Finnish Lakeland

Finland is called the land of a thousand lakes, and most of them sit in Lakeland, where the classic vacation is a rented cottage by the water with its own sauna. That is about as close to designed solitude as travel gets: swim, sauna, read on the jetty, row out at dusk, repeat, with the nearest neighbor often out of sight across the water. Towns such as Savonlinna supply cafés and groceries when you want company or coffee. Go in June or late August for long light evenings and calm water; a cottage with a rowboat and a stack of books needs no itinerary at all.