Baneheia is a recreational area in the municipality of

Kristiansand Kristiansand is a seaside resort city and municipality in Agder county, Norway. The city is the fifth-largest and the municipality the sixth-largest in Norway, with a population of around 112,000 as of January 2020, following the incorporation ...

Agder Agder is a county (''fylke'') and traditional region in the southern part of Norway. The county was established on 1 January 2020, when the old Vest-Agder and Aust-Agder counties were merged. Since the early 1900s, the term Sørlandet ("south ...

county,

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. The park is mostly known at the national level from the Baneheia case as the scene of a notorious murder of two girls ages 8 and 10 that took place in 2000. The area lies just north of the centre of the city of

and it has hills, lakes, and forest. The Ravnedalen Park lies just to the northwest of Baneheia. The Baneheia area was given to the citizens of Kristiansand by King

Christian IV Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian monar ...

of Denmark-Norway when the city was founded in 1641.

Recreational area

The lake called '3. stampe' or 'Stampa' is a popular swimming lake with a couple of small beaches and nice water temperatures during summer. On the "Drageknatten" hill, you can get nice views of the city center and the docks. Baneheia is used for hiking or jogging during spring, summer, and autumn and can be used for skiing during winter if there's enough snow. Many different species of birds can be found in Baneheia, along with lighted trails. Some parts of the area are even accessible by wheelchair users.

History

Baneheia used to be quite a sad view, as the trees were gone because of the inhabitants' need of wood. In the 1800s, general Joseph Frantz Oscar Wergeland used soldiers from the city's garrison to plant trees, build stairs, trails, etc. and made Baneheia into what it is today.

Baneheia murders

The area is also known for the infamous double murder incident which occurred in May 2000. Two young girls were raped and murdered close by the '3. Stampe' lake and their bodies hidden in the adjacent woods. The case sent shock-waves through Norwegian society and the name "Baneheia" is primarily associated with the crimes rather than the area, at least in areas outside of

. However, Baneheia is now safe and a peaceful area.

References

{{Reflist Geography of Kristiansand Tourism in Kristiansand