Every design for Kristiansund

When the ice withdrew at the end of the last Ice Age, parts of this coast were among the first to be free, and many scientists believe the very first Norwegians settled near present-day Kristiansund, drawn by the rich waters around it. In the Viking age the battle of Rastarkalv was fought on the island of Frei nearby, and in the Middle Ages the island of Grip was the most important fishing community in the region. The old name, Fosna or Lille Fosen, meant a hiding place: a hidden port. The town was later named after King Christian VI.

Kristiansund is built on the islands of Kirklandet, Innlandet and Nordlandet in the Nordmøre region, gathered around one sheltered central harbour. The islands are small and the centre on Kirklandet is tightly packed, which makes Kristiansund one of the most densely built towns in Norway, with a centre far more urban than its size would suggest. Mellemværftet and Norsk klippfiskmuseum belong to that harbour, and to the trade in fish that shaped the town. Even the post shows how particular it is: people still add an N to the name, to keep it apart from Kristiansand in the south.

For anyone who has moved away, it is the harbour that calls you back, with the islands around it and the narrow streets of Kirklandet: the shape of home.