With colorful homes dotting green hills and a charming Old Town rising above a sparkling harbor, Arendal is a seaside gem along Norway’s southern coast. Wander Tyholmen’s cobbled streets past wooden houses dating to the city’s timber exporting days of the 17th-19th centuries. Admire the striking rådhus (town hall), a four-story national heirloom that remains Norway’s tallest wooden house. People-watch during lunch at one of the many dining venues in Pollen, Arendal’s inner harbor. Hop on a ferry to walk the sands of bucolic — and car-free — Merdø island, or take a scenic drive to Grimstad and Lillesand, a pair of delightful coastal villages.