52 Places to Go in 2025” – The New York Times

This waterfront city embodies southern Norway: An old town of whitewashed wooden houses gives way to a harbor, a fiskebrygga (fish market) and beaches. Its splashy newcomer? The Kunstsilo museum, built in an old grain silo and containing one of the world’s largest collections of Nordic Modernism. Three design studios converted the soaring structure with a careful eye to preserving the original 1935 architecture by Norwegian functionalist architects. The centerpiece, the Tangen Collection, encompasses more than 5,000 Nordic works donated by the Kristiansand native Nicolai Tangen, while rotating exhibitions include “Time,” which highlights works by the Norwegian photographer Mette Tronvoll. There are digital experiences, concerts, workshops and more. Top off your visit at the stylish rooftop Panorama bar, with sweeping views of the fjords and beyond. Kunstsilo rises over Odderoya, an island that was once a naval base and is now a vibrant arts quarter with workshops, galleries, cafes and the Kilden performing arts center, featuring a wavelike facade. Hiking trails meander along the water, a reminder that for all its new developments, Kristiansand’s soul is rooted in the sea.— AnneLise Sorensen