Finland

Visiting Finland is like stepping into a refreshing shower on a hot day. Even in the cultured capital, Helsinki, the air is clean, and the countryside has a cool but seductive beauty. The western coast is fringed with countless islands, while the southern Saimaa district is drenched by myriad sapphire lakes. Here you can sail, fish, or take a relaxing sauna – followed, of course, by a dip in the lake.

In Kuusamo, there are ancient forests where bears and wolves roam, where succulent berries grow, and where lichens glisten on the trees lining the waymarked walking trails. And in Lapland, far to the north, the indigenous Sami people still tend their reindeer herds – when they’re not surfing the Internet, that is: Finland is one of the most technologically switched-on countries in the world.

Finland’s rich, sometimes turbulent, history is revealed in its buildings: onion-domed Orthodox churches speak of the days when it was part of Russia (Finland has the world’s only Lenin Museum), while fortresses like Suomenlinna Castle recall centuries of Swedish rule.

During winter, luscious snows create a sporting wonderland crisscrossed by ski trails, while in warmer weather you can watch an opera at Savonlinna, go canoeing, river rafting or gold panning, or simply join the Finns as they dance the tango under the midnight sun.