Where is it?
Wedged between Russia and Sweden in Scandinavia.

Climate
Temperature varies wildly from minus 40C in the south and east of the country to minus 60C up north in Lapland. Helsinki's is the world's fourth coldest capital.

Why visit Finland?

• Finns are some of the planet's most generous and genuine people, if some of the strangest - they are very quiet, capable of drinking vast seas of alcohol, and excruciatingly well read.
• Their vodka is second to none.
• Some of Europe's last remaining wilderness can be found in and around Sonkajarvi, home of the Wife Carrying World Championships

Getting there?
The airline Buzz www.buzzaway.com has £95 flights from London's Stanstead airport to Helsinki, or catch a ferry from Germany, Sweden or Denmark.

Language?
Finnish, of course. But don't even bother - it's one of the world's most difficult languages and, besides, they all speak English. But kiitos - thanks - is an important one, because you'll be saying it a lot.

Food?
Fish, mostly. Lots of reindeer.

Where to go?

• Drink Helsinki – Hit the Helsinki bars, some of Europe's finest; be sure to visit the smaller places to keep the costs down and your hipness ratio up. The best are smokey little U.Kaleva in Annankatu, Errotaja for those in the know in Errotajanpustu and the oh-so-chic Teatteri in Soda Bar.
• Eat Helsinki – If you want Helsinki's best cheap eat, scoff some pasta at Bar Tapasta in Uudenmankatu, or else give the cool Nordic slick of Teatteri a try - but stay downstairs where the fare ain't priced like it's made of gold.
• Hike Karelia – Finland's best national parks are in Karelia, in the country's east. Spot yourself some wild bear, and work up a sweat amid some of Scandinavia's most romantic hiking country. Karelia is mostly flat, but the lakes are breathtakingly beautiful and the colours of this place - pure green springs and summers, awesome rusty autumns (don't even think of going here in winter, as temperatures of -40 degrees Centigrade are common) - are what make it special.
• Cycle Aland – Plopped between Finland and Sweden, these flat, windswept isles are perfect for a mid-summer cycle, and Europe's best smoked fish.

What to buy?
Leave without a set of Finlandia coffee mugs and you not only lack style and taste, but might be unable to buy much else affordable in this expensive land (though it's cheap compared to the rest of Scandinavia).