Endless day, perpetual night. Rocking parties, majestic northern lights. With its chic towns and remote forests, Scandinavia attracts style gurus and wilderness hikers. The great outdoors are rarely larger than in the great north of Europe. Epic wilderness - forests, lakes, volcanoes - and clean, exhilarating air make meeting nature a viscerally pleasurable experience. National parks cover the region and offer some of the best hiking in Europe, as well as activities ranging from kayaking and glacier walking to bear watching. Spectacular coastlines invite exploration from the sea, whether it's rugged fjords, cliffs teeming with seabirds, or archipelagos so speckled with islands it looks like an artist has passed a paintbrush on a canvas. Wildlife, from whales to wolverines, await the lucky observer.