Rauma, Finland

RAUMA, 90km north of Turku, is one of the few places in Finland where you can't help but stop at every street corner to admire the elegance and understated charm of a town whose appearance has barely changed since the Middle Ages. Although Finns know Rauma as the most complete and best-preserved wooden town in Scandinavia, with its historic importance reflected by its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, relatively few foreigners have yet realized that a couple of days spent exploring the cobbled eighteenth- and nineteenth-century streets are likely to be some of the most enjoyable spent in Finland. True, Rauma is becoming increasingly touristy, but the town still retains plenty of quiet lanes and alleyways where you can explore undisturbed.