Kristiansand

Nicknamed Sommerbyen ("Summer City"), Norway's fifth-largest city draws visitors for its sun-soaked beaches and beautiful harbor. According to legend, in 1641 King Christian IV marked the four corners of Kristiansand with his walking stick, and within that framework the grid of wide streets was laid down. The center of town, called Kvadraturen ("The Quad"), still retains the grid, even after numerous fires. In the northeast corner is Posebyen, one of northern Europe's largest collections of low, connected wooden houses. There's a market here every Saturday in summer. The fish market is near the south corner of the town's grid, right on the sea.