Places to stay in Finland: Helsinki (5.4 million) the capital, Rovaniemi for Santa claus village. Lapland. When to go : May to September will give you a much brighter warmer experience though Lapland is a wintertime touristic experience.
Remember the Moomins? Books written by the Fin Tove Jansson, and they produce good drivers, Mobiles (Cell phones) and Saunas.
What's shocking about Finland's 388,000 square kilometers is that almost three-quarters of it is totally covered by forest; one-tenth is covered by water; and is made up of some 30,000 islands (with 98,000 more scattered throughout its 188,000 lakes).
Its geography defines Finland, but doesn't pigeon-hole it. Sure, it gets cold up in parts reaching into the Artic Circle, but then do what the Finns do; cross-country or downhill ski, snowboard, or spend the night drinking at an ice bar, and sleeping in an ice hotel. You can't leave out seeing the Northern Lights from September to March.