Santa Claus and the great outdoors

This scenic northern European country is home to a variety of spectacular regions. Most famous of these is Lapland where visitors come to meet Santa, hop aboard reindeer or husky-driven sleds and go skiing. But Lapland isn’t just for Christmas – seeing the midnight sun from this northern wilderness in July or August is a fantastic experience. Finland’s capital, Helsinki, is also a worthwhile destination for travellers, with its old world charm and inviting atmosphere. On the country’s west coast, visitors can enjoy historic towns, fabulous fresh smoked fish, hiking, biking and the nation’s best sandy beaches. Central Finland boasts the region known as Lakeland where thousands of crystal clear lakes lap the shores of verdant forests. For tranquility and solitude, this area is second to none – except perhaps for Lapland!  With 5.3 million people, 5.2 million mobile phones, 1.8 million saunas, and one Father Christmas – there’s nowhere else quite like Finland.

Why Go?
Finland is haven for getting away from it all and enjoying spectacular scenery and clean, fresh air. It is also an excellent destination for an active holiday with skiing, hiking, biking and canoeing among the readily-available activities on offer.

When to Go?
Summers are sunny and warm with temperatures of around 27ºC (80ºF). The sun rarely sets during July and August and this is a great time to be in Finland to enjoy late-night entertainment in the light. In winter, days are short and on some days in Lapland you may not see the sun. But Lapland is magical in winter and there can be snow from late October right through to April. Spring and autumn are also pleasantly mild.

How to get there?
There are direct flights from Edinburgh, Manchester, London Stansted, London Gatwick and London Heathrow to Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport (HEL). There are also flights from Edinburgh and London Stansted into Tempere-Pirkkala Airport in central Finland. A number of flights operate to Lapland’s Kuusamu Airport, Kittila Airport, Rovaniemi Airport and Ivalo Airport from across the UK. The flight time from London to Helsinki is 2 hours 45 minutes.

Must see
Lapland is a fabulous destination for families with young children. What could be better than meeting Father Christmas? The region is also stunning in autumn, with its colourful and wild landscape. Water-sports enthusiasts should head to Lakeland and go jet-skiing, sailing or water-skiing. Having a sauna is a must for any visitor to Finland and with so many available, it’s almost impossible not to. The Fins have an ironic sense of humour and some of their festivals are hilarious. How about the Wife-Carrying World Championships in Sonkajarvi where husbands hoist their wives? Or the Air Guitar World Championships in Oulu?