Trekking
Strap on your hiking boots and head off into the wilds on one of Finland's classic trekking routes (www.outdoors.fi). This is particularly appealing in Lapland in early autumn, when trees and vegetation erupt into rainbow colours for the ruska season.
 
Skiing
During the icy Finnish winters, cross-country skiing is often the only way to get around. There are marked tracks all over the country, including in many national parks. Fans of downhill skiing and snowboarding should head to the hills of Lapland - see Visit Finland's 'Winter Activities' pages (www.visitfinland.com).

Watersports
When the Finns can't ski on snow, they love to ski on water. The 1,000-plus lakes of the Lakeland region (www.lakelandfinland.fi) provide some fantastic opportunities for water-skiing, jet-skiing and sailing. Many holiday cottages and outdoor centres offer watersports facilities.

Dog sledding
Harness up your huskies and whizz across the snow on a traditional Arctic dog sled. There are numerous dog-sled centres in Lapland, including Harriniva (www.harriniva.fi). In 2010, the first Arctic Barents Race (www.arcticbarentsrace.com) will mush its way through Russia, Finland, Sweden and Norway.

Saunas
Sweating your troubles away in a steamy sauna is one of the quintessential Finnish experiences. Most hotels and holiday cottages have saunas, but there is a special magic to the timeworn Kotiharjun public sauna in Helsinki's Kallio district, and the Jätkänkämppä smoke sauna just outside Kuopio.

Scanning the skies
No, we are not talking about UFOs. There is a purely natural explanation for the spectacular Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) which transform the skies over Finland into a psychedelic light show during the polar night (kaamos) from November to May.

Midsummer
In summer, the sun never truly sets and Finns take full advantage of the 24-hour daylight to party through the night. Midsummer is also the time when thousands of locals retreat to their mökkit (summer cottages) in the countryside to enjoy the great Finnish outdoors.

Festivals
Some of Finland's colourful festivals are just plain bizarre. Air-guitarists engage in bizarre rock mimes for Oulu (www.airguitarworldchampionships.com), husbands haul their wives like sacks of potatoes for the Wife-Carrying World Championships in Sonkajärvi (www.sonkajarvi.fi) and Naantali's laziest resident is tossed into the sea on Sleepyhead Day (27 July).

Canoeing and rafting
The lakes and wilderness rivers of Finland provide some excellent opportunities for canoeing and white-water rafting. Top spots for paddlers include Saimaa, Lake Oulujärvi and Lake Inari. For churning white water, head to the Kukkolankoski rapids or Oulanka National Park.

Design tours
Finland's designers are world famous and you can explore their creations on specialist tours of Helsinki. Architecture tours focus on the buildings and public spaces created by the internationally acclaimed Alvar Aalto. Other tours are themed around jewellery, ceramics, glassware and traditional wooden architecture.

Icy nights
For the full Arctic experience, spend a night at the Lumi Linna Snow Hotel (www.snowcastle.net), located in Kemi. The hotel is constructed entirely from snow and guests sleep in cosy down-sleeping bags at temperatures of -5°C (23°F). Helsinki's frosty Arctic Ice Bar (www.arcticicebar.fi) is also recommended.

Ice fishing
Every winter, thousands of Finns drill holes in the ice and try their luck at the masochistic sport of ice fishing, with a bottle of kossu (Finnish vodka) on hand to keep the chills at bay. Of course, you could always go fishing in summer in lovely Lakeland (www.fishing.fi).

Lapland museums
Learn about life in the frozen wastes of Lapland at Rovaniemi's Arktikum (www.arktikum.fi), a comprehensive exploration of the ecology and anthropology of the Arctic, and Siida (www.siida.fi), a glorious museum of Sámi culture in Inari.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.