Did you know that Finland has more than 180,000 lakes? Every season shows the country in a different light. In winter, the roads are quiet and the snow lies so thick that sound almost disappears. In summer, you drive past lakes so clear you can see the bottom. In the north, around Kittilä, reindeer roam freely along the roads. And everywhere around you, you catch the scent of pine forests and the wood of saunas that have been warming up for hours. 

A visit to Finland without a sauna is no visit at all. The sauna here is not a luxury: it's a daily ritual. In small villages, smoke saunas have been heating up for hours before the first guest steps inside. From a blazing hot sauna, you step straight into a cold lake. The contrast is intense, but that feeling stays with you long after. Saunas by the water, in the forest or right in the middle of the snow: they are everywhere. 

Finland invites you to get outside, even when it's cold. In Kittilä, you ski down snowy slopes while the sun hangs low on the horizon. In Oulanka National Park, you walk among tall pine trees and hear nothing but birds and running water. In summer, you take a canoe out on the Saimaa lakes or explore the archipelago around Turku. In winter, you head out in search of the northern lights. Whatever time of year you visit, there is always something to do.