The Beach Path at the tip of Odderøya

Last winter, the Parks Department oversaw improvements to 190 meters of the popular Beach Path (Strandstien) at the tip of Odderøya. The path has been made wider and flatter, and a 75-meter-long cast-iron rail has been set up.

You can get there by walking or driving out to the “Waffle-Shack” (Vaffelbua) by the Southern Battery (Søndre batteri)

The work was carried out by Kaspar Strømme AS and the total cost of the improvements was about €50,000.

From the path, you can easily access the ocean front for swimming, sunbathing and spectacular views of the fjord leading into Kristiansand.

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Odderøya (Maps)

Restoring the Quarantine Wall

In Bendiksbukta at Odderøya, the Parks Department is currently restoring a stone wall known as the Quarantine Wall.

The wall was set up between 1800 and 1810 to keep ships from places affected by plague at bay. Before being allowed to unload their goods, ships were quarantined outside the wall for up to 40 days.

For years, the wall has whithered away, which could lead to dangerous situations as thousands of people gather there for the annual Quart Festival.

The Parks Department has, therefore, started restoring the wall to its former self, and soon the entire upper half of the wall will once again be safe.

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Odderøya (Maps)

Ravnedalen Park

Ravnedalen (Raven’s Valley) was built by soldiers under the watchful eye of General Joseph Frantz Oscar Wergeland (Henrik Wergeland and Camilla Collett’s brother).

At the end of the 1860s, there were plans to construct a shooting range in the area. However, the general put his foot down. It would be sacrilege, he maintained, to build anything but a park in an area so well suited to recreational activities.

Through unorthodox use of soldiers from the officers’ academy - armed, not with rifles, but shovels, seeds and plants - General Wergeland converted the former swamp to a park featuring “cultured nature”, ponds, tracks and countless varieties of plants and flowers. The entire park construction took four years, from 1874 to 1878.

During its history, Ravnedalen Park has played home to both caged monkeys and peacocks. These days, ducks, a pair of swans, and a number of giant trees rule the area.

Today, busloads of tourists, along with many locals, visit the famous valley. Kindergarten groups and school classes are also frequent visitors.

Map of the area

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Recreational areas in Kristiansand

Kristiansand Parks Department manages and maintains the city council’s recreational areas and the City Forest. We also cooperate with the national government in the management and maintenance of our coastal areas. Furthermore, we work together with sports clubs to clear, maintain and mark hiking paths.

With our islands and skerries, beaches, hiking areas and untouched nature, Kristiansand has something for everyone when it comes to outdoors recreation. Many of our recreational areas also have disabled access.

We have seven lit hiking tracks around Kristiansand. The lights come on in the evenings from early September, and stay on until spring, when daylight lasts until late at night. During autumn and winter, the lights are turned on at dusk and remain on until 11pm. The hiking tracks in Baneheia and Jegersberg are also lit in the mornings from 6am.

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