Finland Hotels

Nordic Finland is situated in the far north of Europe and borders Russia, Sweden and Norway. It is quite a large country within Europe but has a tiny population of just 5. 3 million. The predominant language is Finnish but Finland is officially a bi-lingual nation with some Swedish speakers. Two-thirds of the landscape is forested and about a tenth is made up of water.

Many thousands of islands and lakes attract boating enthusiasts. Finland is mostly low-lying and flat making it an ideal cycling destination. In the wilder far north there are some low hills and mountains.

Finland is a place to go for outdoor activities, such as skiing, boating, fishing and hiking but it is also perfect for those who require rest and relaxation. Finns love to be outside in the fresh air enjoying the tranquility of their vast unspoilt natural environment. The climate is cold but temperate with short, pleasantly warm summers and snowy winters.

In the far north the sun does not set for ten weeks of the year and in the winter the sun does not rise at all for a few weeks. Finnish cities are small-scale, compact and easily explored on foot or by bike. Helsinki in the far south is the nation's capital and boasts stunning architecture similar to that found in the great Russian cities of St.

Petersburg and Moscow. Not to be missed is Finland's oldest city, Turku, where old sailing ships are to be seen floating on the river. This seaside city is a European capital of culture for 2011.

Also worth a visit is Tampere, which is spectacularly located between two lakes. The snow begins in September in parts of Finland and can last through until May making it a true winter wonderland, especially as Finnish Lapland is the official home of Santa Claus! A visit to this magical land makes the perfect Christmas for any child. After a sleigh ride to visit Father Christmas mum and dad can warm themselves up by relaxing in a traditional Finnish sauna.

From the UK it is about 2½ hour flight to Finland. Alternatively it's possible to travel from London to Helsinki by train and ferry. There are different options depending on how leisurely you want the journey to be, but the quickest route takes 48 hours.