Villas in Pirkanmaa

Tampere is the city base, Ikaalinen has a spa and Kyrösjärvi, and Ruovesi and Virrat face the northern lakes, all within reach of Helsinki. Cottages here mix lakeside saunas with easy days out to Finland's second city. It is the more settled south, with farms and roads between the lakes, so expect neighbours rather than wilderness.

Where

Villas: 179
From, per week: £383
Cheapest month: September
Nearest airports: Most people fly to Helsinki, about three hours from London, then drive around two hours to Tampere or take the train, which takes roughly one and a half to two hours. Tampere-Pirkkala airport has had direct flights from London in some seasons, so check whether any run on your dates.

Where to stay in Pirkanmaa

Ikaalinen and Seitseminen

Ikaalinen has the largest group of our cottages in the region, on the shores of Kyrösjärvi and the smaller lakes around it. The little town has a grid of old wooden houses and a big spa hotel with indoor pools open to day visitors. Seitseminen National Park, to the north, has old spruce forest, duckboard trails over bog and a preserved crofter's farm at Kovero. Tampere is around an hour by car.

Best for: Families who want a spa, a lake beach and forest walks

Not for you if: You want to walk to a city's restaurants; Tampere is an hour away.

Tampere and nearby (Ylöjärvi, Kangasala, Lempäälä, Pälkäne)

Tampere sits on a strip of land between two big lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, with the Tammerkoski rapids running through the centre past old red-brick mills. Särkänniemi amusement park and the Moomin Museum suit children, and Rauhaniemi is a public lakeside sauna open all year. Pyynikki ridge has an observation tower and a café known for its doughnuts. Ylöjärvi, Kangasala and Lempäälä are 20 to 40 minutes out.

Best for: Couples and first-timers who want city days and evenings at the cottage

Not for you if: You want silence; cottages near Tampere are closer to main roads and other houses.

Ruovesi and Virrat (the northern lakes)

This is the wilder end of the region, on the long lakes north of Tampere. Helvetinjärvi National Park, in Ruovesi, has a narrow rock gorge and lakes set between steep ridges. In summer the steamer Tarjanne runs the Poet's Way route from Tampere through Ruovesi to Virrat, a full day on the water. The painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela had a studio at Ruovesi. Tampere is about an hour to an hour and a half.

Best for: Walkers and anyone who likes old lake steamers

Not for you if: You want shops on the doorstep; both villages are small and spread out.

Orivesi, Juupajoki and Mänttä-Vilppula

Mänttä is a paper-mill town with an unexpected art collection: the Serlachius museums show Finnish and international art in a former manor house and a modern gallery by the lake. Orivesi and Juupajoki sit between Tampere and Mänttä on lakes and wooded ridges. Tampere is around 45 minutes to an hour away.

Best for: Art lovers who want a gallery visit between lake days

Not for you if: You want a big choice of cottages; there are only a few here.

Sastamala, Urjala and Punkalaidun (south-west farmland)

The south-west of the region is rolling farmland with church villages. Sastamala, on Lake Rautavesi, has the medieval stone church of St Olaf at Tyrvää, restored after a fire in the 1990s; Suodenniemi is part of the same town. Nuutajärvi, in Urjala, is a working glass village with a shop and studios. Tampere is around 45 minutes to an hour away.

Best for: Families who want open countryside and quieter roads

Not for you if: You want big lakes and views; this is mostly farmland with smaller lakes.

When to go to Pirkanmaa

June to August is the season for the lakes, with swimming from July and long light evenings, and the Tarjanne steamer and most summer cafés run only in these months. Mosquitoes are worst in June and early July. Tampere is busy with festivals over the summer, so book cottages near the city early. September is quieter, with autumn colour later in the month. Winters are dark, and snow this far south is less dependable than in the north, but Tampere's public saunas stay open with holes cut in the ice.