Arendal is a small town on the south coast of Norway. After the geographical boundaries were extended to include four surrounding communities in 1992, the town now is the tenth largest in Norway in terms of population. It was originally called the Venice of Scandinavia because the town is built on seven islands, with a network of canals surrounding it. Most of these have later been filled in, but plans are afoot to reopen some again. The town has a number of tourist attractions to offer. Apart from the town itself, which is well worth a leisurely guided walk, the main attraction in summer is the sea and the skerries landscape. The harbour area "Pollen" teems with boats and life in the summer, and idyllic swimming beaches or skerry rocks are within easy access.