Nordic Summer

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Then, if you’re after something more in-depth, expedition sailings between Iceland, Greenland and eastern Canada will bring you among everything from whales and polar bears to mighty glaciers and Inuit settlements. The right to roam or “everyman’s right” (Finnish: jokamiehenoikeus, Icelandic: almannaréttur, Norwegian: allemannsrett, Swedish: allemansrätten) entitles visitors to cross private land and in many instances pitch a tent for one or two nights. During your visit you might join in the party, enjoying a typical Swedish picnic laden with pickled herring and other local specialities. Grounded in the universal Nordic values of equality, democracy and openness, the Nordic Summer University brings a richness through the diversity of its participants and representation from all the Nordic and Baltic regions.

Mefjord Brygge is a year-round resort between mountains and fjords in the fishermen’s village of Mefjordvaer, with a sauna, restaurant and 20 rooms.Twice the size of the UK and with only a seventh of the population, a summer break in Sweden affords the chance to truly escape the crowds. Rugged, remote and dramatic, it has undeniable natural glories, and in summer the abundance of migrating birds, whales, seals and walruses will have wildlife-watchers’ spotter-jotters bulging.

But recent evolutions of the offering mean that Sorrisniva is today one of Norway’s most compelling year-round destinations. Mighty Sognefjord, the largest and deepest in the country, and Geiranger fjord, perhaps its most spectacular, are also included as part of this Best Served tour, plus boat cruises, hikes and nights in Ålesund, noted for its concentration of art nouveau architecture, and historic Bergen. This is a typical local experience, and is part of a three-night break at family-run Hotel Kalevala, a wooden hotel designed to look like a fortress with sauna and jacuzzi, which includes one over-night in a bear hide. Sweden has a slightly different take on things, with its midsommar consisting of a dance around a flower-studded maypole.Since the holiday is so connected with a retreat to nature, those remaining in the cities are also likely to get some peace and quiet over Midsummer. Blueberries, lingonberries, cloudberries and cranberries can be snaffled on a Lappish adventure, one of many activities on the tailor-made Summer in Finnish Lapland itinerary to Torassieppi with Artisan Travel.