Western Finland
Western Finland is the second-largest and secondmost populous administrative division in the country. It's located on the coast of the Gulf of Bothnia, and surrounded by the provinces of Oulu, Eastern Finland and Southern Finland. The area is slightly hilly, with hardly visible heights lending a touch of diversity to the otherwise boring landscape. Compared to most other parts of Finland, there are less lakes here, but the countryside is ideal for leisurely strolls or picnics in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter, with its seemingly endless tracks. Forests are also plentiful throughout the entire region. In Western Finland, some of the biggest cities in the country are to be found, such as Tampere and Turku. The latter is located in a picturesque setting at the seaside and, besides being the administrative centre of the province, is a busy port and the city with the most remarkable past in Finland. For a long time, it was the secondmost important place in the Swedish Empire. From those times, a number of heritage sites and landmarks have been preserved.