Like many of the cities in the inland part of Finland, Lahti is home to some wonderful lakeside beaches, with Möysä Beach chiefly among them.
The beach area is noted for its soft beige sand and lush forested area nearby teeming with greenery. The water is incredibly clear here, making it ideal for swimming.
There is a playground for children nearby and plenty of places for cookouts, making Möysä Beach one of the most family-friendly beaches in the Lahti area.
Another one of the many inland lake areas that boast sandy beaches as well, Otanlahti Beach offers a scenic view of the expansive waters that dominate the area.
Here you'll find an array of fishing and sailing boats - year-round boating is a popular activity here. The same can be said about swimming, as the beach area boasts some of the best and clearest water near Espoo.
In addition to that, there is plenty of greenery nearby, along with cafés overlooking the area's natural splendor.
Enjoy a quintessential Espoo lakeside beach experience by… read more »
Situated on the eastern half of the city, Aurinkolahti is one of the most up and coming districts in Helsinki. At its heart is Aurinkolahti Beach, one of the best and most popular beaches in the greater Helsinki region.
Whether you visit in the warmer or cooler months, the soft golden sand is quite a contrast to the powerful rocks jutting out into the clear blue sea. The water here is especially noted for its clarity, making this one of the most beautiful places to go for a swim or see… read more »
The Nordic countries have a rich fishing and seafaring history with most major cities being situated on the coast. Finland's second city, Tampere, feels like it is on the coast but the waters here don't connect to the Baltic Sea. Instead, the city borders several large lakes within the heart of Finland. Pyynikin Beach is located on the shores of Lake Villilänsalmi giving it a somewhat different feeling to coastal beaches.
For one thing, the area has more of a tranquil air to it than many of the better known beaches… read more »
Located in the city of Aarhus on Denmark's east coast is the man made Den Permanente beach. Designated a Blue Flag Beach in 2018 it is just a 10-minute bike ride to the city center which makes it one the most popular beach in the area.
Den Permanente is a beach but it is also a "sea bath" - a protected area for sea swimming. This consists of wooden jetties and buildings which provide changing facilities, showers, and a life guard station. There are separate bathing areas for men and… read more »
Orre Beach (Orrestranden) is one of Norway's longest beaches. A three kilometre stretch of fine golden sand backed by dunes, this is a wonderfully wild and beautiful, unspoilt part of the west coast.
Located around 20 km south of Stavanger the beach here is pretty easy to find. It is a Blue Flag beach, largely on account of the pristine surrounds, which include part of the Jæren protected nature area. This means there are certain restrictions, such as no watersports in the winter, to protect the wildlife.
Sudersand beach is located on the little island of Fårö which sits off the end of Gotaland in the Baltic Sea, halfway between Sweden and the Balkans. The beach here is a long crescent of near white sand which stretches across a wide bay.
Beyond the beach are low grassy dunes which quickly give way to pine forest. Sudersand manages to maintain a feel of being a wonderfully natural beach but this is balanced with plenty of facilities close at hand; cafes, kiosks, ice-cream stands and even a mini golf course… read more »
The Swedish city of Helsingborg is well known for its medieval old town and ferry links to Denmark. Being in the southern part of Sweden the winters here are surprisingly mild; not exactly balmy, but not freezing wither. That said, this is hardly the place you would expect to find a tropical beach, bit that is exactly what you will find!
Complete with palm trees, white sand and clear blue waters Helsingborg's Tropical Beach certainly ticks all the boxes. OK, before you get too excited, the temperatures may somewhat disappoint, as… read more »
The popular lakeside swimming beach of Smedsuddsbadet is located within easy reach of downtown Stocholm, Sweden's capital city. The beach has a sandy foreshore and is backed by the well-kept lawns of Ralambshov Park, ideal for picnicing and sunbathing.
During the summer it gets pretty busy here - it's only a small beach and serves a major city. It is also easy to get to, being only 10 minutes walk from Friedhemsplan metro station.
Smedsuddsbadet is a great family-friendly spot where you can safely swim in the calm, clean shallow waters of… read more »
For a city in Scandinavia that isn't even on the coast Stockholm has some surprisingly good beaches within a stone's throw of the city centre. Chief among these is Långholmsbadet, a modest strip of sand backed by the lawns and parkland of Långholmen island.
The beach is just a short walk from the trendy district of Hornstull with its hipster bars and cafes. In fact it is pretty easy to get here from most parts of the city, so it is no surprise it gets busy in the summer. At the… read more »
Skrea Strand is a particularly pleasant sandy stretch of beach just across the river from the large town of Falkenberg. It has grown in popularity since the early 1900s becoming something of an established resort by the 1930s.
The long (over 1km) beach is made up of fine, near white sand, that has been blown into low dunes at the back of the beach by the winter winds. Tucked away among these dunes are a multitude of little wooden chalets which serve as summer homes, or rentals.
Tucked away on the southern coast of the Lofoten Islands, not far from the main E10 road is Rorvik beach. Despite being so close to the road this little beach is often overlooked as it isn't one of the better known Lofoten beaches.
Whilst the surrounding scenery isn't quite as immediate as the towering mountains on some of the archipelago's other beaches it is still beautiful. The backdrop is tree covered slopes with a sprinkling of wildflowers, but beyond that the land rises up into the familiar rugged peaks.
