Kristiansund (sometimes written Kristiansund N, to distinguish it from Kristiansand in the south) is a small coastal city in Møre og Romsdal, built across four islands connected by bridges. It has been a fishing and trading town for centuries, and the production of klippfisk (dried and salted cod) was once the economic backbone — the Klippfiskmuseet in the old town tells that story.
The city was heavily bombed in 1940 and rebuilt in a functionalist style, so it lacks the old wooden architecture of neighbouring towns like Ålesund. But the harbour setting is attractive, and the Kirkelandet Church — a 1964 modernist building — is one of the best pieces of post-war architecture in western Norway. The island of Innlandet preserves a handful of pre-war merchant buildings and is where the Klippfiskmuseet warehouses stand.
Kristiansund is the departure point for the Atlantic Ocean Road (Atlanterhavsveien), one of Norway's most famous scenic drives — a series of bridges leaping from island to island across the open sea, reached via the Atlantic Ocean Tunnel under the fjord. The sundbåt harbour ferry, running since 1876, is the best way to move between the islands and gives the town its distinctive rhythm. Climb Kvernberget for the panoramic view over the whole island city and out to sea.