Kuopio, Finland

Located on a major inland north– south rail route and the hub of local long-distance bus services, KUOPIO has the feel – and, by day, much of the hustle and bustle – of a large city, although it is in fact only marginally bigger than most of the other Lake Region communities. Nonetheless, it's an important Finnish town and, especially if you're speeding north to Lapland, provides both a break in the journey and an enjoyable taste of the region. One of the best times to visit is mid-June, when the long-established Kuopio Tanssi ja Soi dance festival (Web: www.kuopiodancefestival.fi ) inundates the streets with a week of performances, workshops, classes and the like, turning Kuopio into a veritable mecca of artistic activity. Early July also sees the slightly more bacchanalian wine festival (Web: www.kuopiowinefestival.com ), where a world wine region is selected and feted in restaurants, bars and other venues all over the city.