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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
'I visited some naked Europeans to find out why they're so much happier than us'
The temperature inside the sauna, somewhere in a dark Finnish forest a few miles north of the city of Oulu, was already a just about bearable 80C when another scoop of water was flicked on to the coals, landing with a prolonged hiss. The Brits among us, easily spotted by our red faces and embarrassing swimwear, had been chatting with our naked Finnish hosts about what made their country so happy. Finland takes first place in the UN's Happiness Report, while the UK can only muster 19th. 'Where are we going wrong?' I asked. It is all to do with the sauna, said local social democrat councillor Tanja. Stripped of clothes and pretensions, all are equal, she said. Oulu 2026 design curator Päaivi Tahkokallio added an extra twist. 'In Finland, people spend 20% of their time talking, 80% listening. In the sauna, in the taxi, in the cafe, there is little by way of chit-chat. Words are not wasted, so important words are heard.' I wanted to listen to more pearls of wisdom, but could sense my blood pressure rising and my eyeballs sweating from the heat. It was time for a breather. Giggling outwardly, but feeling very exposed, I opened the door from the sauna to an icy blast, stepping into snow to cool down the Oulu way. I looked up and that's when it happened. I'd stumbled across the northern lights. A dazzling show of green with a hint of pink was flashing through the dark outlines of the snowy forest canopy. With typical Finnish understatement, this bucket-list moment was deemed merely 'a nice end to the evening' by our lovely hosts. While other countries make a meal of seeing the aurora borealis, it's just one of the many natural wonders that make this a place worth your consideration when you're drawing up your holiday wish list for 2026. Oulu is a city 60 miles inside the Arctic Circle, home to 200,000 people, and next year it's been given the prestige of being the European Capital of Culture. It's a city that could likely be summed up in a single cheesy slogan: 'You don't have to be mad to come here, but it helps!' This place is quirky, a bit weird, and definitely memorable. Where else in the world could you hear a symphony created out of space noise generated billions of years ago, or watch would-be entrepreneurs shivering in icy water trying to persuade rich onlookers to invest in them? Interested in watching actual grown-ups pretend to play non-existent guitars in front of an excitable crowd of rock lovers? Oulu has your back. Where else could you enjoy an opera in the traditional Sami language confronting the abhorrent forced assimilation that happened to youngsters of the native culture, and also enjoy a flamenco performance against the backdrop of Oulu's Screaming Men's Choir, whose performances are as you'd imagine. Visitors also come in their droves to venture out on an icebreaker ship into the frozen Baltic Sea in winter for the chance to stick on sumo suits and float about among mini icebergs. The local tipple is tar schnapps (a taste I failed to acquire) and its most famous statue is of a plump policeman. It's not just crazy folk seeking oddities and arty wonders that would love this place, though. It's a mecca for food-lovers, its reputation enhanced by the Arctic Food Lab project that encourages the use of local fish, meat and vegetables with an emphasis on seasonality and foraging. Rustic reindeer meat with mash and the most perfect salmon stews were a staple of my visit, but chefs here know how to maximise their homegrown produce to create wonderful dishes. Still memorable are the Arctic char fish presented sashimi style with horseradish, pickled vegetables and oumu spicy broth that I devoured at Alfred's Kitchen and Bar ( and the pan-fried squid and slow braised pork belly with crispy rice noodles, sauerkraut and pickled leek from the brilliant Restaurant Puistola. The city is also a handy base for other activities, with forests and an ocean on the doorstep. One memorable day started with a couple of hours cruising on the Icebreaker Arktis out into the Baltic Sea before the captain parked up, letting us walk on to an unbroken frozen section in front of the ship and, for the bravest among us, to don a waterproof buoyancy suit and float about among the icebergs behind it. It was all very surreal. Back on solid ground, a short drive to Farm Arkadia provided our first reindeer encounter of the trip – a pair of them kindly towed us around on sledges through the snow. Another place worth venturing out of the city for is Koiteli where visitors can indulge in snow walks or summer hikes in glorious scenery. It was also here where local kantele players joined us to teach us how to collectively 'meditate' while playing this brilliant little wooden instrument. As with all things Oulu, there was nothing ordinary about it. There was only one letdown – the much anticipated Frozen People Festival turned out to be more soggy than icy. This relatively new digital and electronic music event is held in early spring and billed as Finland's 'cold' answer to the US Burning Man. But this year, instead of taking place on the frozen sea as planned, the warming temperatures forced it to be relocated on to the shore. Performers and DJs still banged out rave tunes into the early hours, local food and beer went down nicely, and there were unique art installations and lights all around, but it had lost its unique feel. Fingers crossed for a colder 2026. Oulu is also cycling friendly, with 620 miles of tracks around and about the region that are kept clear through snow and ice. A third of Oulu's kids cycle to school all year round too, even in the day-round winter darkness and in -20C conditions. It is also super safe and closer to home than you'd think – three hours by plane to Helsinki, followed by a short hour transfer north. So what are you waiting for? Reasons to go to Finland in 2026 The Finnish city of Oulu is 2026's European Capital of Culture. But temperatures here are rising, so it's a good job next year's culture programme has been drawn together under a relevant collective theme – the climate emergency. The precariousness of the city's landscape and the lifestyle and lives it sustains is a running theme – Oulu is warming four times faster than the global average. Cultural highlights of the programme will include: A Sami opera will premiere in January, telling the story of a Sami boy separated from his family and robbed of his identity in boarding school, based on the true stories of indigenous people who had to endure forced assimilation. Polar Bear Pitching in February – a unique experience for start-up entrepreneurs who get to pitch to would-be investors while stood in an ice pool up to their chests. It's more fun to watch than it sounds! The Climate Clock is a permanent public art trail launching next June through Oulu and surrounding forests, rivers and seashores, featuring world-renowned artists who have worked with local communities, including The Most Valuable Clock in the World artwork. The Arctic Food Lab project will extend in 2026 with pop-ups across the city and region. 100% Oulu will involve 100 locals representing the entire population of the city, by age, ethnicity and other characteristics 'as if the whole city were on stage in miniature'. World photography exhibition all year on the climate change theme. Layers in the Peace Machine art installation on the theme of peace at Oulu City Hall is three floors high, and open all year. The World Air Guitar Championships in August 2025/26, which celebrates alternative music. The Oulu Music Video Festival also in August 2025/26. The midsummer Solstice Festival May-August 2026. The Lumo Art and Tech Festival is at the end of November 2026, when there are only five hours of daylight a day. Its 10 days of art and technology include arts based on light and sound. Book the holiday
Forbes
14-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The World's Happiest, Wealthiest, Smartest Places As Per New Reports
Lake Matheson, New Zealand—it tops work-life balance reports and has a new long-term digital nomad visa program If you're considering moving and wondering where to go, several new reports can help you decide. Some reports analyze the wealthiest and smartest cities; some look at the happiest countries in the world and those with the best work-life balance. Here's a rundown of the world's happiest, wealthiest, smartest places, as per recent reports by the United Nations, among others. Some very fortunate destinations might fit into more than one of these benchmarks. For example, Germany ranks 22nd in terms of happiness, and Berlin ranks 5th as a smart city and is in the top ten for work-life balance. Still in Europe, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands all appear in the top ten for work-life balance and in the top five for happiness in the UN's Happiness Report. Oslo and Copenhagen are in the top ten for Smart Cities. New Zealand has high self-reported happiness among its residents (12th place) and comes first for work-life balance. New Zealand recently launched its long-term working visa program and relaxed rules for its golden passport program, making it far easier for Americans to live and work there. The world's wealthiest cities, as per Henley&Partners World's Wealthiest Cities Report 2025, place four U.S. cities in the top ten. New York is at the top, with almost 400,000 millionaires and 66 billionaires. The top four wealthiest cities after are the Bay Area, Tokyo, Singapore, and Los Angeles. In 6th place, London has 215,700 millionaires and 33 billionaires compared to Paris' 22. Hong Kong, Sydney, and Chicago round out the top ten. You may be looking for somewhere that is as smart as much as wealthy. IESE Cities in Motion Index 2025 assesses 183 cities in 92 countries worldwide in nine key areas: economic performance, technology, environment, international profile and quality of human capital, governance, urban planning and transportation, and social cohesion. Five of the top 10 cities are European: London (1st), Paris (3rd), Berlin (5th), Copenhagen (7th) and Oslo (8th). Three are in the United States: New York (2nd), Washington (6th), and San Francisco (10th). Tokyo comes in 4th in the ranking, and Singapore 9th. London ranks first for human capital and international profile but came 20th in social cohesion, 34th in environment, and 37th in technology. New York leads in economy, is second for international profile, and performs strongly in human capital (4th), urban planning (5th), and mobility & transportation (3rd). It struggles with social cohesion (127th) and environment (100th). The report states that this contrast "reflects a broader trend among U.S. cities, which dominate in economic strength but score poorly in social cohesion and environmental sustainability." The report is in its third year and ranks Edinburgh highly in social cohesion due to its efforts to leverage technology for the benefit of its citizens by taking steps to reduce the digital divide. Reykjavik ranks highly in environment, Bern in governance, Tokyo in urban planning, Hong Kong in technology, and Beijing in mobility and transportation. If you think all that's great, but you still want to make sure you've got the work-life balance sorted, then take a look at the 2024 Global Work-Life Balance Index from HR-tech company Remote, which accounts for factors such as statutory annual leave, sick pay percentage, and parental leave in countries around the world. Wellington, New Zealand, came first for its 32 days of annual statutory leave, plus other attributes such as its universal healthcare, something many of these top ten countries offer. Dublin, Brussels, Copenhagen, and Ottawa round out the top five. Berlin, Helsinki in Finland, Canberra in Australia, Oslo in Norway, and Madrid made the top ten. Unsurprisingly, these countries rank well on the Global Safety Index, and in terms of minimum wage, childcare benefits, and LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace. You may want to consider the world's happiest countries before you set out. March 20 was International Day of Happiness, and when the United Nations released its annual World Happiness Report. The United Nations measures 147 countries' happiness on several benchmarks, and the 2025 report focused on benevolence. It found that benevolent acts in society increased during the pandemic and have maintained that bump, leaving many societies 10% kinder to each other than pre-pandemic levels. As per UN data, Finland is the world's happiest country, followed by its European neighbors Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. These countries generally find high levels of self-reported happiness. New Zealand came 12th, Ireland 15th, Canada 18th, and Germany 22nd. The U.K. and the U.S. came in 23rd and 24th place, respectively. France came 33rd. Since 2012, the happiness ranking of the U.S. has stayed the same or dropped, and it is now at its lowest level since the study began. As per CNTraveler, the U.S. is one of the countries where 'deaths of despair' (death by suicide or substance abuse) remain high and continue to rise. Finally, maybe you want to think about the weather. For anyone looking for the sunniest cities in Europe, holiday company Holidu says that the top five are all in Spain (Cartagena, Alicante, Malaga, Murcia, and Granada, with all of them receiving more than 273 hours of sunshine every month). For France, Marseille and Nice came in the top 15. So, when choosing a new place to live or visit long-term, it pays to look beyond just wealth. Cities like Berlin, Oslo, and Copenhagen score highly across smart infrastructure, quality of life, and happiness. Countries like New Zealand and Finland also perform consistently well, balancing economic opportunity with social well-being and generous work-life policies. Several destinations emerge as all-rounders—combining prosperity, innovation, and kindness.
