Finland

Finland is a peninsula with the Gulf of Finland to the south and the Gulf of Bothnia to the west with an estimated population of 5.5 million (2014).

Helsinki is the capital and the largest city in Finland. The Metropolitan Area contains a total population of over 1.4 million, or about a fourth of the total population of Finland.

The economy of Finland has a per capita output equal to that of other European economies such as France, Germany, Belgium, or the UK. Finland has the third-lowest population density of any European country, behind those of Norway and Iceland, and the lowest population density in the EU.

Finland attracted over 8 million visitors (2013). Commercial cruises between major coastal and port cities in the Baltic region play a significant role in the local tourism industry.

In the Helsinki Metropolitan area main sights recommended are:

• Helsinki, one of the cultural hot spots of Northern Europe.
• Espoo, the second largest city and municipality in Finland.

In the Southern Finland and Archipelago region main sights recommended are:

• Turku, the oldest and the sixth largest city in Finland.
• Porvoo, the second oldest town considered to be the country's the most beautiful town.
• Hämeenlinna, famous for its majestic red brick medieval castle and for being the birthplace of the great composer Jean Sibelius.

In the Lakeland region main sights recommended are:

• Tampere, the most populous city outside the Greater Helsinki area and inner Finland's major urban, economic and cultural hub.
• Savonlinna, located in the center of the Lake Saimaa region. Visit the largest wooden church in the world in Kerimaki nearby.
• Punkaharju ridge, an internationally renowned travel destination with outstanding scenery of lakes and pine trees.
• Imatra, see the impressive dam, the Imatrankoski rapids and the beautiful Hotel Castel building.
• Lappeenranta, the second most visited town in Finland situated on the shore of the lake Saimaa.
• The beautiful towns of Kotka and Hamina located on the Gulf of Finland.

In the West Coast region main sights recommended are:

• Rauma. Finland’s most famous wooden town is Old Rauma, a Unesco World Heritage Site.
• Pori, widely known for its international jazz music festival. Near Pori, Yyteri Beach is one of the largest (6 km long) in Baltic Sea.
• Oulu, the most populous city in Northern Finland and the fifth most populous city in the country.

In the Lapland region main sights recommended are:

• Rovaniemi, the capital of Finnish Lapland and the hometown of Santa Claus.
• Kemi, famed as the home of the world's largest snow castle. Take a unique cruise with the Arctic Icebreaker Sampo.
• Kuusamo, renowned for its natural beauty and a major center for winter sports with approximately a million tourists every year.

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