Kristiansand: The Lochner Hike

This is a lovely hike that starts in the morning and lasts until late afternoon. We start outside the Kristiansand tourist office (located in the Town Hall). From there we wander through quiet streets to a lovely park that lies between the city and the wild forest. We wander through the forest park, enjoy all the small lakes, the birds, the squirrels and if we are lucky, we will also come across a deer. Once through the park, we start the hike into the Kristiansand forest (Bymarka). We pass the beautiful lake Bånetjønn and suddenly take a steep climb to the right. Here, stone stairs have been built through a narrow passage, steeply upwards, a real photo motif! At the top, we walk the narrow path, through the forest, over the rocky mountains in the direction of the lake Bergvannet. The cool summer breeze blows through the pine trees, and in this area, there are a number of different wild animals. If we are lucky, we will see some of them up in the air or between the trees. 

Once at Bergvannet, we take a break with food and drinks and if the air is warm, we take a cooling swim! After the break, we set course in the direction of Ravndalen (The Valley of the Raven). We go through much of the same landscape and meet several beautiful viewpoints along the way. Suddenly there is a precipice in front of us and an absolutely fantastic view of large parts of Kristiansand and the sea Skagerrak reveals itself. We enjoy the view before climbing down a very narrow and steep (but safe) path. 

There are several nice viewpoints down, and we meet a lovely point where we stand 50 meters on top of a mountain that plunges straight down into Ravndalen. Hold tight! 

When we are down in Ravndalen there will be opportunities for refreshments, ice cream and coffee. After the break, we continue our tour in the direction of the magnificent park that King Christian IV of Denmark gave as a gift to the city's population in 1641. We stroll down to the city, and back to where we started outside the Town Hall in Kristiansand. Good and tired, but happy and full of lovely impressions after a long day's trip!