Norre Katts park

Activities, food and drinks

Norre Katt Park offers many opportunities for both activity and relaxation for children and adults alike. The Djungellekan, playground is especially popular with families. It features, among other things, a tall slide for the more adventurous, swings, a balance course, and more.

The classic Rotundan (swe) External link, opens in new window. serves as a central gathering place in the park. During the summer, you can eat, grab a coffee, and socialize here in a green and relaxed setting, while a packed summer program offers everything from live music to various cultural events.

In addition, there are large grassy areas for picnics and spontaneous activities, scenic walking paths along the Nissan River and through the park’s lush surroundings, and plenty of places to sit and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. Together, this creates a vibrant park where both everyday life and summer activities can thrive.

Events

Norre Katt Park is a lively meeting place where events are often held, especially during the summer months. The park then fills with music, theater, festivals, and public activities that attract both Halmstad residents and visitors. See the Swedish website or contact Halmstad Tourist Information for details about upcoming events in the park.

Art and plant life

In Norre Katt Park, culture and nature come together in a harmonious whole. Among the park’s lush pathways and open lawns, you’ll find several sculptures and artistic features that invite both reflection and playful discovery. Together, the plants and artwork create a living environment where every visit can offer something new.

Three Works of Art in Norre Katt Park

Girl in a Tub
Girl in a Tub (Flicka i balja) is a bronze sculpture by artist Lena Cronqvist. The piece depicts a child sitting in a tub and captures a quiet, everyday moment with both playfulness and reflection. Unveiled in 2007, the sculpture is typical of Cronqvist’s work, where childhood is often central and portrayed with warmth but also a certain seriousness. The simple scene allows for multiple interpretations – from play and security to vulnerability and contemplation – making the work engaging and moving over time.

Göran Hammar Bust
The bust of Göran Hammar commemorates one of the individuals who played a major role in the park’s history. Göran Hammar (1821–1873) was a merchant, politician, and a prominent Halmstad figure who, together with others, purchased the area in the 19th century to save it from development and preserve it as a park for the city’s residents. The bust was erected in the early 1900s in tribute to his contributions.

Söndrum Urn
The Söndrum Urn is one of the park’s more classical works of art. The stately urn was designed by architect Ferdinand Boberg and was originally created for the Halmstad Exhibition of 1912. It is made from local Söndrum gneiss stone and has stood since the 1950s along Trinity Avenue, where it serves as a decorative focal point in the park.

Beautiful Plantings

The park’s rich plant life enhances the artwork and creates atmospheric contrasts throughout the year. There are large, mature deciduous trees such as linden and beech that provide shade during the summer, as well as flowering shrubs like rhododendron, lilac, and roses that add color and fragrance. Flower beds and plantings feature perennials that change with the seasons and bring life to the park from early spring to late fall. The combination of blooms and greenery creates a natural setting for the artworks.

Trinity Avenue (Trefaldighetsallén)

Trinity Avenue is one of the most distinctive features of Norre Katt Park. It forms a central walkway and serves both as a visual focal point and a natural promenade through the historic park. The avenue dates back to the park’s development in the 19th century, when the area – then known as Tivoli – began to be created as a public park with walking paths, plantings, and recreational areas. Tree-lined avenues were an important part of park design at the time, helping to create orderly and attractive environments for strolling.
A music pavilion once stood along Trinity Avenue. There was also a traditional timber cottage from Särdal, which was used as a museum and inhabited by a couple who served as guides.

World Exhibition

In the northern part of the park, along Trinity Avenue, the major Halmstad Exhibition of 1912 was held – an exposition for crafts, industry, and handicrafts. It was inaugurated by King Gustav V and featured both local and regional exhibitors. Participants included well-known companies such as Malcus, Nordiska Filt, and the Rex Machine Factory.

The exhibition also showcased products from Christian Holm’s basketry workshop and from a salmon smokehouse run by Fiken Johansson, one of the city’s most prominent food producers and a royal supplier. One of the exhibition’s most notable attractions was a cableway that crossed the Nissan River just north of the railway bridge.

The Park’s History

The area of Norre Katt Park was once part of Halmstad’s fortress. The entire park is built on the remains of the old 17th-century fortification. The moat stretched in a semicircle around what is now the city center. No construction was allowed outside the fortress, so the city could only expand after it was dismantled in the 1730s.

Since the city gates were the weakest points of the fortress, they were reinforced with additional fortifications outside the main structure. In what is now Norre Katt Park, there were two additional ramparts and a moat. When the fortress was demolished, care was taken to ensure that none of it could be reused by an enemy. Yet, if you look closely, you can still see traces today. Where the duck pond is today, one of the extra moats once lay. Where the Rotunda now stands, there was once a ravelin – a triangular detached fortification designed to protect the city.

Halmstad Fortress

In the northern part of Norre Katt Park, there was a glacis with a firing trench during the 17th century—a gently sloping, very wide earth embankment. This structure served two functions: it protected the Halmstad fortress walls from cannon fire, which often struck the glacis instead, and it made it harder for enemies to approach, as defenders had clear lines of sight in all directions. Directly behind the glacis was a firing trench along the steep slope, which still exists today. Below the slope was a second moat.

The Park’s Name

The park received its current name, Norre Katt Park, in 1918. The word “katt” refers to a part of the 17th-century fortifications. A katt, or cavalier, was an elevated fortification that allowed for firing from different levels. On the Northern Bastion there was such a structure, called Norre Katt – hence the name of the park.

Tivoli Amusement Park

In 1842, the land was purchased by innkeeper Anders Sjögren. He replaced the potato and tobacco fields that had been established there with lawns, leafy groves, a restaurant, and gazebos. The new amusement park was named Tivoli and became a place for strolling, music, and entertainment. Over time, the park has housed many different activities, including restaurants, pavilions, a bowling alley, a dance floor, and a music pavilion.

At times, the business struggled financially. After a few years, newspapers reported that the owners had been forced to arrange dances for the lower classes. Strong drinks were also sold illegally until Sjögren obtained a license to serve alcohol.

After Sjögren, the park had several owners before it was purchased in 1863 by the Spirits Company, which subsequently donated it to the city. With support from the company, the park was further developed. The Upper Tivoli restaurant was built on an old bastion and became the park’s main entertainment venue. In the lower section, the yellow Rotunda – still standing today – and the Western Pavilion were constructed. At the same time, the City Council introduced rules for behavior in the park, requiring visitors to act properly, stay on the paths, and respect plantings and greenery.

Early Football History

The grassy area between the railway bridge and the Halland Art Museum, formerly known as Tivoli Square, holds special importance in sports history. In September 1890, the first official international soccer match on Swedish soil was played here. A local team called Halmstads Bollklubb (years before today’s HBK was founded) faced Akademisk Boldklub from Copenhagen. The match ended in a Danish victory but was an important step in establishing soccer in Sweden.

Entertainment Era

In the early 20th century, the park became a major center for the city’s entertainment life. The restaurant at Upper Tivoli was renovated with fine woodwork and large windows and was promoted as the most beautiful summer restaurant on Sweden’s west coast. There was also a music pavilion, a fountain, and a large outdoor seating area.

The park’s restaurants were operated by Hotel Mårtenson. When the lease was renewed in 1907, the temperance movement was strong in Halmstad, and the city wanted to promote alcohol-free entertainment. The Western Pavilion was therefore leased to the movement and became a popular café, commonly known as “Nyktran.” In 1902, a timber cottage from Särdal was moved to the park and turned into a small museum, inhabited by a married couple who served as guides.

A Time of Change

In the mid-20th century, entertainment habits changed. New seaside resorts like Tylösand and Östra Stranden attracted more visitors. At the same time, television became widespread, and people increasingly stayed home or socialized in private settings rather than visiting public entertainment venues. As a result, the park’s restaurants declined in importance. In the 1960s, both Nyktran and Upper Tivoli were demolished. The timber cottage was later moved to Harplinge Heritage Park.

In 1968, Stockholm’s city gardener Holger Blom proposed a new design for Norre Katt Park, drawing on the site’s history as a fortress. This design forms the basis of the park as it appears today.

The park today

The yellow Rotundan (swe) External link, opens in new window. is now the only remaining building from the park’s early entertainment era. It stands as a reminder of Tivoli and Norre Katt Park’s long history as a gathering place for strolls, music, and leisure. Its location atop the former ravelin also reflects the park’s military past. In recent years, the Rotunda has once again become a lively venue for music and events.