Kristiansand is a city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. Varodd Bridge is a large bridge and a part of E18 , which stretches over Topdalsfjorden. Tourism is important in Kristiansand, and the summer season is the most popular for tourists.
Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement park is the largest zoo in Norway. It receives over , visitors every year. Markens Street is the main pedestrian street in downtown Kristiansand. Bystranda is a city beach located in Kvadraturen; Hamresanden beach is the longest beach in Kristiansand.
Hamresanden Camping is a popular family aciivity during the summer season. The city hosts a free weekly concert in downtown Kristiansand in the summertime.
The second part of the city's name, sand , comes from the Old Norse word sandr which means "sand" or "sandy ground". This refers to the sandy headland upon which the city was originally built. See also: Lillesand Name. Historically, the name was usually written Christianssand until , although the map of the mapmaker Pontoppidan from spelled the name Christiansand with a single 's'. In , an official spelling reform aimed at bringing city names into line with regular Norwegian orthography changed it to Kristianssand.
Kristiansund and Kristiania Oslo , also had their spellings changed under the same reform. Despite that, a number of businesses and associations retain the "Ch" spelling. The name was again changed to its present form, Kristiansand single "s" , in The Kristiansand area has been inhabited since prehistoric times.
