Slide into summer in Finland
A Swedish-speaking, Finnishowned archipelago frequented by summering sailors from across Scandinavia, the Åland Islands consist of some 6,700 mini-landmasses strewn across the Gulf of Bothnia. These range from little chunks of rock that barely poke out of the water, to Isle of Wight-sized islands with towns and road systems. As we approach summer, days at these northern latitudes see the sun barely dip below the horizon – giving plenty of time to tick off as many of the islands as possible: all wildfowerstrewn meadows, thickly wooded interiors and little red boathouses perched on pebbly beaches. Stick around or book now for the midsummer celebrations on 20 June – during which time villages across the archipelago decorate windowsills with garlands, and engage in energetic dancing around traditional Åland maypoles.
6 Åland, the sunniest place in Scandinavia, means ‘river land’ in Swedish – despite there being very few rivers on the archipelago
PHOTOGRAPHS: CAMEL VALLEY, MARTIN-DM/GETTY IMAGES, DR WILFRIED BAHNMULLER/ROBERT HARDING, KARIN JOBST 2014
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June 2015
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