The best cities to visit in summer – for a warmer welcome and cooler temperatures

The Nordic and Baltic regions offer a refreshing take on the city break

Spending the summer in a city sounds more like hell than a holiday, pulverised by heat rays bouncing between metal skyscrapers and suffocated with a fug of polluting traffic fumes. But not all urban centres fall into the industrialised, overcrowded stereotype. 
In the Baltic and Nordic regions, cities surrounded by lakes, fjords and forests are naturally beautiful. Temperatures are cooler too, yet still warm enough to justify T-shirts, shorts or even a two-piece.
At higher latitudes, days are also deliciously long, making it possible to savour more hours of sunshine than anywhere else as an extended dusk segues into dawn. Conversely, summers are short – generally ending in early September – but residents make the most of every minute with festivals, concerts, open-air food markets and water-based activities.  
With many of these alternative cities set in archipelagos or within easy reach of the coast, it’s possible to roll a beach, wilderness and cultural break into one – redefining the concept of an urban escape. Set compasses in a northerly direction for our pick of the five coolest options this summer.
Jammed with more trees than traffic, Norway’s healthy urban heart combines the joys of country living with the conveniences a city has to offer. Find beehives on rooftops and allotments neighbouring dual carriageways in an eco-conscious capital aiming to be net zero by 2030. Gloriously green, 74 per cent of the surface is covered in forests, climbing hills and dotting islands in the Oslofjord. 
Take a tram to Ekebergparken sculpture park for the best panoramic hikes and a chance to see stone age rock carvings alongside modern works of art. Get an even better view of the skyline from a kayak, cruise boat, floating sauna – or by dipping in for a quick swim.
Explore the archipelago on an island-hopping fjord cruise; an Oslo Pass allows unlimited travel. Swim from the western side of Hovedoya, the closest island. In the city centre, Mad Goats runs kayak and packraft river tours from Mathallen to the Opera House. Hike to the summit of Vettakollen mountain with When In Norway for a drone’s-eye view of the capital and beyond. 
Nature is the central theme for Trembling Earth, an exhibition of works by Norway’s grandest master at the Munch Museum. Until August 25.
A green belt of parkland hugs the Akerselva river in the central Vulkan area. Pick up gourmet goodies in the Mathallen Food Hall.
Soak up sunset views from the rooftop restaurant and swimming pool at art deco hotel Sommerro.
Making the most of long, warm nights, Swedes sing, dance and party their way through the holiday season. A mosaic of central islands lights up with festivals and open-air markets and green spaces dazzle with wildflower displays. 
A fresh sea breeze always flows from the Baltic Sea, where more than 30,000 islands make up the Stockholm archipelago, easily explored by ferry. Within less than an hour, it’s possible to be completely immersed in nature, kayaking, swimming or hiking through forests sparkling with edible berries. Two weeks behind the mainland climate-wise, the summer stretches a little bit longer out here. 
Cycle through parkland and the city’s highest concentration of museums and galleries on Djurgården, a former summer getaway for royals. Pick up wheels from Rent-a-bike on Strandvägen. Cool off with swims, beach-hopping between city-centre islands: Tantobadet in Södermalm is ideal for families, while Långholmen has cosy romantic coves.
Hear fairy tales and science soundtracked by classical music at the Baltic Sea Festival, from August 23-31 at the Berwaldhallen concert hall.
For elevated city views, Ivar Lo’s Park on Södermalm is a local favourite. Nearby Kaffebar, loved by the author Stieg Larsson, sells takeaway coffees and pastries. 
A riviera-style resort for chic urbanistas, Ellery Beach House on Lidingo is a 20-minute drive from town. Pose, party, dine and take a dip.
Life swirls around water in this canal city, especially when the sun shines. Areas along the metropolitan harbour are safe for swimming, paddleboarding and kayaking. Dive into harbour baths and dedicated bathing zones, or head to northern suburb Bellevue for a sandy beach and iconic Arne Jacobsen modernist architecture.
Street trucks and food markets pop up all over the city, providing a low-fi, more affordable means of sampling the Danish capital’s hallowed New Nordic cuisine. Find a good selection at amusement park Tivoli Gardens, which revels in childhood nostalgia at this time of year.
Be a truly responsible tourist on an aquatic clean-up paddle with GreenKayak, where free use of a boat is given in exchange for litter picking. Hard work will be rewarded with a swim in clean water; try La Banchina restaurant on Refshaleøen, which has a private bathing zone.
Celebrate two decades of the New Nordic Food Manifesto at gourmet festival Copenhagen Cooking. August 16-25.
Opened last year, the harbour-front Opera Park features six gardens representing different regions of the world. Pick up street food from top New Nordic chefs at nearby Broen Gadekøkken.
A newly opened rooftop bar makes the NH Collection a sizzling summer option. Find it in Christianshavn, next to the waterfront.
Favoured by Russian tsars as a summer escape, the Estonian capital has lost none of its majesty. Elegant parks and promenades invite relaxing strolls, while the largely car-free cobblestone streets of the Old Town were made for walking. Climb lookout points along the walls to gaze down on several centuries of history; Kiek in de Kök and the Fat Margaret Tower have the best views. More stories from the past are told at the Viimsi and Estonia open-air museums. Ancient forests, rivers and hiking trails through 10,000-year-old bogs decorate the surrounding area, all do-able in an active day trip. 
Chill out with a raspberry-prosecco sorbet at La Muu Ice Cream Factory in Telliski and cruise through the many galleries and boutiques in this industrial zone turned creative hub. End the day with a daring climb to the roof of the TV Tower for a lay of the land and sea.
Watch opera, ballet and contemporary dance in the ruins of 15th-century Pirita Monastery at the Birgitta Festival. August 7-11.
A 16th-century cemetery, Kalamaja Park is now a scenic nature reserve. En route, pick up snacks from a selection of 300 traders at Balti Jaam Market.
Watch ships sail past from an urban waterside cabin at Iglupark Igluhuts, with an option to rent a sauna.
Finns are a notoriously introverted bunch, but as temperatures rise, so does their confidence. Making up for lost daylight hours, everyone spends as much time as possible outdoors – in forests, lakes and by the sea. All these natural environments lie on the doorstep of Helsinki, a city surrounded by an archipelago of 300 islands.
In summer months, ferries zip across the Gulf of Finland, carrying passengers to lippakioski – seasonal cafés and kiosks thriving since the 1920s. Public waterside saunas also heave with activity; try Allas Sea for organised pools, Loyly for cool architecture and Lonna for a trendy local hangout.
From naturist beaches to architectural showpieces, there are plenty of options for a swim. Built in the 1940s for the Olympics and used as a herring store during the Second World War, the Swimming Stadium in Eläintarha is a design classic. For a postcard backdrop, the retro changing cabins on Pihlajasaari island deliver.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Flow combines music, art, dining and debate at the edgiest festival in the Nordics. August 9-11.
Gather deli items at the Old Market Hall and walk a few minutes to the dock for a ferry to fort island Suomenlinna.  
Filled with fountains, an inner courtyard is the place for al-fresco dining at Helsinki’s first true five-star, Hotel Maria.

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