I spent a number of years travelling to Helsinki on business, and came to love this town on the far side of Europe. You have to love the capital of a country which single-handedly held off the might of the Red Army, enjoys a drink without behaving like British morons, and has produced some of the hi-tech products which define our age. Helsinki is a fine place to spend a long weekend, even in the depths of the Baltic winter. What better time to sample the roast bear steak at Bellvue, the oldest Russian restaurant outside of the mother country, or the Reindeer tongue and Snow Grouse at Lappi, cuisine from Lapland in northern Finland. And the obvious place to stay in the capital is The Kamp, built in 1887 as a grand European hotel in the tradition of the Ritz or the Savoy. After several decades in steep decline, the Kamp was completely modernised a few years back, and is now once again among the finest places to stay on the continent. The luxury spa is worth visiting, especially if you were there (like me) on the third day of January and it was minus ten degrees outside.

The hotel website is here.