A playground for architects and graphic designers, Scandinavia is where people in statement glasses go on holiday to enthuse about form and function. Its cities are places where aesthetics, innovation and everyday life hang out on a regular basis but an addiction to clean lines and stylish practicality is universal, whether you're in a cafe in Copenhagen or hanging out on the beach ( the islands of Gotland and Bornholm seem to be populated exclusively by artists and craftspeople). Ultimately though, nothing typifies modern Scandinavian design like the Oresund Bridge. Innovative, useful and rather beautiful; a tunnel when it leaves Copenhagen but a bridge by the time it gets to Malmo in Sweden, it is undulating proof that a trip to Scandinavia is probably the most stylish holiday you'll ever have.
Denmark may be the smallest of the Scandinavian countries but, from the 1960s onwards has specialized in big-name designers, including Arne Jacobsen, Verner Panton and Jorn Utzon, the architect responsible for the Sydney Opera House. The past few years, however, have seen an explosion of splashy architecture, mostly in Copenhagen's harbor area.
Design in Sweden is quieter, but just as seductive. Above all, its priority is to make life run more smoothly - an ethos that is such a success that inter-city trains feature climbing frames and slides for children. Stockholm has led the way for decades, but recently Malmo has started to parade its sensibilities more.
Once a satellite of Sweden, Finland is now awash with Nokia-infused confidence and general wealth. Its most celebrated designer was the architect Alvaro Aalto; his work is easily accessible in both Helsinki and Rovaniemi, near the Arctic Circle, where he built the central library. To celebrate Aalto's work, the Finns have devised a Design and Architecture tour, which takes in Helsinki and Seinajoki before ending up in Jyvaskyla, Aalto's home town.
Less style-obsessed than its Scandinavian siblings, Norway still offers a quirky mix of cutting-edge, modernist and historical design. New hotels are opening with innovative architecture that makes the most of the unique light and dramatic landscapes, while landmark buildings such as Oslo's new opera house are creating fresh interest.
Ten per cent of Europeans were conceived on an Ikea bed - surely one good reason to visit the design hubs of northern Europe. After all, where else could you check into a sleek, hi-tech hotel owned by Benny from Abba?