Things to do in Finland

Finland splits roughly into three: the lake-and-forest south, the sea and islands around Helsinki, and Lapland in the Arctic north. About 5.6 million people live here. Most of them are in the south; Lapland is vast and nearly empty by comparison.

How the country divides

• Helsinki and the coast. The capital's own archipelago plus day trips to the old wooden town of Porvoo, less than an hour east.
• The lakes. A forested interior holding close to 188,000 lakes, more a backdrop for saunas and cabins than a single destination.
• Lapland. The Arctic north around Rovaniemi, Levi and Kittilä, roughly 800 kilometres from Helsinki and best reached by air. Rovaniemi itself sits on the Arctic Circle line and hosts the official Santa Claus Village.
• The wilderness east. Oulanka National Park near Kuusamo, prized for the Karhunkierros hiking trail and its river rapids.

What the country is for

Winter is Lapland's season: reliable snow from November, reindeer and huskies, and the northern lights on clear nights. The south runs on saunas and water. Finland has well over three million saunas among 5.6 million people.

Lake swims between sauna rounds are a genuine local habit, not a show staged for visitors.

Practical

• Weather. Helsinki's summer highs reach about 20C and winter lows around -6C; Lapland runs colder, often below -15C in winter with summer highs near 18C. Daylight in the south runs from about 19 hours in June to six in December, and further north Lapland gets close to 24 hours of summer light and only a few grey hours around midday in December.
• Getting around. Trains and domestic flights link Helsinki with Rovaniemi and Kittilä; the drive north is closer to nine or ten hours, so most visitors fly.
• Money. Cards cover almost everything; tipping is optional, and rounding up is the norm.
• Booking ahead. Christmas week and the northern lights season fill Lapland fast; the south is more forgiving outside summer festival weekends.
• Rhythm. Much of the country slows down in July, when Finns themselves head to lakeside cabins.