Grimstad

Grimstad is a pretty coastal town with a charming wharf. In the mid- to late 19th century, the town was famous as a shipbuilding center, and from 1844 to 1850 the teenage Henrik Ibsen worked as an apprentice at the local apothecary shop. Later, in the early 20th century, author Knut Hamsun, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature yet infamous for his support of Nazi Germany, lived here. Today Grimstad is called the "Town of Poets," and is still home to many artists. A popular Norwegian short-film festival is held here in early summer.