The only popular Finnish word the world understands is ‘sauna,’ and why not? For this amazing Arctic country of Scandinavia is renowned for its saunas among other things. Finland has become a very popular tourism hub in the last couple of years, what with its small towns and cities showing a tremendous scope for museums, Christmas festivities, midnight sun sightings and even Northern Lights. From its capital Helsinki to the stunning white beauty of Laplands - Rovaniemi, from Porvoo to Turku, Finland has so many tourist places on offer.

Helsinki is Finland’s capital and one of the most popular tourist hubs. Most international flights come into Helsinki Airport and hence this is a start to most holidays. If you were to imagine Helsinki then imagine St. Petersburg, with its beautiful streets and stunning mythical buildings, monuments from eras bygone and cathedrals that chime with bells. In Helsinki, you must visit the Lutheran Cathedral, Uspenski Cathedral and the Church in the Rock. Then there is the epic Parliament House as well as the 1952 Olympics Stadium. Hoarded with many art galleries and museums and shopping boutiques, Helsinki will be a great 2-3 day sojourn.

Rovaniemi is an exceptionally beautiful town in the Lapland area of Northern Finland, renowned as the winter wonderland and the home of Santa Claus. The town was completely shattered during World War II and was rebuilt later. The best thing to do here is visit the Santa Claus Village and Santa Claus Office, collect stamps from his Post Office and spend a day with friends and family at the special underground amusement park. Other great places to visit include Jätkänkynttilä Bridge, Pilke Science Center and Korundi House of Culture.

It is a small city in Central Lakeland, a charming delight with rich history and a stunning Lake Saimma with many islands around. This place is a nature and history lover’s paradise, what with the 15th Century St. Olaf’s Castle, the Lakeside, Orthodox Museum, Savonlinna Provincial Museum and the bustling market square. Do not forget to try the herring street food here or eat a plate of muikku while exploring. Fishing and boating are great summer activities by the lake.

Porvoo’s claim-to-fame is its ancient status. It is the second oldest settlement town in the country and unique because of the wooden houses that populate its landmass. The streets are beautifully paved in cobblestones and the architecture is markedly wooden. You can go around the old Porvoo district and enjoy exploring the meandering streets, then head to the Porvoo Cathedral for a tour. Porvoo Museum and Brunberg shop are other amusing pass-times in the town.

Turku is a coastal town on the southern side of Finland. It was the capital of Finland until the 19th Century and is one of the oldest in the country. Turku has more history embedded in its DNA than any Finnish city, from the ancient 13th century Turku Castle to the Ars Nova and Aboa Vetus museums, Luostarinmäki’s culturally rich neighbourhood to the Turku Cathedral, you have loads of tourist places to visit. Also, do check out the Moomin World, a cartoon amusement park.

Kemi is a city in the Laplands and renowned for its pulp mills and winter castles. The Snow Castle here is the most famous and is built every year to almost 3 storeys high for weddings and other events. There are concerts and live performances that happen at the Snow Castle too at times. Kemi is a very contemporary hip city of Finland and boasts of a great nightlife. You can hire yachts for special Arctic water tours, see icebergs and tall glaciers on your way.

Tampere is the third largest city in Finland and holds as much history in its lap as the glaciers around its landscape. It is a small neighbourhood and includes some nice heritage buildings, small streets and squares. Visit the Natural History Museum for some guide to Tampere’s past, tour around the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame and then you can take a picnic basket down to the Duck Park. Other places of interest for summers include Särkänniemi Adventure Park with its zoo, aquarium and planetarium, along with an observation tower built to get views of the lakes and jungles.