Finland

Endless lakes and forests? Sure. A super-hip capital, charming waterfront cottages, and a sauna around every corner? Impressive. Reindeer, Northern Lights, and the alleged home base of Santa Claus? Sold!

Finland’s the enormous borderland between Scandinavia and western Russia, rolling northward from the island-threaded Baltic seacoast all the way to the tundra and mountains of Lapland. In between is the vastness of Finnish Lakeland, glinting with uncountable forest-swaddled waterways. The delightful Aland Islands between southwestern Finland and southeastern Sweden function as an autonomous (and mostly Swedish-speaking) region within the country.

Finland spent centuries under the rule of Sweden and then Russia, then declared its independence in World War I. It managed to retain this sovereignty even in the face of Soviet aggression: The Finns held strong during the cold, bloody fighting of the 1939-1940 Winter War, when Soviet troops invaded. Today it’s a prosperous and socially progressive country occupying a rather singular position in a cultural and political meeting-ground: not quite Scandinavian, not quite European, not quite Russian—just completely Finnish.

As hip and swanky as the capital Helsinki—commonly ranked near or at the top of lists of the world’s most livable cities—genuinely is, Finnish culture is strongly connected to the natural world. From a cuisine heavily accented with wild game, berries, mushrooms, and fish to the ubiquitous Finnish sauna, there’s a sense of rustic spirit pervading daily life. And when you’re out hiking, skiing, or paddling in the deliciously roomy boreal forests, you’ll find yourself in the company of both urban and rural Finns just as eager to recreate and relax in their beautiful backyard as you are.

Winter in Finland is dark and snowy—and just the season to be out and about! Trek to Lapland to enjoy some of the very best opportunities to view the Aurora Borealis: the Northern Lights. These pulsating displays of heavenly color—flashing as the solar wind engages Earth’s geomagnetic field—commonly ripple across the region more than 200 days a year, which makes for pretty good odds. When you’re not gazing skyward, try a reindeer sleigh, a sled-dog ride, a snowmobile expedition, or a cruise on Nordic skis: Suffice it to say, the Finns know how to get out and enjoy the snow.

Come to Finland and commune with its lovely forests and tundras, its half-glimpsed brown bears and moose, its immaculate capital and its friendly towns. Maybe the hearty Finnish way of life will rub off a bit on you.