Finland is a Northern European nation bordering Sweden, Norway and Russia. Its capital, Helsinki, occupies a peninsula and surrounding islands in the Baltic Sea. Helsinki is home to the 18th-century sea fortress Suomenlinna, the fashionable Design District and diverse museums. The Northern Lights can be seen from the country's Arctic Lapland province, a vast wilderness with national parks and ski resorts.
Kayaking, boat tours and island hopping are popular activities around Helsinki and in the Archipelago Sea around Turku. The country's interior, with thousands of lakes, is a summer destination with holiday cabins, swimming, fishing and sailing. Built on an isthmus between 2 large lakes, the industrial city of Tampere is home to the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame museum. Savonlinna is known for its 15th-century Olavinlinna island castle. East of Helsinki, Porvoo has a medieval old town and an Iron Age fortress. Finland is renowned for its saunas and iconic designs, including Marimekko fabrics, Iittala glass and Aalto furniture.

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