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From a wartime lighthouse on the Baltic to a forest full of outsider sculptures and a championship for completely imaginary instruments
Tapio Haaja / Unsplash
Forget what’s commonly heard about the dark, brooding North. When the Finnish summer hits, locals undergo a spectacular, sun-drenched transformation. Armed with unshakeable optimism, bucketloads of insect repellent, and an absolute refusal to go to sleep before August, Finns head out into the wilderness to celebrate the season of the Midnight Sun.
Finnish summer offers a gloriously eccentric cocktail of world-class culture hidden deep in pine forests, world championships dedicated to completely imaginary instruments, and architectural wonders popping up in the most unlikely places. From majestic lighthouses guarding the Baltic swells to haunted Baroque manors and brutalist temples of modern art, this country delivers a masterclass in beautiful contradictions.
