Five Nordic summer getaways | financial times

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An arctic idyll that lasts all night in the far north of Norway

Sorrisniva, on the outskirts of Alta in the northern reaches of Norway, has been open for years. In the past, it has marketed itself as the country’s premier igloo hotel and wilderness lodge, a place for winter fans to embark on their subzero adventure in landscapes filled with otherworldly beauty and scant traces of humanity. . But recent developments in supply mean that Sorrisniva is today one of Norway’s most attractive year-round destinations.

Consider the season they call the “midnight sun” that lasts from late May through August, when the light never fades from the sky, and guests at the Alta Riverside Lodge: equal parts Scandinavian-contemporary Bond and bunker-like for excellence. -Villains Lair: They can take advantage of hiking, horseback riding, crabbing, riverboats, and helicopters. The remote coordinates haven’t beaten the chefs in the slightest: the lodge is renowned for the quality of its ingredients and superb presentation, from the charcoal, salmon and elk carpaccio to the blueberry granita. sorrisniva.nofrom around £225

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Posh digs and festivals in Oslo

In Oslo, August is festival season, with the focus on music (from August 8 to 12 there is Oya, rock, pop and electronic: Devo headlines this year’s bill) to Oslo Jazz (from August 13 to 19 ; the full poster -above is here). Sommerro made waves when he opened here last summer: a historic bathhouse and 231-room hotel, redone as one of the city’s most stylish stays. The same team has just opened Villa Inkognito, right next door.

The 1870 patrician building has been restored as a sumptuous 11-suite private villa, with various living and comfortable spaces, dining and meeting rooms, bar and open kitchen, and an ultra-modern gym neatly hidden in its underground space. Guests have access to Sommerro’s attractions and amenities (the famous public baths, rooftop pool, restored theater, and half a dozen restaurants). When Inkognito is not purchased by families or groups, rooms can be reserved individually. sommerrohouse.comfrom £455

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Midnight sun and saunas in Finnish Lapland

Ylläs may be a few hundred kilometers south of Alta, but it’s still far enough north to be deep in Finnish Lapland. It is here that Sirly Ylläsjärvi, 35, and Heidi Seikkula, 39, opened the Aurora Estate in 2015. Ylläsjärvi, who in Finland is a culinary star, author of cookbooks and kitchen master regular, he oversees the 50-seat fine-dining restaurant, where seating is five courses and the wine list wouldn’t be out of place in London.

Both Ylläsjärvi and Seikkula, who advises on hospitality and hotel openings in Lapland and Finland, were tasked with creating the spaces, including the seven rooms: simple and comfortable, all with warm wood, clean lines, and big soft beds. There’s also a 100-year-old hot tub and sauna house, and acres of lakeside meadows and woodland to explore on foot; in summer, guests often hike to the top of the fall around midnight to admire the views. auroraestate.firooms from around €113

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Denmark’s Baltic hideaway

Bornholm, on the Baltic Sea, is one of Denmark’s favorite summer spots, with a little something for everyone: medieval ruins and a fascinating World War II history, a rich craft tradition (it’s the first European place to be designated a World Craft Region by the World Craft Council), beautiful beaches and dunes crisscrossed with hiking trails, roadside stands selling strawberries, and a handful of restaurants dealing with Sophistication at the level of Copenhagen (That super-est of superfoods and a local mainstay, sea buckthorn has plenty of play here.)

The Nordlandet, on the northern tip of the island, draws its inspiration from a clean Copenhagen sensibility. The rooms are modernist perfection: low beds, tall sliding or picture windows framing perfect sea horizons, Hans Wegner furniture in one corner, handmade Italian tiles in the bathrooms, and a few large private terraces. The restaurant is an island destination, and Underbar, the open-air cocktail spot, is a good bet for your sundowner wherever you stay. nordlandet.dkfrom around £157

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Calling all foodies – and thrill seekers – to the fjords of Norway

If what you’re eating is more important than where you live, adventure experts Pelorus, Norwegian travel operations company 62°Nord and culinary experience creators SKANDL have just launched an intriguing collaboration. “A Taste for Adventure” is a minimum itinerary of three and ideally five days that combines norway explorationsthe fjords of ‘s with master classes in fishing, harvesting, open fire cooking and more, led by Michelin-starred chefs; First up are Henrik Ritzen and Harry Faddy, who run the kitchens at Aquavit’s outpost in London.

Guests will stay at one of 62°Nord’s two local properties, the Union Øye Hotel or the Storfjord Hotel, from which excursions will depart daily, on foot, by boat (kayak, motorized or otherwise) and possibly in some other helicopter. pelorusx.com, minimum six guests; consult for prices.