachos, the chicken wings, the Pastor tacos and cocktails were top notch, while the burgers were slightly better than average. We even considered circling here again on our way to the airport Monday, but never made it. Apparently, we were way too hungry to take any photos, definitely check out their website.
We woke to a dreary Saturday and headed out for coffee and breakfast. We hoped the weather would let up so we could hike and climb in the afternoon, but it wasn’t looking promising.
First things first, coffee. Just around the corner from Yess! Hotel is a cozy spot with delicious coffee, Camillo Bastrup. We sat at one of the hightop tables and sipped our coffees there, but if you’re on the go, they also do takeaway.
Next up, pastries. We had read a few blogs that recommended Drømmeplassen for traditional Nordic pastries and breakfast. Not surprisingly, we all ordered Cinnamon knots. They were large and pricy, four knots came to €22. I found the knot even tastier a few hours later, after having sat in the paper bag it became even more moist and delicious.
The rain worsened so climbing was certainly out of the question. We checked out the street market at the Wergelandsparken and hurried into the indoor shopping mall, Torvkvartalet for a little while. They had a Zara and a few other boutiques but nothing extraordinary.
A few hours had passed and the rain was still coming down, so of course, time to eat. Since we had to forgo our reservation the night prior, we opted for Monsoon. We had a cozy booth by the front door. The menu was lengthy with all sorts of dishes from sushi to Thai curry. Overall, the meal was average, not disappointing, but average, absolutely nothing compared with Burger Bordello.
The rain clouds seemed to be lifting, so with hopeful hearts, we hopped in the car to go to Jegersberg. We’d read in a local magazine that this was the best place to go for a walk in Kristiansand. We parked at a horseback riding center and walked into the forest. Unfortunately, what must’ve been a beautiful lake, was completely dry due to dam renovations. We followed the walking trail for about an hour anyways, spotting a deer but nothing else all that interesting. The horses were by far the most beautiful part of the walk.
After the walk, we continued our southern Norway adventure to Mandal, a seaside resort town just an hour away. We spent Saturday through Monday evening there.
Since we had to go back to Kristiansand airport, we stopped for one final meal on Monday afternoon at Cafe Generalen.
Whether you’re looking for a fika, an ice cream, a drink or a meal, Cafe Generalen is excellent. Lots of the older couples around us were enjoying waffles with jam and butter, while the younger folks were licking drippy ice cream cones. We sat on the terrace overlooking the Ravnedalsveien park.
I must say the cauliflower dish looked very delicious. Had I seen it before ordering, I definitely would’ve opted for that. Instead, we split some salads and burgers. The salads were average, but the burgers were very juicy and flavorful. If I lived nearby, I’d definitely frequent this spot.
From the terrace you see an extraordinary rock face jutting with the pond below it and well-groomed park grounds. Within the park, there are lots of footpaths, but at the edges, you’ll find trails leading into the forest. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes as there are a lot of hills and muddy trails. This area is also known for climbing. We decided to skip climbing here and returned to Odderøya to climb and catch some rays before going back to the airport.
And that’s it for Kristiansand, Norway. Be sure to check out part two on Mandal, Norway for lots more photos and tips.
Some photos were taken by my friends, Julie and Sarah.
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