Helsinki

Helsinki retains a small-town feel: there are no high-rise buildings and the market square is still surrounded by 19th-century architecture. Its green parks and waterways, fresh sea winds with seagulls flying over the busy market square, and many open-air cafes make it a perfect summer destination.

Helsinki is fast becoming one of Europe’s hottest destinations. It’s small and intimate compared to other Scandinavian capitals, and in summer walking or cycling is the best way to appreciate its parks, markets, nearby islands and countless museums.

Olavinlinna Castle

Olavinlinna Castle is in the beautiful Savonlinna lakes area, and is the best preserved medieval castle in northern Europe. Founded in 1475, it was meant to protect the Swedish-Finnish empire. Russians occupied the castle early in the 18th century, adding the jaunty red towers and a yellow house inside its walls. Take a tour for the lowdown.

Rauma

Although the old town of Rauma was recently placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, it is not a museum but a living town centre, with many artisans, lace makers and goldsmiths working in small studios, most of which were erected in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The old town is the largest wooden town preserved in the Nordic countries.There are several interesting house museums and a 15th-century Franciscan church, which used to be a Catholic monastery until Lutheran reformers kicked out the monks in 1538.

Turku

Turku, Finland’s first capital, is the country’s oldest city. It received a mortal blow when the capital was moved to Helsinki in 1812. Today, Turku is a substantial city with fine attractions, though locals sometimes joke that after Turku spread culture to the rest of Finland it never returned.

Luostarinmäki is the only surviving 18th-century area of this medieval town - developers have ravaged Turku every bit as much as fires - and here, in summer, artisans work inside the old wooden houses. To the north, medieval Turku Cathedral is the national shrine of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland. It dates from the 13th century, and the museum here is open daily.

Turku Castle, founded in 1280, is the most notable historic building in Finland. It houses an interesting museum, with many rooms decorated to evoke a specific decade or century. Situated on the southern coast of Finland, Turku is the most likely gateway to the country if you are coming from Sweden.

Ã…land

The Ã…land province, with its own flag and culture, comprises more than 6400 autonomous islands. It’s perfect for bicycle tours, camping and cabin holidays, and for experiencing the islanders’ distinctive culture, expressed in folk dancing, maypole decorating and pervasive small-town charm.

The most interesting municipality is Sund, at the eastern end of the main island, where you’ll find the impressive Kastelholm Castle. Of strategic importance during the 16th and 17th centuries, its exact age is not known, but it was mentioned in writings as early as 1388.