Kristiansund is built on four islands at the edge of the open Atlantic, connected by bridges and the Sundbåten ferry, the world's oldest public transport boat service, running continuously since 1876. Before the bridges came, the ferry was the only way between the islands of Kirkelandet, Innlandet, Nordlandet, and Gomalandet. It is still free to ride.
The town got its trading rights in 1742, named after King Christian VI, but the real wealth came from klippfisk, salted and dried cod. From the late 1600s, fishermen learned to split and salt Atlantic cod, then dry it on the coastal rocks. By the late 1700s, Kristiansund was Norway's leading klippfisk exporter, shipping to Spain, Portugal, and the Caribbean. The industry shaped the town for over 200 years. The Norsk Klippfiskmuseum on Gomalandet, housed in a 1749 wharf building, tells this story in detail.
On 28 April 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed Kristiansund for three days, destroying most of the old town centre. The same day King Haakon was evacuated from burning Molde just across the fjord. The town was rebuilt in the 1940s-50s in a distinctive modernist style, giving it the colourful, uniform look it has today.
The town also has Norway's oldest opera tradition outside Oslo. The Operaen i Kristiansund has staged productions since 1928 and moved into the new Normoria cultural centre in 2025. The Varden viewpoint, 78 metres above sea level, offers a panorama across the town, the island of Grip, and the Smøla archipelago.
The town got its trading rights in 1742, named after King Christian VI, but the real wealth came from klippfisk, salted and dried cod. From the late 1600s, fishermen learned to split and salt Atlantic cod, then dry it on the coastal rocks. By the late 1700s, Kristiansund was Norway's leading klippfisk exporter, shipping to Spain, Portugal, and the Caribbean. The industry shaped the town for over 200 years. The Norsk Klippfiskmuseum on Gomalandet, housed in a 1749 wharf building, tells this story in detail.
On 28 April 1940, the Luftwaffe bombed Kristiansund for three days, destroying most of the old town centre. The same day King Haakon was evacuated from burning Molde just across the fjord. The town was rebuilt in the 1940s-50s in a distinctive modernist style, giving it the colourful, uniform look it has today.
The town also has Norway's oldest opera tradition outside Oslo. The Operaen i Kristiansund has staged productions since 1928 and moved into the new Normoria cultural centre in 2025. The Varden viewpoint, 78 metres above sea level, offers a panorama across the town, the island of Grip, and the Smøla archipelago.