DECENT exposure.

IT was the moment most British women dread.

Leena and Berit, the tall slim blond women next to me, said: "In Finland we always take our clothes off in the sauna".

They proceeded to strip off.

Laurie, the try-anything-once American in our group, was close behind her. So were German Cathrin and Russian Nika.

That left me and curvy Italian Suzy with no choice. When in Finland, do as the Finnish do.

But after sweltering in the traditional wooden sauna, where we sat on freshly collected giant rhubarb leaves to help with the cellulite, I drew the line at the next invitation.

Jumping starkers into Vittrsk lake, a few steps away.

The sauna belonged to chef Roope, who was busy smoking fish we'd earlier helped him land from the lake. Festooned with fishing rods and hooks, with an inviting hot tub alongside, the sauna is used all year round.

In winter Roope and his team cut a massive hole through the lake ice to form a bathing pool.

Jumping in there after a spell in a sauna takes courage, but it seems very popular with management teams out to prove their worth, according to Roope, who opened his restaurant Artalli at his parents' home.

We'd kayaked along the river Purnus with Susse, who runs adventure company SEAction, with a high wire action course among the forest, plus wooden chalets and a Lapp tipi to rent.

Outdoors Finland spends a large part of the year under snow and ice so locals take any chance they can to enjoy the great outdoors.

Western Uusimaa, the most southerly part of Finland (it's about an hour from Helsinki airport) is one of the most lovely. Through it runs the ancient Kings Road, from Stockholm to St Petersburg, with several castles charting the region's turbulent history.

Offshore in the Baltic's easterly arm lies an archipelago of islands - and at times it's as quick to take a water taxi as to drive around the lakes and snaking rivers.

Beautiful in summer, in winter it turns to ice, with only ferry routes remaining open - taxi drivers use hovercraft instead.

Uusimaa is a microcosm of the country's troubled story. Finland was long under Swedish rule, with up to 82 per cent of people in this area still speaking Swedish as their first language.

The Russians took charge in World War I and, after the last war, kept control of much of this area because it was the naval gateway to St Petersburg.

The Soviet base was Sjundby castle, where you can still see graffiti exhorting Russian soldiers to be proud of their motherland. The region's main resource is wood, and houses are built using traditional overlapping slats, with large windows to make the most of the natural light, triple-glazed to keep winters out.

Our hotel, Westerby Gard, was also Swedish in style, with simple wooden furniture, stripped walls and floors, much of it painted white. There were beautiful touches of scented candles, dried flowers and old lace and glass, plus massive cast-iron stoves.

This was once the family farmhouse of Gunilla Wikstrom, who now runs it with her friend Jeanette. It sleeps 10 in en-suite rooms and has its own sauna.

After a meal of local fish we traipsed through the woods to the seaside for a late-night campfire and sing-song, with an elk watching us from afar.

Next day, on a boat ride through the archipelago, we stopped at Gunilla's family island of Tomharun, where a summer house sleeps eight and you can enjoy a sauna on the Baltic sea - with Estonia just 80km away.

We stopped afterwards at Ekens for a tour of Naturum, a visitors' centre in a former customs house detailing the area's fauna and flora. Lunch was fresh from the sea at the quirky Knipan restaurant, which stands on stilts on the harbourside.

We also learned how to Nordic walk in Ramsholmen forest - white in winter with snow, then with anemones in summer.

Beautiful The time Finland spends under snow is understandably a headache for golfers, who don't get chance to play for several months. When they do, one of the most beautiful courses is at the 200ha Nordcenter, which has two 18-hole golf courses (nordcenter.com). There are houses to rent and you can even arrive by boat to the centre's own marina.

The region, though quiet and sedate, is bursting with activity.

One of the main promoters is Olli Muurainen, 38, who's just taken over a former ironworks at Billns, alongside the river Mustio. He plans to turn this almost abandoned industrial village into a centre for public events, with a hotel for tourists and conferences.

Already there's a gallery and glassblowing studio open, musical events in summer, and his cafe-restaurant Brukspatron is constantly full.

He's also a national hero for saving production of a sweet almond cake named after ex-president's wife Ellen Svinhufuud.

It's typical of Finnish food - much of it based on fish, especially herrings, salmon or anchovies - with great breads and salads, then followed by a slice of something incredibly sweet.

So Finland, you see, isn't all about visits to see Santa in the Lappish forests.

It's a year-round treat' fact file l Rooms at the Westerby Gard Hotel are from pounds 90 per person per night. Click www.westerby.fi.

l Flights to Helsinki from Manchester from pounds 236 return. Visit www.finnair.com.

l For more details on the Western Uusimaa region try www.visitsouthpointfinland.fi and www.finlandexpert.fi.

l General tourism advice about Finland as a whole can be found at www.visitfinland.com/uk.

l Other useful websites include Restaurant Artalli (www.artalli.fi), Seaaction (www.seaction.com), Naturum (www.luontoon.fi), Knipan Restaurant (www.Knipan. fi), Nordic Ski (www.kisakeskus.fi) and Nordcenter (www.nordcenter.com).

CAPTION(S):

Finland is renowned as a Christmas cracker of a destination for family fun. But, as SARAH BATLEY discovers, there's plenty to capture the imagination (and sometimes leave little to it) all year round Sailing in the Western Uusimaa archipelago and, right, for the more 'adventurous' a stint in the sauna, au naturel, of course The Westerby Gard Hotel The Knipan restaurant in Ekens