The towns have a lot to offer but the country has even more. Rent a little cottage by a lake with a rowboat or a canoe. Explore the lakes in all directions. Heat up the sauna in the evening and run, skin steaming, off the end of the dock into the water. Then relax on the porch, watching the sun that doesn't set.

 

Take a steamboat trip on Lake Päijänne or the Saimaa lake region, or a short cruise in the Turku archipelago. Rent a boat and sail among thousands of islands, or see them from the deck of a majestic cruise ship.

 

Go hiking, cycling or horseback riding on well-marked trails. There is plenty of wildlife here. Many people come to Finland to bird-watch; there are many species of owls, and Finland is the summer nesting area for many species of waterfowl. Enjoy the summer.

 

In the towns you can eat in an outdoor restaurant. Visit an open-air museum or go to a concert in the park. Take a boat ride from the market square in Helsinki to the island fortress of Suomenlinna. Walk along the banks of the Aura River in Turku or the Tammerkoski rapids in Tampere.

 

When you're at the market square, sample the delicacies of the season. Try the strawberries, the raspberries, the sweet peas. They're a delicious snack.