Five summer destinations for sun, food and festivals

Bologna

Bologna brings together events, food and outdoor living in one walkable city. The Porretta Soul Festival runs each summer with soul, funk and rhythm & blues acts. The Il Cinema Ritrovato festival is a quieter option, filling the squares of central Bologna with restored classic films shown on outdoor screens.

Bologna is one of Europe's main food cities. The Grand Tour Italia food park runs pasta-making classes and wine tastings through the season. For gelato, locals go to Cremeria Santo Stefano or Gelateria Gianni.

Bologna is inland, but there are ways to cool down. Piscina Sterlino and Free Beach are the city's outdoor pools, and the parks at Giardini Margherita and Villa Spada offer shade under old trees.

We fly from Helsinki to Bologna four times a week during the summer season.

Nice

Nice has a strong programme of music festivals from spring into summer. The Crossover Festival opens the calendar in late April and continues across several dates and venues through early June, including a beach party at Plage Amour. The Fête de la Musique fills streets across France on 21 June, and the Nice Jazz Festival follows in July.

For a quieter day, you can charter a sailing boat from Nice harbour, with or without a crew. Guided boat tours stop at smaller coves along the coast that are hard to reach by road.

Salade Niçoise was invented here, and Chez Acchiardo serves a traditional version. Le Tchitchou builds theirs around ripe tomatoes and anchovies. Order a glass of cold local rosé alongside.

We fly from Helsinki to Nice several times a week throughout the year.

Kraków

The combination of warm temperatures and abundant daylight makes summer an ideal time to explore Kraków also beyond its historical significance. Poland's second city has a full calendar of cultural events, food worth lingering over and one of the most active nightlife scenes in central Europe.

Two areas draw most of the evening crowd. The Old Town fills with international visitors, while Kazimierz, the former Jewish Quarter, has a more local feel with bars tucked into old courtyards.

Both areas are worth seeing in daylight too. Renting a bicycle or scooter makes it easier to cover more ground, and the Bolt app is the simplest way to do it. Download it and set up an account before you travel.

If you want to combine sightseeing with light activity, the Vistula River has wide, calm flows that make kayaking a pleasant and easy experience even for the very beginners. Enjoy the green nature and stunning landmarks like the Wawel Castle as you paddle your way through Kraków.

We fly from Helsinki to Kraków every day throughout the year, with several flights a day during the summer season.

Venice

Venice rewards a slow visit. A gondola ride through the canals, followed by cicchetti and a spritz on a quiet square, captures much of what people come for. The city holds enough art and architecture to fill several days of walking.

If you've been before, consider day trips into the surrounding lagoon. Burano and Torcello are quieter than central Venice and easy to reach by waterbus. You can still base yourself in the city and use the busiest hours to be somewhere else.

July and August can get uncomfortably hot. June and September are easier on both temperatures and crowds. If you do travel in high summer, take the local approach and stay indoors during the middle of the day.

We fly from Helsinki to Venice daily during the summer season.

Split

Split sits on Croatia's Dalmatian coast, where the Adriatic meets a 1,700-year-old Roman city. Diocletian's Palace forms the centre of the old town, with cafés, shops and apartments built directly into the original walls. The palace is a working part of the city, not something preserved behind glass.

Summer brings two contrasting events to Split. Ultra Europe takes over a stadium near the centre for three days in mid-July, with related parties on the islands of Brač, Hvar and Vis. From mid-July to mid-August, the Split Summer Festival programmes opera, ballet and drama in the Peristyle of Diocletian's Palace and other open-air venues across the city.

The Riva promenade runs along the harbour and fills up in the evenings with a slow walk-and-watch crowd. Marjan Hill, just west of the centre, has pine forest trails and viewpoints over the city and islands. For a swim, Bačvice beach is closest to the centre, though the smaller coves at Kašjuni and Bene further along the Marjan peninsula are quieter.

Split also works well as a base for the islands. Daily ferries run to Brač, Hvar and Šolta, and most of these are doable as a day trip if you start early. Brač has Zlatni rat, often called Croatia's most beautiful beach, with a pebble tip that shifts shape with the currents. Hvar Town has Venetian-era architecture and busier evening crowds.

The local food leans on seafood and slow-cooked meat. Try pašticada, a Dalmatian beef stew with prunes and red wine, usually served with gnocchi. Crni rižot, a black risotto coloured with cuttlefish ink, is another local dish worth ordering. Konoba Matejuška, a family-run tavern just off Riva, is a reliable place for both.

We fly from Helsinki to Split four times a week during the summer season.