Finland Holiday

Finland is one of those places that brings a smile to the face of young kids, big kids and sophisticated adults alike.

The country has a certain sparkle to it – and that's not just the frozen sun glinting off the ice in winter. It offers café culture and art galleries for those who want to be civilised and vast expanses of desolate wilderness for those who prefer to get back to nature. And of course, it's home to the snowy depths of Lapland complete with reindeers, sleigh rides and husky racing. Now who said magic isn't real?

Finland's spotless capital, Helsinki is perched on the southern edge of the country, almost one and a half thousand kilometres from the country's northern reaches. The city is quaintly charming, most noticeably boasting a marked lack of the skyscrapers which dominate other European cities. In between popping to the numerous art galleries, it's easy to while away the hours getting your daily caffeine fix in one of the many cafes in the busy 19th century market square, whilst the seagulls serenade you from above.

For those who like living history, head to the old town of Rauma, where artists, lace makers and goldsmiths go about their craft in studios from the 18th century. The town has now been listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the largest preserved wooden town in Scandinavia.

But it's almost criminal to limit yourself to the city when there's a vast expanse of deep forest and crystal lakes to make you feel at one with nature. If you like trekking, you'll think Finland is the gateway to paradise. If you don't, you'll still find it quite pretty.

Lemmenioki is the largest national park in Finland and offers a chance to get so far away from the hustle and bustle of normal life it's like going through the wardrobe into Narnia. Arctic landscape and unspoilt meadows greet the eye - and you would even be forgiven for thinking that a lonely gold panner going about his business could be a mystical fawn. And after all that walking, the gushing torrents of the Ravadasköngäs waterfall will prove rather refreshing, if not a little cold.

But for something truly Narnia-esque, head to Keni for the world's biggest snow castle. There's no white witch but there is an ice restaurant and bar complete with ice tables covered in reindeer furs. For those who aren't afraid of catching hypothermia, you can stay in the ice hotel on an ice bed and shiver yourself to sleep in the -5C temperatures.

But a trip to a Finnish sauna should soon get the blood flowing again. Kuopio is the world's biggest woodsmoke sauna which fits in up to 60 people. Whilst you're in there you could try getting to grips with the Finnish language – but with its Fenno-Ugric roots, it's one of the hardest Europeans tongues to learn. To really let loose, head over to the Åland province to go island-hopping round the 6,400 islands, join in the folk dancing and indulge in a spot of maypole decorating.

For those who want to see the truly natural extravaganza of the northern lights, head to Muonio, near the Swedish border. If you brave the cold of the clear winter night, you'll stand a 55 per cent chance of seeing them. But if luck is not on your side, the northern lights planetarium might prove some consolation. Or a visit to Santa Claus and his merry elves couldn't help but put a smile back on your face.

Dog lovers will have to visit Harriniva to see the biggest husky centre in Finland. Those with money to burn could go on a husky safari, snowmobile safari or reindeer safari during the winter months – but then how often do you get to ride across frozen lakes amidst the silence of snow topped trees? In the summer you're limited to salmon fishing.

So with all that on offer, it's easy to see why Finland is very much one of the travel world's best kept secrets. It's shaken off the chains of past imperial power struggles between Sweden and Russia and is now one of the most welcoming countries in Europe.

Still, if you choose to visit, just remember to pack as many warm sweaters as you can carry and try not to flinch when your credit card bill eventually comes through.