If you’re exploring Kristiansand, the idea of the old Post road (Postvegen) offers a fascinating lens on Southern Norway’s travel heritage. Postvegen refers to the historical postal routes that once stitched together Norway’s coast and valleys, carrying letters, people, and news long before railways and highways. In and around Kristiansand, traces of these routes survive as quiet lanes, forest paths, and stone bridges that invite slow travel—ideal for walkers and cyclists who want a blend of scenery and story.
Historically, the Post road connected Kristiansand with inland communities, particularly up the Setesdal corridor. From the late 1600s, when official postal transport expanded under the Danish-Norwegian crown, riders, farmers, and boatmen moved mail along a network of signed legs using ferries, bridle tracks, and winter ice routes. The roads evolved with improved engineering in the 18th and 19th centuries, but many segments near Kristiansand still show the telltale features of early roadbuilding: dry-stone supports, narrow cuts through bedrock, and old waymarkers. Along the coast, the route linked to trading ports and waystations that supported post riders and travelers with lodging, stables, and meals.
One particularly rewarding angle for visitors is to combine the city’s modern attractions with detours onto heritage stretches of the Post road. Start from the city center near The Cathedral (Kristiansand domkirke), then aim for green belts and older neighborhoods where remnants align with today’s walking paths. Some local heritage groups and museums can point you to signposted segments and tell the backstory of how mail moved by horse and boat across fjords and rivers. You may encounter stone milestones, small bridges, and farm clusters that once functioned as informal post stops—a reminder that postal routes were also social lifelines.
For an active outing, consider a day trip that blends cycling along coastal lanes with short hikes on preserved sections of the Post road. Late spring to early autumn offers the best light and footing, with long evenings perfect for scenic detours and photo stops. Surfaces vary: some stretches are gravel or forest floor, others paved. Sturdy walking shoes or hybrid bike tires are recommended. Families will find gentle sections near lakes and forested parks, and there are plenty of picnic-friendly spots where you can imagine riders changing horses and warming up after winter crossings.
Practicalities matter if you’re chasing history. Stop by The Regional Museum (Vest-Agder-museet) for context about transport and trade in Agder, and check with The Tourist Information Office (Turistinformasjonen) for current maps marking heritage roads, viewpoints, and safe crossings. Public buses from The Bus Terminal (Kristiansand rutebilstasjon) can get you close to trailheads outside the city core, while returning by bike or on foot lets you savor the landscape at a slower pace. Weather shifts quickly along the coast, so pack layers, a rain shell, and water.
What makes the Post road relevant today is how it ties together experiences: coastal city energy, inland nature, and the narrative of connection. In one day you can browse cafés around The Fish Market (Fiskebrygga), then step onto a centuries-old lane where couriers once thundered past—proof that travel in Southern Norway has always balanced sea and land, commerce and community. For photographers and history buffs, the contrast between modern Kristiansand and the quiet, mossy stones of the old road is especially compelling.
Finally, think of the Post road as a themed route rather than a single trail. Its fragments, preserved and repurposed, make a flexible itinerary: pick a short accessible section near town, or plan a longer excursion that follows the historic line toward the Setesdal valley. Either way, you’ll come away with a richer sense of how Kristiansand became a southern gateway—and how messages, goods, and people moved through this landscape long before the era of highways and smartphones.