Villas in Northern Savonia

Tahko is for skiing in winter and golf and biking in summer, Kuopio for a lakeside city, and Iisalmi and Pielavesi for quiet cottages. Nearly half our properties are around Tahko and Nilsiä, from resort apartments to log cabins with a sauna. Kuopio airport is an hour's flight from Helsinki, and everywhere else is cottage country where you will need a car.

Where

Villas: 216
From, per week: £428
Cheapest month: September
Nearest airports: Kuopio airport, reached via Helsinki. London to Helsinki takes about three hours, then the onward flight to Kuopio is about an hour. Driving from Helsinki takes four and a half to five hours. Trains from Helsinki stop at Kuopio and at Siilinjärvi, around 40 kilometres from Tahko.

Where to stay in Northern Savonia

Tahko and Nilsiä

Tahko is one of the bigger ski resorts in southern Finland, on a hill above Lake Syväri, with downhill slopes, a snow park and cross-country trails into the forest. In summer the same resort runs a golf course, a bike park and a marina, and the spa stays open. Nilsiä, about 10 kilometres away, has the main supermarkets. Kuopio airport is around 50 kilometres, under an hour by car.

Best for: Families who want downhill skiing, or a summer base with plenty to do

Not for you if: You want solitude in the Finnish ski holidays in February and March, when Tahko is at its busiest.

Kuopio, Siilinjärvi and Leppävirta

Kuopio is the region's city, built on a peninsula in Lake Kallavesi. Puijo tower on the wooded hill above town gives the widest view of the lakes, and the market square sells kalakukko, a rye loaf baked round fish and pork. Jätkänkämppä at Rauhalahti is a large public smoke sauna, open on set evenings. The airport is at Siilinjärvi, around 20 minutes north; Leppävirta is about 40 minutes south.

Best for: Couples who want restaurants, a market square and lake cruises

Not for you if: You picture a cottage miles from anyone; houses near Kuopio are closer to neighbours and roads.

Lapinlahti, Iisalmi, Sonkajärvi and Kiuruvesi (the north)

Iisalmi is the market town of the north, home to the Olvi brewery, with a lakeside harbour. Lapinlahti has an art museum built around the work of the sculptor Eemil Halonen. Sonkajärvi hosts the Wife Carrying World Championships each July, and it is as cheerful as it sounds. Kuopio airport is around 45 minutes from Lapinlahti and an hour from Iisalmi.

Best for: Families who want small towns, lakes and some odd summer events

Not for you if: You want hills or skiing; this is flat farmland and lakes.

Kaavi, Tuusniemi and Rautavaara (towards Karelia)

The east of the region rises towards North Karelia, with fewer roads and more forest. Tuusniemi is on Juojärvi, a large lake known for its clear water and sandy shores. Tiilikkajärvi National Park, in Rautavaara, has sandy esker ridges running through a wilderness lake. Kaavi is about an hour from Kuopio airport; Rautavaara is closer to an hour and a half.

Best for: Anglers, canoeists and people who want long, empty lakes

Not for you if: You need shops and cafés close by: villages are small and far apart.

Rautalampi, Pielavesi and Suonenjoki (the west)

The western lakes drain south along the Rautalampi water route, and the rapids here are fished for trout and grayling. Pielavesi is where President Urho Kekkonen was born, and his family's croft is now a small museum. Suonenjoki is Finland's strawberry town, with a summer fair in July when the crop is in. Vesanto and Tervo are small villages on the same lakes.

Best for: Fishing, strawberries and a slower pace

Not for you if: You plan to drive into Kuopio every day; it is an hour or more each way.

When to go to Northern Savonia

Tahko's ski season usually runs from late autumn, helped by snowmaking, into April, and it is busiest over Christmas and in the February and March school ski weeks. Around the solstice there are only a few hours of daylight. Summer runs from June to August: the lakes are warm enough to swim by July, nights stay light and mosquitoes are bad in June. September brings autumn colour and lower prices. Late October and November are dark and wet, with little snow yet and many summer businesses closed.