NorthernEurope

This idyllic island is a popular spot for picnics, swimming and recreation for Stockholmers and visitors alike, but this wasn’t always the case. From the eighteenth century until 1974, Långholmen was a dreaded prison island. https://www.visitstockholm.com/see--do/attractions/langholmen/

Feel the surf and spindrift of the sea, listen to the ripple of the waves and look far to the open sea! Established in 2011, the Bothnian Sea National Park comprises approximately 160 km of the coast of Satakunta and Southwest Finland. The National Park extends from Luvia to Merikarvia in the Pori region, and it is mainly located in the outer archipelago. 98% of the area of the Bothnian Sea National Park is water, so the park offers a magnificent open landscape for even several days’ trips by sail or motorboat. See and experience the rugged and rocky outer archipelago with its sea-buckthorn bushes and blooming shore meadows. You can berth at the park’s islands and camp for short periods. There are resting and campfire places on the islands. There are also several excursion harbours in the National Park area to visit, such as Munakari, Iso-Enskeri and Seliskeri, Säppi in Luvia and Ouraluoto in Merikarvia. The lighthouse on the island of Säppi in Luvia was built in the 19th century. In addition, you can admire the heritage landscape, rare mouflon and migratory birds on the island. https://www.visitpori.fi/en/bothnian-sea-national-park-2854

Tjuvahålan is a naturally beautiful small family beach in Tylösand with a sandy beach, rocks and a jetty. In the past, thieves roamed here, reflected in the name Thieves’ Cave. There are great opportunities here for snorkelling, fishing and barbecuing. Prince Bertil's Trail passes the beach. The history of the cove is an exciting one. It was very popular with smugglers and pirates thanks to its location, hidden from ships at sea. In the end, the authorities grew tired of smuggling and built a coastal post in 1870, which put a stop to the illegal activities. At the end of the 1910s, a boat service started, carrying bathers from Halmstad out to Tylösand. After a while, this also stopped at Tjuvahålan and Svärjarehålan. The ferry stopped operating in 1929 when more people were travelling to the beaches by car or bus. In the 1920s young people began to camp at Tjuvahålan. After a while, a campsite was formed and finally developed into small cottages owned by a cottage association. https://www.destinationhalmstad.se/en/experience/beach-and-coast/tjuvahalan

Soomaa National Park, founded in 1993, is the second largest national park in Estonia. Soomaa, located on the border between Pärnu and Viljandimaa, is one of the pearls of nature in Estonia, with its large, man-made, almost untouched bogs and wild rivers. https://www.visitparnu.com/avasta-parnu/soomaa-rahvuspark

Lake Viljandi is in a primeval valley, which is 11 m deep, 450 m wide and 4600 metres long. The lake is well-known in Estonia thanks to the song about the boatman of VIljandi, who day-dreams about the beautiful blue eyes of a girl he once saw when he was young. https://www.visitestonia.com/en/lake-viljandi-2