Finland

Finland is a country where nature is never far away, even in the capital. Forests and thousands of lakes fill the map, the archipelago along the south-west coast has islands beyond counting, and in the far north Lapland offers snowy winters, midnight sun in summer and some of the best chances to see the northern lights. Saunas are part of everyday life, rye bread and salmon soup are comfort food, and design shows up everywhere from chairs to the architecture of a church carved into rock. Finns are reserved at first and warm once you get talking, and the country is safe, clean and easy to travel by train, bus and boat.

Talking points

• Saunas are part of everyday life, and the sauna is the heart of Finnish social life.
• In summer, the sun barely sets in the north, and in southern Finland nights stay light well past midnight.
• Lapland is a good place to see the northern lights in the dark months, from late summer to spring.
• The Åland Islands are an autonomous, Swedish-speaking, demilitarised archipelago.
• Lake Saimaa is the home of a rare freshwater ringed seal found nowhere else.