Finland is the seventh largest country in Europe. Located between Sweden and Russia, with whom it shares borders, it also rubs up against Norway’s arctic north. The Gulf of Finland separates southern Finland from Estonia. Forests cover two-thirds of the country, the arctic zone one-third. Post-glacial lakes are the country’s dominant feature, and if marshes and bogs are also counted, water covers about 10% of the country. Finland’s highest point, the Halti, rises 1328m (4357ft) above sea level.

Finnish flora is surprisingly rich and varied during the dynamic period between late May and September. Some low-lying valleys in the south resemble jungles by late July. The three main types of forest are pine, spruce and birch. Deciduous forests, of which birch is the most typical, are the most varied in terms of flora.

The brown bear is the largest furball you will come across in Finnish forests; other mammals include elks, foxes, lynxes, lemmings and hedgehogs. Reindeer abound in north Finland, and beavers are quite common. There are over 300 species of birds including black grouse, whooper cranes and birds of prey, such as ospreys. Chaf finches and willow warblers are the two most common species in forests.

Finland can get mighty cold - in the south it gets down to -15°C in January and February, while in the north it’s often below -30°C during the winter months. It’s also dark most of the day during this time. When summer rolls around and the midnight sun does its thing, expect about 15°C in the north and around 20°C in the south (although it can get above 30°C).