Suomen Luontokeskus. Haltia

Great place to experience Finnsh nature if you don't like the cold or the wet, or contact with nature.

Deep in darkest Nuuksio forest is Haltia, a modern visitors centre with a restaurant and warm sheltered places to enjoy the nature when the weather is miserable. And, though you might not notice it at first, there is also a nature museum (to the right of the giant reception).

The first exhibition is (at the moment) an excellent collection of nature photographs all taken by some of Scandinavia's top female photographers. The stereotype-busting intention of the collection seems sightly undermined by the name, 60 Chicks and Wild Pics, but don't let that put you off, there are some truly excellent images (all thick natural wood frames that make you want to smell them and remember warm summer days).

Then the tour continues through an icy looking corridor stuffed full of stuffed animals most of which are frozen mid-hunt except the poor reindeer which finds itself very much the hunted and is now being devoured by a wolverine. Keep an eye out for the weasel.

Next is the main room, a multimedia Aladdin's cave with disco floor tiles that project photos of birds flying and fish floating, a burnt-out tree stump where you can hide and watch videos and, in the middle of it all, a huge curving TV screen with metres of sofa space where you can look at the most spectacular scenery in Finland without all the bother of map-reading or mosquito bites. Alternatively you can just sit on the sofa and pretend you are a millionaire and that you're in your living room (do not take your trousers off).

The elephant in the room is the giant wooden dome called The Duck Egg in which are two swans playing chess among floating panes of class. Apparently the piece brings together the Finnish epic, Kalevala and elements of game theory. Fair enough.

Behind the egg is a cool dark corridor where children can crawl through a tunnel and into a cave to see a bear hibernating.

The final room is the darkest of all with benches where you can sit and listen to the sounds of Finnish nights.

Hit here for the museum website

Scroll down for pictures

Even the animals come in for some warmth

MTV crib