Posebyen old town in Kristiansand

Have a leisurely walk through "Posebyen", one of Northern Europe's largest collections of charming, old, white wooden houses.

Posebyen in Kristiansand is a nice little city community and the only thing left after the big city fire in 1892. Take a walk around the idylic streets. Posebyen is one of the biggest collections of small and old wood construction houses. In the summer there is a markets at Saturdays.

Posebyhaven
The association "Foreningen Posebyen" works actively for the revitalization and preservation of the old town in Kristiansand. This is done through the project PosebyHaven. They want the buildings to be used for general cultural purposes and contain a café, bakery, shop, restaurant and workshops. Read more about Posebyhaven.

Other historic buildings in Posebyen:

Ekserserhuset at Tordenskjoldsgate 64. Built between 1807- 08. Functioned as an officers’ training academy until WWII. The building has also been used for concerts and drama productions, and as a ballroom for the garrison’s soldiers. Acrobats also performed there and Constitution Day was celebrated in it.

Bentsens Hus, Kronprinsensgt. 59. Nowadays belongs to Kristiansand municipality. The house was built in 1855 and is one of the best preserved buildings in the town. Intended as the local museum. The building previously belonged to Lieutenant Bentsen, who was assigned to the marching band. It has previously housed as many as 40 people, including 15 soldiers in the attic. In the yard you will find two stables, a tool shed, hayloft, a twoseater outside toilet, a woodshed and a chicken coop.

Kristiansand nursing home, Elvegata 39. Although the site has been occupied since 1698, the present building was erected after a fire (Østerbrannen) in 1859. One of Kristiansand’s best known houses, it was previously owned by an influential businessman locally referred to as ‘the King of Elvegada’. He donated to the Cathedral the baptismal font used to christen many of ristiansand’s inhabitants. Kristiansand City Council took over the building in 1906 and turned it into a nursing home for the «elderly and infirm». The elegant wooden building stands empty today, since the nursing home moved to a more suitable location on the opposite side of the road.

The former Post office at Kronprinsensgate 45. Dates back to 1695. Has been used for textile dyeing, and as a timber warehouse and a general store. During the autumn its courtyard sometimes contained up to 100 sheep waiting to be slaughtered and salted for winter consumption. The present building was erected after a major fire (Østerbrannen).

Sløyden at Gyldenløvesgt 70. Also known as "Thorkilds Bedehus" (Thorkild’s Chapel). Built in 1855 and rebuilt in 1859 by master builder Mikkel Mortensen, who also built the churches in Søgne, Randesund and Birkenes. The building was used for prayer meetings and is considered to have been the cradle of many of Kristiansand’s major religious communities. Used as a work school for boys in 1880, the building was taken over by the local council in 1892.

Gyldenløvesgate 69. Birthplace of the famous town character ‘Kjutta’.

Kafé "Blåstua", Gyldenløvesgt. 60 This café with its original décor is famous for its homemade cakes and waffles. The ‘Lige Godt’ charity shop (also run by the Blue Cross) is located in the same building. The Blue Cross building on Gyldenløvesgate 56. Inhabited since 1802. The house has 16 roomsthree kitchens and a large garden. In 1876, it was bought by a Lieute-nant Colonel renowned for throwing extravagant banquets where he would dress up in full military regalia. Later the house was used as a soldiers’ barracks and in 1915 it was acquired by the organisation called the Blue Cross, which used it to provide the unemployed with work chopping wood. The neighbouring house was bought and demolished in 1930, after which it was reverently rebuilt in brick made to look like timber. ‘Sophies Staveskole’ (Sophie’s School of Spelling) was said to have occupied Gyldenløvesgate 60 in 1860.

Frivolds hjørne, Holbergsgt 17. This building was named after its last owner, a butcher named Frivold. However, the site was originally part of a larger estate incorporating Holbergsgate 13, 15 and 17 and Rådhusgaten 40b. Holbergsgate 17 is about 200 years old and was used for the sale of wines and spirits in the 1840s, while No.15 housed a carpenter’s and coffin maker’s. From 1709, barber and surgeon Bartold Printzlau lived across the street in No.16. A somewhat eccentric and controversial figure, he was said to own seven net-cloth hats, nine nightcaps, three white caps, eleven lacehats and a gold-trimmed hat with red lining.

Elin`s Motehus (Fashion House), as well as a summer cafe at Skippergt. 43.

On your way back to the pier you pass all the fruit and vegetable stalls to be found on the market square in the city centre near the Wergeland’s Park where green lawns and colourful flower beds brighten the city scene together with busy shopping streets filled with flower boxes and buckets.

The Kristiansand Cathedral in neo-gothic style dates back from 1885. Next to the cathedral lies the Kristiansand Library and close by the Sørlandets Art Museum SKMU.