Jokingly referred to as being 'one giant forest with 5 million people hiding in it', Finland's biggest draw is undoubtedly its pristine natural beauty. At the close of the ice age retreating glaciers left the countryside pock-marked with thousands of crystal lakes which now offer some of the most inspiring summer hiking, cycling and canoeing in Europe.
In winter months the focus shifts further north to Lapland where the semi-nomadic Sami people have branched out from reindeer herding to offer dog sledding and snowmobile safaris.
With an estimated 1.6 million saunas in Finland (that's one for every three people) there's only one way to relax after a hard day on the snow.
With the mighty Orthodox Russian Bear breathing down her neck to the east, and the protestant Swedish Empire sandwiching her to the west, Finland has long been the prize in a historical tug-of-war. She's also been the victor. While centuries of conflict drove folkloric traditions underground it also strengthened them, allowing the Finns to 'borrow' the best of what their warring neighbours had to offer.
Look up today from one of Helsinki's pavement cafes and the skyline is a jumble of orthodox onion domes and slender church spires, look down at the menu and Russian dumplings are served up with Scandinavian pickled salmon and elk steak - all washed down with plenty of vodka.
With more than 30 galleries and an impressive mishmash of traditional and contemporary architecture it's easy to see how Helsinki earned her crown as European city of culture in 2000.
During the summer the midnight sun turns 'closing time' into something of a relative term, and the small hours can be spent doing anything from propping up the bar to playing a round of midnight golf.
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