Every year in the first week of August, Risør's small harbour fills with hundreds of classic wooden sailboats and motor launches, sailed in by owners and enthusiasts from across Norway and beyond. It's been running since 1985 and has grown into one of the largest wooden-boat gatherings in Europe — part regatta, part floating museum, part town party, with the harbourfront cafés and quaysides packed for the whole run.
If your visit doesn't line up with the festival, the same harbour is worth a look any summer evening — just with a lot more room to sit.