When the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius wrote his celebrated Karelia Suite, little did he realise that his beloved country would after World War II lose a huge chunk of its eastern province of Karelia to Russia. Maybe his composition should have been called “Karelia Bittersuite”.

It’s so far north that it’s nearly south. Rovaniemi, in Finland’s Lapland, lies well to the north of Fairbanks (Alaska), the whole of Iceland, and all but the smallest settlements in Russia.

Helsinki’s historical charms unwind slowly and gracefully, in a city that blends youth with antiquity.

The Saimaa Lake District is a huge network of big and small lakes connected by rivers and channels, accessible from the Finnish capital Helsinki via the city of Lahti.

In total, it’s possible to cruise all the way from Iisalmi in the north (with an eastern branch at Nurmes) to Lappeenranta in the south.

Tampere, Finland’s second biggest city, is home to the Nokia empire.