You can say what you like about Michael O’Leary but, without Ryanair, there are places I’d never have been and one of them is Tampere, Finland’s third city.

I probably would not have known that the tango is the national dance in that country or that in summer the natives dance the night away at various pavilions beside some of their countless lakes.

To do justice to this part of the world, you really need to hire a car and tour about to enjoy the spectacular scenery. It’s not noted for its mountains but the woodlands and lakeshore walks are hard to beat and walking is a very popular Nordic pastime.

Tampere has an industrial heritage and many of the large factories and foundries are enjoying a new lease of life as museums and galleries.

A visit to the shoe museum at Vapriikki was a great hit. You can follow the evolution of footwear from the time of birch-bark sandals to current styles. Somewhere along the way, the old-fashioned, felt ankle slipper with a zipper in the front gained prominence and is now an essential part of every person’s wardrobe, with special checks being launched in limited editions for occasions such as Mother’s Day.

The sauna (they pronounce it sow-naw) is the only word Finnish has given to the English language and it’s as important to them as their slippers. We visited one of the most popular spas, the Lapinniemi, where, as in all the public saunas, nudity reigns and the ones who stood out were those of us hiding in our towels.

Most Finns have summer cottages on the lakes. These are really comfortable, spacious wooden houses with, of course, the mandatory sauna. We spent a night in one of these cottages. Several of the party were persuaded to smother themselves with grungy peat before baking in the steam, followed by a run outside to plunge into the icy waters. They looked terrific after all this but it’s just not my thing – some people spa well but I am not one of them!

Liberation was a slow process for Finland, which declared its independence in 1917. It still endured periods of intrigue and Tampere’s Spy Museum documents many of the ingenious ways their operatives managed to outwit authority. There’s also a separate Lenin Museum that had me enthralled. It’s located at the Worker’s Hall where Lenin and Stalin met for the first time in 1905.

When it came to eating out, we did the touristy things and dined well in the revolving restaurant in the Näsinneula Observation Tower. We also ate in the Theatre Restaurant Tillikka, just off the main square, and sampled the delights of Viking Restaurant Harald, where some of the dishes are served in longboats.

I mentioned that the Finns love to dance so on the Saturday night we were persuaded to go along and see for ourselves. We headed to Restaurant Hämeensilta, where an aging rocker was taking to the stage to the delight of his fans of decades. His promotional pictures showed him with a luxuriant head of hair – thankfully his voice had fared better than his hair. He sang to a packed dance hall, where patrons from 18 to 90 all danced with each other.

The etiquette, we were told, was you never refuse anyone unless he is drunk. You dance two dances, proper foxtrots and waltzes, with your partner and he escorts you back to your seat. A great night was had by all!