The country
Finland's predominantly natural charms attract around 2.5m tourists a year. The rather sedate capital, Helsinki, has a population of just 890,000 but boasts dozens of art galleries and museums, ultra-modern cafes, bars and restaurants. The rest of the country is a boon to lovers of lakes, forests, wildlife, skiing, skating, trekking, fishing and sailing - enjoyment of which is enshrined in laws that allow activities and camping almost everywhere.
Despite - or perhaps because of - its remoteness, Finland can claim a place at the forefront of communications technology as the homeland of Nokia and of open source software guru Linus Torvalds, the man behind the Linux OS. Its 5m people contend with odd conditions due to their extreme northern position; in Lapland, the summer sun shines 24 hours a day and in winter night takes over. Finns deal with this through a love of strong spirits, an addiction to saunas, and activities such as midnight golf.
Part of Sweden from the 12th century to 1809, Finland was then taken over by Russia until the tsar fell in 1917. Many Finns still speak Swedish and a healthy rivalry prevails between the countries. Other attractions are Finland's oldest city, Turku, the mainly Swedish-speaking islands of Åland off the south-west coast, the wooden town of Rauma, reindeer-spotting in the north and the international jazz festival in Pori.
Best sites
Finnish Tourist Board Official travel guide with UK and international home pages. Provides information on air and overland travel, as well as activities and packages.
Virtual Finland Packed with news, arts, features and a fishing guide from the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Finland Travel information and a virtual tour of the embassy, from the high-tech lovers at the Embassy of Finland.
Kiasma Excellent coverage of the collection at the funky Museum of Contemporary Art in Helsinki.
The Finnish Sauna Put the 'Finnishing' touches to your own log cabin sweat-box...
Finnish Maritime Association Lighthouses, icebreakers, boating and virtual journeys in the lake district.
The Foreign Office travel advice
If you only do three things ...
Stroll around Helsinki, gape at Olavinlinna Castle, explore the historic core of Turku.
News and current affairs
Finland's online publications from the world news guide.
Language
Finnish and Swedish; English widely spoken in tourist areas.
Climate
The Finnish climate is extreme; it can range from lows of -30C (-22F) during winter in the inhospitable north to maximums of more than 35C (95F) in the south during summer. And in the north, heat waves with a maximum daily temperature exceeding 25C occur on an average of five to 10 days each summer. In the north, it stays dark all day long in December and January (the shortest day is December 22), and remains light all night in June and July (the longest day is June 22). This is not the case in the south of the country, including Helsinki; here, the shortest day in winter is just under six hours long.
Health
No vaccinations necessary; good standard of healthcare.
Food
Combining elements of Swedish and Russian cuisines, Finnish food can sometimes be stodgy, though a number of chic modern restaurants in Helsinki offer healthy new-wave fare. Potato is the staple food, served with fish or meat; exotic ingredients can include reindeer and elk meat, snow grouse and pickled salmon. Buffets are popular for breakfast and lunch, and the spread can be overwhelming - herring, eggs, bread, cereals, cheese, sliced meats, soups, pancakes and fruit. Pizzerias and hotdog stands are also common. As across the rest of Scandinavia, imports of alcohol are strictly controlled and heavily taxed, making getting drunk an expensive venture. Still, beer and Finlandia vodka are popular tipples.
Currency
£1 buys approx. 1.45 euros.
Events
December and January: Lapland: see the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis, although how much you can see depends on the weather.
June to July: Rovaniemi: Jutajaiset (the Festival of Nightless Nights) is celebrated in the Arctic Circle with traditional songs, costumes and dancing.
June: Sodankyla: Midnight Sun Film Festival 24-hour sunshine, new films and discussions with famous directors and actors.
June to July: Ruisrock: Finns are famous for their love of heavy rock - this massive festival combines some of their harsher elements with lighter-listening international bands.
June to July: Sonkajarvi: World Wife-Carrying Championships - real Eurotrash material - compete to win your wife's weight in beer.
July: Pori Jazz Festival: More than a week of jazz, playing host to some of the biggest names in the business. Another jazz festival in June and July is Puistoblues.
December 1 to January 15: Turku: interestingly named (since the original St Nick came from Turkey) and snowy place to enjoy the trappings of a traditional Christmas.
What to buy
Finlandia Vodka - ideal for warming yourself up on those long cold Finnish nights. Popular local brands include Koskenkorva, Leijona-viina, along with the salt-licorice or "salmiakki" flavoured variety. Sauna accessories to scrub yourself raw: wooden ladles, bowls and birch twigs. Wooden toys, as if carved by Santa himself. Thick woollens, in traditional designs, not cheap but pretty and very warm. Moomin dolls at the duty- free shop for fans of the TV show and series of books (see below).
Embassies and visas
UK: Finnish Embassy 38 Chesham Place, London SW1X 8HW (020 7838 6200).
Finland: British Embassy Itainen Puistotie, 00140 Helsinki (358 09 2286 5100).
Visa requirements: EU and US citizens do not need a visa to visit Finland for up to three months.
Time zone
GMT +2. Daylight saving time (GMT +3) from March to October.
Getting there
International flights land at Helsinki. The national carrier, Finnair (020 7408 1222), has direct flights to most of Europe including London and Manchester. Land crossings into Sweden and Norway by bus or train are easy, but crossing overland into Russia can be difficult unless you take the well-trodden route to St Petersburg. Ferries depart from Helsinki southwards across the Gulf of Finland to the Estonian capital Tallinn, and there are also links to Sweden and Germany.
Related literature
Comet in Moominland, Tove Jansson A comet is speeding towards earth: will it destroy everything and everyone? One of a series of children's books (the basis of animated TV series The Moomins) by the woman who is arguably Finland's most popular author.
The Kalevala, Elias Lonnrot, translated by Keith Bosley Epic poem that is the Finnish equivalent of the Odyssey, assembled in the 1840s via dictation from folk singers.
Vaino Linna, The Unknown Soldier One of the country's bestselling novels. Initially panned as unpatriotic, the Finns read it to be quite the opposite. The story of ordinary Finnish soldiers serving in World War II is a curious work, in that the Soviets and the extreme right both wanted it censored.
