Christiansholm Fortress

Kristiansand, Norway

Christiansholm Fortress was finished in 1672 and formed a part of King Christian IV's plan for defense of Kristiansand when the city was founded in 1641. The architect of the fortress was quartermaster general Willem Coucheron. It was built on an islet, about 100 yards from shore. Today the fortress is connected to the mainland.

The only time the fortress has been in battle was against an English fleet force, lead by HMS Spencer (1800) in 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars. It was decommissioned by royal decree during June 1872 as part of a major redevelopment of fortifications across the nation.

Today, Christiansholm is a tourist attraction by the Kristiansand Boardwalk and venue for a variety of cultural events and festivities. It is now owned by the municipality and is a site used principally for recreation.

References:

Wikipedia

Castles and fortifications in Norway

Address

Østre Strandgate 52B, Kristiansand, Norway

See all sites in Kristiansand

Details

Founded: 1672
Category: Castles and fortifications in Norway

More Information

www.kristiansand-norway.com
en.wikipedia.org
www.visitnorway.com

Rating

4.3/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Kristiansand Cathedral (0,6 km)
Oddernes Church (1,8 km)

Harkmark Church (25,9 km)
Vestre Moland Church (24,7 km)
Søgne Old Church (11,2 km)
Høvåg Church (14,7 km)

User Reviews

H. L. (2 years ago)
Christiansholm festning 02/2023 Old fortification of Kristiansand next to the marina. Worth a visit

Stephen Augustyn (3 years ago)
Fantastic views of the harbour and a very relaxing place to watch the world go by.

Andreas U. H. (3 years ago)
Very nice fortress on the outside, but entrance a bit hard to find. As a conference hall, they desperately need to mount acoustic plates in the roof. Audio quality was really bad with slight noise from the back being a real annoyance. Apart from that it's a really interesting and round locale.

Leif Borø (4 years ago)
Great old fortress! My grandma worked here when it used to be a restaurant. Today it seems to be used for festivals and gatherings of different kinds.

Παύλος Παυλίδης (4 years ago)
A small fortress in a wonderful spot!

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright w_lemay

Historic Site of the week

Temple of Edfu

The Temple of Edfu is one of the best preserved ancient shrines in Egypt. It was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC.

Edfu was one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom, including the Dendera Temple complex, Esna, the Temple of Kom Ombo, and Philae. Its size reflects the relative prosperity of the time. The present temple initially consisted of a pillared hall, two transverse halls, and a barque sanctuary surrounded by chapels. The building was started during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII Auletes. It was built on the site of an earlier, smaller temple also dedicated to Horus, although the previous structure was oriented east–west rather than north–south as in the present site.