Helsinki
The Finnish capital is a city of parks, forests and water. Helsinki has historic architecture that recalls its Russian and Swedish past and modern buildings from famous Finnish designers, as well as excellent museums, superior shopping, animated nightlife, and the UNESCO-listed Suomenlinna Maritime Fortress. 

Turku
The oldest town in Finland, Turku gazes across the Åland Sea towards Stockholm in Sweden. The city boasts a magnificent medieval castle, a stately cathedral, plenty of intriguing museums and a lively nightlife centred on the floating 'boat bars' moored along the Aurajoki River (www.turku.fi).

Lakeland
Finland is a nation of lakes - some 188,000 of them - providing a natural adventure playground for swimmers, canoeists, fishermen and boating enthusiasts, as well as people who just appreciate the soothing calm of sunsets over still waters. The heart of the lake country is Lakeland (www.lakelandfinland.fi) in eastern Finland.

Karelia
Split in two by the Russian border, the district of Karelia is famous for its quirky Orthodox Christian culture, its unique cuisine, its distinct language, its traditional villages and its centuries-old religious festivals. This is also the spiritual home of the epic Finnish poem, the Kalevala.

Åland Islands
Closer to Sweden than the rest of Finland, in culture as well as geography, this picturesque, Swedish-speaking archipelago (www.aland.ax) has a proud maritime heritage and some of the country's oldest churches. During the warm summers, the islands are a playground for cyclists and watersports enthusiasts.

Jyväskylä
The Finns are rightly proud of Alvar Aalto, a giant of 20th-century architecture, and this appealing Lakeland university town (www.jkl.fi) contains many of his most famous buildings. Jyväskylä is also the base for the Finnish round of the World Rally Championship in August (www.nesteoilrallyfinland.fi).

Savonlinna
Famous for its medieval castle and its summer opera festival in July (www.operafestival.fi), Savonlinna is an enchanting base for exploring Lakeland. The surrounding lakes and forests are full of camping grounds that provide a perfect base for watery activities and birdwatching.

Lapland
Point your nose northwards and keep going until you reach Finland's Arctic North. Mystical Lapland (www.lapland.fi) is an awe-inspiring wilderness, home to traditional Sámi culture, three spectacular national parks and around 300,000 reindeer.

Inari
The capital of Sámi culture in Lapland, the tiny village of Inari is home to the wonderful Siida museum and the 'wilderness church', a meeting place for reindeer herders since at least 1646. Nearby Lemmonjoki National Park is the largest in Finland, and a popular destination for trekkers and gold-panners. 

Rovaniemi
Nudging into the Arctic circle, Rovaniemi (www.rovaniemi.fi) is the gateway to Lapland and the setting for a series of chintzy but child-friendly attractions themed around Santa Claus - great for young children, but arguably less fun for the adults who are left to pick up all the entry fees.

Kuopio
Turn up the heat in the world's largest smoke sauna in this peaceful Lakeland town. Loads of outdoor activities are possible in the surrounding lakes and forests, and Puijo Hill provides all-season training for ski jumpers and leisurely winter trails for cross-country skiers.

Kilpisjärvi
In the far northwest corner of Finland, a tiny spit of land juts out between Sweden and Norway. If you climb from the village of Kilpisjärvi (www.kilpisjarvi.fi) to picturesque Saana Fell or Haltia Fell, the highest peak in Finland, you can look out over three countries from one spot.

Pohjanmaa
See a different side of Finland in the Swedish-speaking villages that sprawl along the west coast near Vaasa. Also known as Ostrobothnia, this region offers long sandy beaches, warm summer weather, forested islands full of swimming elks and quaint wooden villages such as Jakobstad and Kristinestad.

Oulu
Famed for its beer terraces and technological whizz-kids, Oulu (www.oulu.fi) is one of the most appealing cities in Finland, particularly in summer, when stalls selling wild berries and seasonal foodstuffs fill the marketplace. Just offshore is the bird-filled wonderland of Hailuoto Island.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.