The most pessimistic town in the world

BEST OF 2019 - Puolanka, a small town in the centre of Finland, had become famous for its particular brand of pessimism. Recurring themes are town’s declining population and lack of much to do.

Video by Saila Huusko

Explore More

Kyrgyzstan's remote village that moves into the forest every year

The village that undergoes a mass exodus every autumn

Coober Pedy2 1920x1080

Life against the odds in Australia's underground town

Okunevo village

The tiny Siberian village steeped in myth

Epecuen

The last inhabitant of Argentina's flooded city

The post office in the mid-Atlantic

The post office 930 miles from the mainland

Getty Images 482484087

What's it like to queue on top of Everest?

South America’s shipwreck island

Estancia Harberton v12 00 02 27 08 Still011

The remote farm at the edge of the world

The small German island with a population of 16

The tiny German island with a population of 16

Vikings fire festival

The island tradition firing up a gender row

Getty Images 1324348176

The magical lake of Kashmir and its splendid houseboats

Chamois

The small Italian village that can't be reached by car

Australia's Lord Howe Island

Saving an Australian paradise's cloud forest

The picturesque ghost town at the end of the world

The picturesque ghost town at the edge of the world

Austrailian outback pub

'We commute 1,800km to run an outback pub’

Great Blasket Island, off the coast of Ireland

The caretakers of a remote island between Europe and America

Could you handle the most remote campsite on earth?

Antarctica: The most remote campsite on Earth

The Arctic town open to everyone

The remote visa-free island at the top of the world

Riders of the storm

Surfing with bears in the Russian wilderness

Saunas: The essence of Finland's heartbeat

Saunas: The essence of Finland's heartbeat

The ancient practice of sauna bathing has become an essential part of Finnish identity.

Culture & Experiences

Europe’s first 'tri-mode' hybrid train

Europe's first 'tri-mode' hybrid train

The BBC takes a trip on a new hybrid train, which can switch between battery, electric, and diesel.

Sounds of the early Universe

What did our ancient Universe sound like?

The Planck space telescope has picked up echoes left by soundwaves that travelled through the early Universe.

Science & Health

Why are we scared of flying on planes?

Why are we scared of flying on planes?

Flying is considered a very safe way of travelling. So why are some people aviophobic?

Why Doctor Who is the ultimate British show

Why Doctor Who is the ultimate British show

From its humour to its hero, why Doctor Who is so quintessentially British in spirit.

A high-tech museum installation by artist Refik Anadol.

The spectacular world of 'data sculpture'

Art critic Alastair Sooke meets digital artist Refik Anadol in Istanbul to learn about his latest AI-based work.

Inside the harem of Orientalism

Inside the harem where East meets West

Join art critic Alastair Sooke in Istanbul as he uncovers the intriguing relationship between East and West.

The Museum of Innocence that 'stops time'

The Museum of Innocence that 'stops time'

Inside Istanbul's Museum of Innocence that stops time to capture life's brief but significant moments.

Istanbul's ancient subterranean Basilica Cistern

Istanbul's ancient subterranean Basilica Cistern

Join Istanbul-based poet and writer Pelin Batu as she explores a museum bursting with history, myth and legend.

‘Not Barbecue’: Massimo Bottura's flame-fired cuisine

Fire, smoke, and ash are all ingredients in Bottura's BBQ

Inside the kitchen of Italian chef Massimo Bottura's new restaurant Al Gatto Verde.

Sleeping like a monk in a Buddhist temple in Japan

Shukubo: Japan's temples offering a taste of monastic living

Content maker Lucy Edwards embraces a world without sight during her visit to a Buddhist temple in Japan.

Culture & Experiences

The Black Mambas

A day in the life of the Black Mambas

They don't carry guns but they are determined to fight poachers.

Climate solutions

Strength

What's the best way to become really strong?

What does science say about the best way to develop and build your strength?

Science & Health

The truth about Napoleon's height

Napoleon: The truth about 'small man syndrome'

The Napoleon Complex - aka 'small man syndrome' - suggests short men are overly aggressive. But is it true?

Mastic artichokes: The unique dish of 'Turkey's Tuscany'

Mastic artichokes: The unique dish of 'Turkey's Tuscany'

Mastic artichokes are a special variety beloved in the Urla region of Turkey.

A woman waiting

How waiting alters our perception of time

Expert advice on how to get through a waiting period.

The FIRE method: How to retire in your 30s

Playing with FIRE: The millennial movement to quit work

A personal finance strategy popular among millennials is helping them retire decades early.

Future of business

How much wealth is too much?

Do the super-rich 'deserve' their wealth?

Should there be a cap on billionaires' wealth and their inheritances?

Future of business

How to become the person everyone comes to for advice

Four simple hacks to succeed in every conversation

A career coach, a choreographer, a chef and a dragon boat captain offer advice on giving critical feedback.

Rethinking solo and hybrid working

Solo and hybrid work: Navigating our future and new normal

Covid-19 reshaped the way we live and work. We rethink solo working and explore the future of work-life.

Future of business