• Taking a Finnish Sauna: With some 1.6 million saunas in Finland -- roughly one for every three citizens -- there's a sauna waiting for you here. Visitors can enjoy saunas at most hotels, motels, holiday villages, and camping sites.
  • Exploring Europe's Last Frontier: In Scandinavia's far north -- its northern tier traversed by the Arctic Circle -- Finnish Lapland seems like a forgotten corner of the world. Its indigenous peoples, the Sami, have managed to preserve their distinctive identity and are an integral part of Lapland and its culture. Dozens of tours are available through Nordique Tours, a subdivision of Picasso Travel, 11099 S. La Cienega Blvd., Suite 210, Los Angeles, CA 90045 (tel. 800/995-7997; www.nordiquetours.com).
  • Traversing the Finnish Waterworld: From the coastal islands to the Saimaa lake district, Finland is one vast world of water. Adventures range from daring the giddy, frothing rapids of the midlands to paddling the deserted streams or swift currents of Lapland. Every major town in Finland has canoe-rental outfitters, and local tourist offices can offer advice on touring the local waters.
  • Wandering Finnish Forests: Finland has been called one huge forest with five million people hiding in it. In fact, nearly four-fifths of the country's total land area is forested. Walk in the woods, picking wild berries and mushrooms along the way.
  • Discovering Finnish Design & Architecture: Finnish buildings are among the world's newest -- more than 90% have been erected since 1920 -- but their avant-garde design has stunned the world and spread the fame of such architects as Alvar Aalto. In Helsinki, you can see the neoclassical Senate Square, Eliel Saarinen's controversial railway station (dating from 1914), and the Temppeliaukio Church, which has been hollowed out from rock with only its dome showing. While in Helsinki, you can also visit the University of Industrial Arts -- the largest of its kind in Scandinavia -- to learn about current exhibits of Finnish design.

    • Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.