Being located 170km north of the Finnish coastal capital Helsinki, it is also the biggest inland town in the whole Nordic region.
Geographically, the city lies on a narrow isthmus between Lake Näsijarvi, which reaches far to the north, and Lake Pyhajarvi in the south. In addition, there are 200 lakes and ponds in Tampere, and a total of 450 in the entire region.
Despite being predominantly a former heavy industry centre, today Tampere is a major hub for information technology, research, education, culture, sports and business. In 2010, the City of Tampere came in first in an image survey comparing the largest cities in Finland.
Leaving Helsinki behind, it was also found the most attractive city among Finns who plan on moving.
Tampere is a city in Pirkanmaa, southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries.
As of 2011, the city had a population of 223,292 with the urban area holding 330,711 people and the metropolitan area, also known as the Tampere sub-region, holding 364,000 inhabitants in an area of 4,977 km2.
Tampere is the second-largest urban area and third most-populous individual municipality in Finland, after Helsinki and Espoo municipalities. It's also the most populous Finnish city outside the Greater Helsinki area and a major urban, economic, and cultural hub for central Finland.
Tampere is wedged between two lakes, Nasijarvi and Pyhajarvi. Since the two lakes differ in level by 18 metres (59 ft), the rapids linking them, Tammerkoski, have been an important power source throughout history, most recently for generating electricity.
Tampere is dubbed the Manchester of Finland for its industrial past as the former center of Finnish industry, and this has given rise to its Finnish nickname Manse and terms such as Manserock.
Helsinki is approximately 160 kilometres (99 mi) south of Tampere, and can be reached in 1.5 hours by train and 2 hours by car. The distance to Turku is roughly the same. Tampere–Pirkkala Airport is Finland's third-busiest airport, with over 200,000 passengers annually.
Although the name Tampere is derived from the Tammerkoski rapids both the city and the rapids are called Tammerfors in Swedish, the origin of the Tammer part of that name has been the subject of much debate.
One prominent theory is that it comes from the Swedish word damber, meaning milldam; another, that it originates from the ancient Scandinavian words þambr or thick bellied and þambion or swollen belly, possibly referring to the shape of the rapids.
Another suggestion links the name to the Swedish word Kvatemberdagar, or more colloquially Tamperdagar, meaning the Ember days of the Western Christian liturgical calendar.
The Finnish word for oak, tammi, also features in the speculation, although Tampere is situated outside the natural distribution range of the European oak and the town was founded by Swedes, which makes this explanation less plausible.
The Tampere region, Pirkanmaa, which includes outlying municipalities, has around 506,000 residents, 244,000 employed people, and a turnover of 28 billion euros as of 2014.
According to the Tampere International Business Office, the area is strong in mechanical engineering and automation, information and communication technologies, and health and biotechnology, as well as pulp and paper industry education. Unemployment rate was 14.8% in June 2017.
There are four institutions of higher education in the Tampere area totaling 40,000 students: two universities and two polytechnic institutions.
The universities are University of Tampere (UTA), which has more than 16,000 students and is located right next to the city center, and Tampere University of Technology (TUT), which has more than 12,000 students and is located in Hervanta.
The regional polytechnic institution is the Tampere University of Applied Sciences or Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu, which has about 10,000 students. The Police University College, the polytechnic institution serving all of Finland in its field of specialization, is also located in Tampere.
Tampere is known for its active cultural life. Some of the most popular writers in Finland, such as Vaino Linna, Kalle Paatalo, and Hannu Salama, hail from Tampere.
These authors are known particularly as writers depicting the lives of working-class people, thanks to their respective backgrounds as members of the working class.
Also from such a background was the famous poet Lauri Viita of the Pispala district, which was also the original home of the aforementioned Hannu Salama.
Tampere is home to the television channel Yle TV2, with its studios in the Ristimaki district, known for popular TV comedies such as Tankki tayteen, Reinikainen and Kummeli. The Tampere Film Festival, an annual international short film event, is held every March.
Tammerfest, Tampere's urban rock festival, is held every July. The Tampere Floral Festival is an annual event, held each Summer.
A local food speciality is mustamakkara, which resembles black pudding of northern England.
Tampere is home to the Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra orvTampere Filharmonia, which is one of only two full-sized symphony orchestras in Finland; the other one is located in Helsinki.
The orchestra's home venue is the Tampere Hall, and their concerts include classical, popular, and film music. Tampere Music Festivals organises three international music events: The Tampere Jazz Happening each November, and in alternate years The Tampere Vocal Music Festival and the Tampere Biennale.
Professional education in many fields of classical music, including performing arts, pedagogic arts, and composition, is provided by Tampere University of Applied Sciences and Tampere Conservatoire.
The popular music scene in Tampere is often considered to have begun in August 1969 when the famous musical Hair was performed for the first time in a local theatre.
Manserock became a general term for rock music from Tampere, which was essentially rock music with Finnish lyrics. Manserock was especially popular during the 1970s and 1980s, and its most popular artists included Juice Leskinen, Virtanen, Kaseva, Popeda, and Eppu Normaali.
In 1977, Poko Records, the first record company in Tampere, was founded.
In the 2010s, there has been a lot of popular musical activity in Tampere, particularly in the fields of rock and heavy/black metal. Some of the most popular bands based in Tampere include Negative, Uniklubi, and Lovex. Tampere also has an active electronic music scene.
Tampere hosts an annual World of Tango Festival or Maailmantango.
Tampere has a length tradition of theater, with established institutions such as Tampereen Tyovaen Teatteri, Tampereen Teatteri, and Pyynikin Kesateatteri, which is an open-air theatre with the oldest revolving auditorium in Europe.
The Tampere Theatre Festival or Tampereen teatterikesa is an international theatre festival held in the city each August.
As is the case with most of the rest of Finland, most Tampere citizens belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. Tampere also has a variety of other religious services spanning from traditional to charismatic.
There are also some English speaking services, such as the Tampere English Service, an international community affiliated with the Tampere Pentecostal Church.
English services of the International Congregation of Christ the King (ICCK) are organized by the Anglican Church in Finland and the Lutheran Parishes of Tampere. The Catholic parish of the Holy Cross also offers services in Finnish, Polish and English.
Other churches may also have English speaking ministries. Tampere is the center of a LDS stake (diocese). Other churches in Tampere are the Baptist Church, the Evangelical Free Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland, the Finnish Orthodox Church and the Nokia Revival.
The Jews had an organized community until 1981. Though a small number of Jews remain Tampere, organized communal life ended at that time.
Tampere ostensibly has a long-standing mutual feud with the city of Turku, the first capital of Finland. This hostility is largely expressed in jokes in one city about the other; prominent targets are the traditional Tampere food, mustamakkara, the state of the Aura River in Turku, and the regional accents.
Since 1997, students at Tampere have made annual excursions to Turku to jump on the market square, doing their part to undo the post-glacial rebound and push the city back into the Baltic Sea.
One of the main tourist attractions is the Sarkanniemi amusement park, which includes the landmark Nasinneula tower, topped by a revolving restaurant. In addition to these, it used to house a dolphinarium.
Other sites of interest are Tampere Cathedral, Tampere City Hall, Tampere City Library Metso or wood grouse, Kaleva Church (both designed by Reima Pietila, the Tampere Hall for conferences and concerts, and the Tampere Market Hall.
Tampere is also home to one of the last museums in the world dedicated to Vladimir Lenin. The museum is housed in the Tampere Workers' Hall where during a subsequent Bolshevik conference in the city, Lenin met Joseph Stalin for the first time.
Lenin moved to Tampere in August 1905 but eventually fled Tampere for Sweden in November 1907 when being pursued by the Russian Okhrana. Lenin would not return to any part of the Russian Empire until ten years later, when he heard of the start of the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Tampere has many museums and galleries:
- The Vapriikki Museum Centre which includes the Natural History Museum of Tampere, Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame and the Shoe Museum
- Tampere Art Museum
- Tampere Lenin Museum
- The Moomin Museum, about Moomins
- Rupriikki Media Museum
- Spy Museum in Siperia
- Workers' housing museum in Amuri.
Finland's largest glass sculpture, owned by the City of Tampere, Pack Ice / The Mirror of the Sea by the renowned artist Timo Sarpaneva, was installed in the entrance lobby of the downtown shopping mall KoskiKeskus until it was moved to a warehouse.
Pispala is a ridge located between the two lakes. It was used to house the majority of industrial labour in the late 19th and early 20th century, when it was part of Suur-Pirkkala and its successor Pohjois-Pirkkala.
It was a free area to be built upon by the working-class people working in Tampere factories. It joined Tampere in 1937. Currently it is a popular residential area and together with neighbouring Pyynikki it forms an important historical area of Tampere.
Tampere's sporting scene is mainly driven by ice hockey. The first Finnish ice hockey match was played in Tampere, on the ice of Pyhajarvi.
Tampere is nicknamed the hometown of Finnish ice hockey. Two exceptional ice hockey teams come from Tampere: Ilves and Tappara. They both have had a great impact on Finnish ice hockey culture and are among the most successful teams in Finland.
The Finnish ice hockey museum, and the first ice hockey arena to be built in Finland, the Hakametsa arena, are both located in Tampere.
Association Football is also a popular sport in Tampere. Ilves alone has over 4,000 players in its football teams, while Tampere boasts over 100 mostly junior football teams. Basketball is another popular sport in Tampere.
The city has three basketball teams with big junior activity and one of them, Tampereen Pyrinto, plays on the highest level Korisliiga and was the Finnish Champion in 2010, 2011, and 2014. Tampere Saints is the American football club in the city.
The Saints won division 2 in 2015 and plays in the Maple League division 1 in summer 2017.
Tampere hosted some of the preliminaries for the 1952 Summer Olympics, the 1965 World Ice Hockey Championships and was co-host of the EuroBasket 1967.
The city also hosted two canoe sprint world championships, in 1973 and 1983. In 1977, Tampere hosted the World Rowing Junior Championships and in 1995 the Senior World Rowing Championships.
Recently, Tampere was the host of the 10th European Youth Olympic Festival from 17 to 25 July 2009 and the 2010 World Ringette Championships from 1 to 6 November at Hakametsä arena.
Tampere is an important railroad hub in Finland and there are direct railroad connections to, for example, Helsinki, Turku and the Port of Turku, Oulu, Jyvaskyla, and Pori. The Tampere Central Railway Station is located in the city center.
There are also frequent bus connections to destinations around Finland.
Tampere is served by Tampere–Pirkkala Airport, located in neighboring municipality Pirkkala some 13 km (8 mi) southwest of the city. The airport served 208,930 passengers in 2016.
The public transport network in Tampere currently consists solely of a bus network. Between 1948 and 1976 the city also had an extensive trolleybus network, which was also the largest trolleybus system in Finland.
As of 2017, construction is underway for a light rail system in the city to replace some of the more popular bus lines, as well as initiating commuter rail service on the railroad lines connecting Tampere to the neighbouring cities of Nokia and Lempala.
Tammerkoski rapids that now run in a canal through downtown Tampere connected the two major lakes with an elevation drop of 18 metres.
As early as the 7th century people started to gather at the banks of the lakes, and in the 18th century the utilization of the rapids as a source of hydropower resulted in a population boom.
Tampere was officially founded on the banks of Tammerkoski in 1775 by Gustav III of Sweden, and four years later, 1 October 1779, Tampere was granted full city rights.
The newly founded city was soon after established as a proving ground of revolutionary economical theories by declaring a freedom of trade to the city dwellers. The status of free town enabled import and export of foreign goods without customs.
In addition, it was ordered that the citizens were allowed to freely practice any Christian faith. Due to the uncommon liberties, Tampere grew as a major market town and industrial centre in the 19th century.
During the latter half of 19th century almost half of Finland's industrial labour force was in Tampere. The town's industrial inclination in the 19th and 20th centuries gave it the nickname Manchester of the North, "Manse for short in Finnish that sticks to this day.
Tampere has been an industrial pioneer in Finland since the very beginning. Finland’s first paper mill started operation in 1783, and the first paper machine was engaged at the J.C. Frenckell & Son’s factory in 1842.
The cotton factory established in 1820 by James Finlayson grew to become the country’s first large-scale industrial establishment. The first electric light in the Nordic countries was also lit in Finlayson’s modern production facilities in 1882.
Finlayson grew aggressively and eventually became the large industrial complex in the Nordic countries. The city’s engineering industry was bolstered by the manufacturer of grinding machines and water turbines Tampella, which was established on the upper reaches of the Tammerkoski rapids in 1861.
By the time of the Finnish declaration of independence in 1917, Tampere had already grown into a major industrial hub that was predominantly inhabited by factory workers. Because of the unusually large working class, Tampere was also the worker's union stronghold.
The workers' living conditions were terrible which was increasingly generating social tension in the society. The First World War was initially profitable for industrial Tampere, but after the October Revolution in Russia, the vital eastern trade was severed.
Now the Finnish society was deeply divided, and the socialists seized control of Tampere 1918. During the Finnish Civil War in 1918 Tampere became the Red Social Democratic Party of Finland stronghold.
However, in April 1918 the eventually victorious White forces led by C. G. E. Mannerheim captured the town after the Battle of Tampere. It was the largest battle in Nordic war history.
Whites seized 11,000 prisoners, summarily executing actual and suspected leaders and locking the remaining prisoners into camps. The decisive victory quickly led to the end one of the bloodiest civil wars in Europe.
After the war, both the city and the national consensus were rebuilt, and Tampere grew rapidly. In 1927 the first of the factories stopped industrial operations, and city offices later moved into the empty buildings.
Even though the structural changes were already on their way, by the time of the Second World War, Tampere was centre of the Finnish war industry. In addition to uniforms made in textile mills, Tampella factories were manufacturing mortars and artillery.
Tampere was bombarded during 1939-40 by the Soviet air force, but the damages were not extensive. After 1960 most factories started to grind to a halt, but the buildings were kept.
Nowadays the cityscape of Tampere is characterized by charming old red-brick industrial buildings, most of them reinstated as offices, restaurants, and places of culture. Modern Tampere has come a long way from its heavy industry roots, and transformed into a hi-tech research and development powerhouse.
Visit Tampere Tourist Information, Hameenkatu 14 B,The office is located on the main street Hameenkatu at the base of the city teather. Opening hours vary according to season. The office hands out travel tips, brochures, and free maps of the city.
Tampere is serviced by Tampere-Pirkkala airport, which lies 17 km from the city. Finnair has several connections to Helsinki every day. SAS has direct flights to Stockholm. More importantly for the budget traveller, Tampere is Ryanair's main Finnish destination.
However, Ryanair has cut down direct flight destinations from Tampere to only Budapest and Bremen and does not operate at winter time at all. Ryanair uses Terminal 2, while all other airlines use Terminal 1.
Tampere Public Transport Bus Line 1A can get you both within 100 meters of the main city square, Keskustori, and directly at the railway station (€5,00). Ryanair has its own bus service (€6) to Terminal 2. Both take around 30 minutes.
In addition to regular taxi service (€25-40, 20 min), there is also a shared airport taxi service €17 one-way between Tampere and airport.
The direct bus service betweeen the airport and Helsinki has stopped running, but it is possible to change in Tampere long-distance coach station linja-autoasema, between airport bus 1 and long-distance coaches to Helsinki and elsewhere.
The national railroad company, VR, offers extensive train services from different parts of Finland to Tampere with connections south to Helsinki, south-west to Turku, west to Pori, and north to Jyväskylä and Lapland.
The trip to/from Helsinki using the fastest Pendolino connection takes 90 minutes and costs approximately €21, whereas a local train will take just over 2 hours and cost €16. On weekdays, there are hourly connections to Helsinki except few hours during the night.
On weekends, there may be a gap of up to 2 hours between trains. For Finnish students ISIC not accepted and children 4-16 years all train tickets are 30% to 50% cheaper.
From Helsinki-Vantaa airport, where most visitors arrive in Finland, the best way to reach Tampere by train is to take a short train directly from HEL airport to Tikkurila train station, and board a northbound long-distance train there.
The station ticket office is closed at night, but tickets can be purchased from machines with Finnish credit cards only or onboard the train. Trip from Tikkurila to Tampere takes between 75 and 110 minutes depending on the train.
Tampere main train station is located downtown, at the east end of the main street Hämeenkatu. Most hotels are well within walking distance of the station.
There is an almost hourly ExpressBus coach connection from Helsinki-Vantaa airport to Tampere bus station operated by Paunu, departing from platform 13. The service operates round the clock, although there may be a gap of 1 to 2 hours between services in the small hours of the night.
The trip takes between 2 h and 2 h 30 min depending on whether the service calls in towns on the way. In some cases, there is a change of coach close by at Keimolanportti service station, but it is well-coordinated and effortless.
Tickets cost €27.00, round trip €48.80 for adults, €13.50 for Finnish students ISIC not accepted, senior citizens 65+ and children of age 12-16. The tickets can be significantly cheaper if bought online before the trip.
A budget coach service Onnibus operates between Tampere and few Finnish cities, such as Helsinki, with bargain ticket prices as low as €2. The departure terminals vary between the destinations.
Coaches from Helsinki, Turku and Jyvaskyla arrive to Hervanta,take a local bus 3, 4, 5, 13, 20 or 24 to get downtown and Kaleva take a local bus 3, 17, 25 or 47 to get downtown. Be sure to book online as the tickets are more expensive when bought from the driver.
Tampere can be easily reached by car. The drive from Helsinki takes about 2 hours and there is a four-lane motorway throughout the journey,speed limit 120 km/h with small portions 100 km/h in the summer, or 100 km/h throughout in the winter.
The motorway is new and in excellent condition, but is mainly not well lit. Care must be exercised when driving in the dark, particularly in winter as driving conditions can be harsh due to snow and slippery roads.
There are also road connections from Tampere to Turku, Pori, Rauma, Seinäjoki/Vaasa, Jyväskylä and Lahti. These are mostly two-lane regular roads with speed limits between 80 km/h and 100 km/h.
In the summertime there's route traffic coming in from both Lake Nasijarvi and Lake Pyhajarvi. Boats use the slow but beautiful water routes made of strings of lakes.
When coming to Tampere from the north one can hop on on the Poet's way historical steamship from small towns of Virrat and Ruovesi north of Tampere and arrive in Mustalahti harbour.
When coming from the south the Silverline can be easily taken to Laukontori harbour from Hämeenlinna and Lempäälä where the boat stops are some half a kilometer from to the railway stations on the Helsinki-Tampere line.
Downtown area of Tampere has a couple of prominent features which make it easy to navigate in:
The main street of Tampere, Hameenkatu, effectively divides the city center into north and south side. The one kilometer stretch is limited in the east by the main railway station, where many visitors arrive from Helsinki and elsewhere, and in the west by Hameenpuisto Park with the City Library and the Church of Alexander.
The street continues to the east as Itsenaisyydenkatu and to the west as Pirkankatu.
Tammerkoski rapids crossing Hameenkatu just by the central square, split the centre into east and west side. The rapids run from Lake Näsijarvi north of Tampere to Lake Pyhajarvi in the south.
The height difference between the two lakes is 18 meters, but the formerly thundering heart of Tampere now flows through the city centre rather peacefully, because of the several hydroelectric dams harnessing its power.
The central square, Keskustori, is located right next to the bridge where Hämeenkatu crosses Tammerkoski rapids. It is effectively the focal point of the city both geographically and socially.
Downtown area is thought to be limited by Lake Nasijarvi in north, Lake Pyhajarvi in south, main railway station in east, and Hameenpuisto Park in west.
Great majority of the hotels, shops and attractions are located either in downtown or within walking distance from it.
You can get a great overview of the city beforehand from the aerial photos shot in 2011 at Virtual Tampere.
There are only few neighborhoods in Tampere which can be considered interesting to most visitors, namely Downtown, Pyynikki, Pispala.
While downtown area is certainly where tourists often hang out in Tampere, it's worth the effort to spend a few hours hiking around the ridge in Pyynikki and Pispala district which lie just 2-3km west of downtown. Hervanta and Nekala districts are more off beaten path.
Downtown is the oldest part of Tampere, and where nearly all the sights and shops are located. The busy main street, Hämeenkatu, runs through charming Keskustori main square and is lined with shops, restaurants and bars.
Many of these are set in the foundations of beautiful historic buildings dating back to late 19th century. Tammerkoski rapids flowing through downtown and between historic red-brick factory buildings only add to the charm and also give Tampere its distinctive look.
The canal walls and surrounding buildings are tastefully lit when it's dark. Visitors in a hurry will do well even if they do not have time to wander far from downtown area.
Pyynikki is both an upscale residential area adjacent to downtown, and one of Tampere's most remarkable natural areas of beauty. Geographically, it is an 85-meter-high narrow isthmus between the two lakes defining the city,
Lake Nasijarvi and Lake Pyhajarvi. Pyynikki ridge is regarded as the highest gravel ridge in the world. On top of the ridge there is an 1920s observation tower. Pyynikki is the town's most important recreation area and it is in use throughout the year.
Some of the trails are lit and they function as skiing tracks in winter. There are two pedestrian and bicycle paths but cycling is prohibited elsewhere on the ridge. The ridge and its nature trail are also of great educational importance.
Pispala lies next to Pyynikki and is built both sides of the ridge between Lake Näsijärvi and Lake Pyhajarvi. This formerly working-class neighborhood has gentrified radically and is currently one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in Tampere.
Strangely enough, there's also a vibrant artivist atmosphere and Pispala has much in kin with other bohemian arts areas such as Uzupis, Montmartre, Greenwich Village or Freetown Christiania.
Together with Pyynikki, Pispala is widely considered the most beautiful district of Tampere and locals often guide tourists here for the view and the unique urban design features of the area. There is a famous landmark in the area called the Shot tower.
Pispala houses the oldest still active public sauna in Finland, Rajaportin sauna that began its operation in 1906.
Hervanta is one of the biggest and best known suburbs in Tampere is located about 10 km south of the city center. It is home for Tampere University of Technology, Hermia Technology Center, many high tech companies and a large amount of students.
Hervanta has a gritty reputation based on the large amount of 1970's concrete residential tower blocks and the social problems it suffered especially during 1980's, but nowadays it has been moderately gentrified.
Hervanta modern red-brick centre is architecturally interesting work by the architect couple Pietila. If you find yourself in Hervanta when the University is in session, do check out the campus and you have a good chance of running into something wacky.
Nekala area is famous for its old wooden houses, noncomformist cultural landscape and sadly, relatively high rates of violent crime in Finnish standards. Take a peek at the rough but still charming side of the city.
Walking is the preferred way to get around downtown Tampere. From the main railway station, the central square is just a couple of hundred meters straight down the main street. Biking is more difficult since there are only few cycling lanes downtown.
Unfortunately, also in Pispala and Pyynikki districts neighboring downtown, moving around by bike can be difficult not only due to the lack of bike lanes but also because of the elevation differences and abundant flights of stairs in many alleyways.
Tampere City Bike. rents out bicycles for a 10€ fee and a 40€ deposit. Keys can be acquired from the Tourist office at the railway station.
Driving in the city and everywhere in the region is safe and straightforward, but one should keep in mind that there are many one-way streets in downtown.
Roads are in excellent condition, but they will be icy during winter time, and can be very slippery also on those chilly spring and autumn nights. Always drive extremely carefully if you do not have experience in driving in harsh conditions.
If you choose to drive outside Tampere, heed moose warning signs, especially at dawn and dusk. The legal driving age is 18 and the maximum blood alcohol level while driving in Finland is below 0.5 ppm. T
here are no open bottle laws, but the police are allowed to measure the alcohol level of the driver on spot even if they do not suspect driving under influence.
Many international and local car rental agencies have offices in Tampere:
RentCenter, Hatanpaan valtatie 40. Mon-Fri 8-17. A family-owned rental company with delivery to airport. Usually the most cost-effective choice. 1.9 km from the railway station and 1.2 km from the bus station, so it's walkable, and taxies are available.
Budget airport. Mon-Fri 8-22.30, Sat 9-21, Sun 13-22.30.
Europcar downtown, Rautatienkatu 27, Next to the main railway station.
Europcar airport.
Hertz downtown, Rautatienkatu 28. Mon-Fri 9-17, Sat 10-12.
Hertz airport. Mon-Sun 6-23.
While street side parking is limited, there is ample parking in indoor car parks downtown:
Nasinkulma, Näsilinnankatu 13. 24h. 575 parking spaces. 1€ per 30 min.
Railway station, Rautatienkatu 27. 24h. 461 parking spaces. 1€ per 30 min.
Plevna, Polttimokatu 5. 24h. 612 parking spaces. 1€ per 30 min.
Koskikeskus, Suvantokatu 3. 24h. 426 parking spaces. 1€ per 30 min.
Frenckell, Aleksis Kiven katu 14. 24h. 370 parking spaces. 1€ per 30 min.
Hameenpuisto, Tiiliruukinkatu 3. 24h. 409 parking spaces. 1€ per 30 min.
An extensive city bus network connects the suburbs and neighbouring cities or municipalities to downtown. Due to the unique geography of Tampere, most of the bus lines run in east-west direction and pass through the main street Hämeenkatu.
All buses stop at or near the central square, and the City of Tampere operates a handy trip planner service. When you want to stop a bus, give a clear signal to the driver by holding your hand up: if you are just standing still, the bus will probably just pass the stop.
Keep in mind that you can only enter the bus from the front door, unless you are traveling with an infant in a pushcar and then you must use the middle doors.
The bus fares use a zone system, where the ticket can be bought for certain zones. Usually when travelling in the city and immediately surrounding areas a 2 zone ticket for zones A and B is enough.
In that case single tickets for adults 12 years and above cost €3 and children cost €1,5, and allowed unlimited transfers within 60 minutes.
Every paying adult can be accompanied for free by one child under the age of 7. Adults with a baby in a pushchair can travel for free. Between midnight and 4/5AM, night buses charge €3 extra except if you have a valid Tourist Ticket.
Tickets can be purchased in cash from the driver on board. You should mention where you are travelling to the driver when buying the ticket if you are unsure what zone you are travelling to, otherwise they usually sell you a A and B zone ticket.
You may also choose to purchase a Day Ticket for unlimited travel by bus within Zones A to C or A to F, A to C is enough for the city and surrounding areas including the airport €8 for the first day
Additional days cost €4 for adults; youth and children are €6/€3 and €4/€2 respectively.
Purchase the smartcard at the railway or bus station, central square kiosk or city transportation office at Frenckellinaukio 2 B, on the northeastern side of the central square.
As elsewhere in Finland, taxis in Tampere are clean, safe, reliable and expensive. The drivers are extremely competent and will know their way around. If you happen to know the address of your destination, you may consider writing it down and showing it to the driver to avoid misunderstandings.
The cost of the trip depends on the number of passengers and time of day (day/night). For example, 1-2 persons traveling in daytime a 5-kilometre trip costs about €10 and a 10 km trip about €16.
You can try to hail a passing cab if its roof light is on, but the most common way is to find the nearest taxi stand and get a cab from there. There is a stand in front of the train station and in central square, among other locations.
You may also call the taxi station the number is 10041 from landline, or 01004131 from a mobile phone and ask for a taxi to your current location. Taxis accept cash and major credit cards. There are no taxi companies, the national taxi service is the only legal service provider.
Most of Tampere's museums concentrate on its industrial history. Kids will get a kick out of the Spy Museum, Police museum and possibly Moomin Valley, which however is more like an art museum than a theme park.
Amuri Museum of Workers' Housing or Amurin tyolaismuseokortteli, Satakunnankatu 49. Tu-Su 10-18 (Summer only). Amuri is a block of 19th century wooden houses turned into an open-air museum that vividly displays how the working-class used to live between 1880s and 1970s.
The houses form an almost closed inner court, and there is a nice old-fashioned cafe with seatings both indoors and in the courtyard. Highly recommendable for history buffs, but interesting to others as well. Adults €6, children (7-16) €1.
Art and Craftcenter Verkaranta or Kasi- ja taideteollisuuskeskus Verkaranta, Verkatehtaankatu 2. M-F 10-18, Sa-Su 11-16 (12-17 in summer).
Monthly exhibitions on arts and crafts. €3,50.
Finnish Labour Museum Werstas or Tyovaenmuseo Werstas, Vaino Linnan aukio 8. Tu-Su 11-18. The exhibitions at Werstas offer an overview of the history of the industrial era, worker population and civil society from different perspectives.
At Werstas, you can visit the Textile Industry Museum, the Steam Engine Museum as well as the Labour Museum's changing and permanent exhibitions. The huge steam engine that used to give power to the entire factory complex is the definite high point of Werstas. Free entrance.
Hiekka Art Museum or Hiekan taidemuseo, Pirkankatu 6. Tue 15-18, Wed 15-19, Thu 15-18, Sun 12-15. Home museum of art collector Kustaa Hiekka. Adults €7, students €4.
The Lenin Museum or Lenin-museo, Hämeenpuisto 28. Mon-Fri 9-18, Sa-Su 11-16. Small and quirky museum revolving around one of the founding fathers of Soviet communism. Located in a building owned by the Workers Association of Tampere that surprisingly also links to the October Revolution in Russia.
Contains a lot of texts, maps and pictures as well as artifacts that have something to do with Lenin. The museum shop is also worth visiting. adults €5, children (7-16) 3€.
The Moominvalley of the Tampere Art Museum or Muumilaakso, Puutarhakatu 34,In the same building with Tampere Art Museum. Tu-F 9-17, Sa-Su 10-18. Museum devoted to the Tove Jansson characters, with original sketches and drawings. The permanent exhibition is rather staid, but there are occasional performances aimed at children. Adults €6, children (4-16) €2 and students €3.
Police Museum (Poliisimuseo), Vaajakatu 2. Tue - Fri 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sat noon - 5 p.m.. Quite recently opened museum located in the suburb of Hervanta the buses 4, 13 and 20 have a stop at practically its front door, presenting the history, tools and crafts of Finnish police during 900 years timeframe. Free.
Sara Hilden Art Museum or Sara Hildenin taidemuseo, Sarkanniemi. Tu-Su 11-18. Modern art, both Finnish and foreign.
Spy Museum or Vakoilumuseo, Satakunnankatu 18. Jun-Aug: M-Sa 10-16, 11-17. Sep-May: M-Sun 11-17. Claims to be the first spy museum in the world, exhibiting everything from world-famous spies to their equipment such as spy cameras and secret weapons - many of which you can try.
You can also attempt to fool the classic lie detector. 8€ for adults, 6€ for children and students.
Tampere Art Museum or Tampereen taidemuseo, Puutarhakatu 34. Tu-Su 10-18. Changing exhibitions of Finnish and foreign art. Adults 6, children 2. Price varies with exhibitions.
Vapriikki, Alaverstaanraitti 5. Tue-Su 10-18. Tampere's largest museum, a whole museum centre with 8 permanent and around 6 temporary exhibitions varying from prehistory to technology and art housed in the old Tampella factory hall.
If you want the most versatile and comprehensive museum experience in Tampere and cannot find anything of special interest to you on the list of other more specialized museums in the city, take a peek into Vapriikki.
The permanent exhibitions in Vapriikki include The Natural History Museum which is pretty self-explanotary, but has a significant Finnish and Tampere region focus, Tampere 1918 depicting the civil war events in Tampere in the spring 1918.
The Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame and as the newest addition since 2014, a Postal Museum. Usually the most internationally significant temporary exhibitions that land into Tampere, are shown at Vapriikki.
Also, the previously stand-alone Media Museum Rupriikki was moved within the walls of Vapriikki in October 2015. Rupriikki is a media museum focusing on the history and development of mass communications, and hosts among other things interesting retro computers and games.
Same happened in 2014 to the Mineral Museum, whis exhibits plenty of gemstones cut and raw including a 600-kg chunk of Brazilian amethyst, meteorites and even a couple of dinosaur eggs. Adults €8, children (7-16) and students €2, pensioners and unemployed €6. Some exhibitions may cost extra.
Kaleva Church or Kalevan kirkko, Liisanpuisto 1. Solid concrete modernist church designed by famous architect Reima Pietila in 1966. It is likely the most important piece of architecture in Tampere.
Locals call it The Silo of Souls or Sielujen siilo and from the outside it's not hard to see why, but the stark interior is quite awe-inspiring: very high and big room without pillars, minimalist interior made of bright wood.
Some Sundays, community members guide onto the roof, which offers a good view over Tampere, and let one have a nice view from the top into the church room.
Messukyla Old Church or Messukylän vanha kirkko, Kivikirkontie 2. The oldest building in Tampere, built in medieval times with parts dating back to the 1400s. Unheated and thus open only from May to August.
Tampere Cathedral or Tampereen tuomiokirkko, Tuomiokirkonkatu. Imposing church in the Finnish National Romantic style, designed by architect Lars Sonck and completed in 1907.
The interior has a series of famously macabre frescos by Hugo Simberg, including The Wounded Angel once voted Finland's national painting and the Garden of Death.
Church of Alexander, next to the library. This is a neo-gothic red brick building. Its interior is simple colored wooden carftswork. It is surrounded by a small park containing a few old grave stones.
Old Church or Vanha Kirkko, on Keskustori next to theater and city hall. The oldest church in Tampere center is this yellow wooded church build 1824.
Four years later, a bell tower designed by Carl Ludwig Engel was added. It can be a little bit underwhelming as churches go, but it's easy to check out because it's right next to the central square, where you'll probably be visiting anyway.
Tampere Orthodox Church or Tampereen ortodoksikirkko, Suvantokatu 10. Russian-style onion-domed church dating to 1896, serving Tampere's tiny Orthodox minority.
Finlayson Church or Finlaysonin kirkko, Puuvillatehtaankatu 2. The church in the Finlayson area was built in 1879 for the factory workers. It is a small church in Gothic revival style with a red brick facade. This is the favourite wedding church in Tampere.
Duck Park or Sorsapuisto, Yliopistonkatu. Large park around a pond by Tampere Hall, near the city centre. Good choice for a summer picnic. In the summer there are also different breeds of chicken, peacocks and other bird in cages by the pond.
Hatanpaa Arboretum, Hatanpaan puistokuja, About 2km south via Hatanpaan valtatie from the city centre, turn to right on Hatanpan puistokuja. A mansion with an arboretum,a collection of trees and plants, a rose garden and a park by Lake Pyhajarvi.
Koskipuisto Park. Newly renovated green spot by the Tammerkoski rapids in the center of the city. Popular place to have a picnic or a beer on a sunny summer day.
Nasi Park or Nasinpuisto. Nice park by Lake Nasijarvi, created in the early 20th century. Starts from the north end of Hameenpuisto.
On the highest point of the park lies a baroque style mansion and a memorial for the victims of the shipwreck of S/S Kuru, which sunk off Tampere in 1929, killing 138 people.
By the memorial you'll have a great view over the lake Nasijarvi and Sarkanniemi Adventure Park.
Southern Park or Etelapuisto, Etelapuisto At the southern end of Hameenpuisto. A park with a fountain. From the park you can walk through the woods to Pyynikin uimaranta, the most popular beach in Tampere.
Viinikka Park or Viinikanpuisto, Viinikanpuisto ,Bus 12 from Keskustori, get off at Viinikka Church and walk a hundred meters ahead. A peaceful park in a picturesque residential area. Lime trees are beautiful in autumn.
Finlayson historic factory complex, North side of downtown, west side of Tammerkoski rapids. Collection of historic factory buildings gradually extended from a textile mill founded by a Scotsman named James Finlayson in 1820.
The oldest building, six-storey high-rise TR1, dates back to 1837. The complex also includes the factory church, now the most popular wedding church in Tampere, stable yards with arts and crafts shops and pony rides, and the owner's mansion with park and a restaurant.
The factory buildings have been transformed into shops, restaurants, museums, movie theatres, and office spaces. Well worth visiting for anyone.
Tampella historic factory complex, North side of downtown, east side of Tammerkoski rapids. Founded in 1844, Tampella is the other major remaining historic factory complex in Tampere.
Tampella factories started as iron works, but later were converted into a cotton mill and a textile factory, and finally into a machine shop and a groundwood plant.
Operated until 1991, Tampella factories manufactured, among others, water turbines, ships, paper machines, steam engines, trains, artillery and airplane engines. Many of the beautiful original buildings remain and have been converted into theatres, museums and office spaces.
Pyynikki observation tower, Nakotornintie 20. A short 26-meter round stone tower dating back to 1920's stands on a natural vantage point of the Pyynikki ridge, the largest esker in the world.
Despite its modest size, the tower offers a wonderful view spanning over the two major lakes and the entire city of Tampere. Downstairs there is a cafe that offers probably the best sugar-coated buns in the world. They are always out-of-oven fresh and hand-made on location.
Around the tower there is a popular jogging path in a forest with a couple of view points on top of steep cliffs. Even though it is located just outside downtown, it's well within walking distance. 2€ for adults, 50c for children.
Shot tower or Haulitorni, Haulikatu 8 On Pyhajarvi side of the ridge. Old and well-preserved shot tower. Shot towers are nowadays quite rare throughout the world, especially ones that are in good shape. No admittance though.
Market hall, Hameenkatu 19. Mon-Fri 8-18, Sat 8-15. Built in 1901, the historic market hall is still a beautiful social focal point of the city. Lots of fresh goods, cafes, cheap local eateries and infinite people watching opportunities.
Tampere City Library or Metso, Pirkankatu 2. M-F 9:30AM-8 PM, Sat 9:30 AM-3 PM. In 1978 a competition was arranged for the design of a new main library. The jury unanimously chose the design by Raili and Reima Pietila.
The architects said they had been influenced by various elements, such as Celtic ornaments, sheep horns and glacial spin formations. The basic idea was a space coiling spirally like the shell of a snail. The form of a bird appeared in the design process.
Increasingly, the building began to resemble a large game bird, the capercaillie, known in Finnish as metso — now the building's nickname. Seen from above, the building looks like a bird carrying a shield.
Haihara Mansion or Haiharan kartano. A peaceful place to visit on a warm summer day. There is a cafe, art exhibitions and a garden. The mansion's history dates back to 16th century. The last stop of bus line 10 is near Haihara.
Tampere Hall, Yliopistonkatu 55. Meetings, concerts, functions, exhibitions.
Activities to do in Tampere:
Arthouse Cinema Niagara, Kehräsaari. Artsy movies are shown in their original language.
Charter cruises. To Hameenlinna a leisurely 8 hours, to Nokia a neighboring town, not the company or just on the lake are popular in the summer. There are many regular boat routes on both lakes Nasijarvi and Pyhajarvi.
Cinema Plevna, Itäinenkatu 4. 1653 seats divided into ten halls. The largest room has 495 seats a 136 m2 screen. All halls have been made to meet the latest quality standards. Plevna shows mainstream movies in their original language with subtitles.
Downhill skiing. There are two small skiing hills in Tampere. One is in Hervanta buses 3, 4 and 13 eastbound. The longest slope in Hervanta is 350 meters with altitude change of 59 meters. The other hill is in Mustavuori buses 17 and 29 westbound, near Kalkku.
The longest slope in Mustavuori is 350 meters with altitude change of 69 meters. Both hills offer courses and equipment rental.
Fishing. You can fish at the Tammerkoski rapids that run right through the city center. You need to purchase a fishing permit from a nearby R-kioski or Hatanpaan valtatie 2, tourist office or Verkatehtaankatu 2 or a vending machine at the wall of restaurant Rosso.
You may catch at most three salmonoids a day, whitefish not included. €4 for 4 hours, €4.50 for full day.
Guided bus tour. A comfy way to get acquainted with the city's attractions and neighborhoods in less than two hours. Departs from the railway station at 11 during summer months. Tickets are sold in at the tourist office in the railway station. 17€ adults, 4€ children.
Hiking. In Finland, everyone has a right of public access to the wilderness provided that you don't cause damage. In Tampere, good hiking/jogging/cycling/skiing grounds with marked paths can be found in the Pyynikki and Kauppi forests.
In Hervanta, there's a popular 4km loop trail around lake Suolijarvi,take bus number 30 to get there.
Hohtopaintball Tampere, Jaahallinraitti 3 Inside Tampere Areena. In Hohtopaintball, or Glow Paintball, no players are eliminated in mid-round because the game is resolved through scoring points.
Players wear score-counting protective vests, which count the hits with impact sensitive sensors. All games should be booked beforehand.
Holiday Club Tampere Spa or Tampereen kylpyla. 7:30-21:00. A spa hotel, about 1 km from the city centre, built into an old cotton mill situated next to a marina.
The spa department offers swimming pools, jacuzzis, a children's pool, saunas, a steam room, and spa treatments also for day visitors. Spa from €6 to €14, other services available also.
Ice hockey, Keltinkatu 2. Tampere has two ice hockey teams in the Finnish premier league, Tappara and Ilves, which are among the most successful in history in Finland.
The Ice Hockey Stadium is located in Hakametsa, about 5 kilometers from city center with good bus connections, close to other possible points of interest such as bowling hall, glow paintball arena, and somewhat large hypermarket complex.
You can buy tickets to hockey nights either online or from the stadium if you're interested in experiencing the so-called national sport of Finland first-hand.
Ice swimming. During winter, you can combine sauna with ice swimming: drill a hole into the ice cover of a lake and hop in! The water under the ice stays at constant temperature of +4°C, and is very refreshing.
You can try ice swimming at Kaupinojan sauna,local bus number 3 followed by one kilometer walk or Rauhaniemen kansankylpyla on local bus number 2 on Rauhaniementie near hotel Holiday Club Tampere.
Ice walking. A popular pastime during sunny midwinter day is to go for an ice walk. In March people walk about a 1km trip to a small reef of Siilinkari on lake Nasijarvi and have a picnic by the small lighthouse.
Be aware that it's only safe to walk on well-frozen lake. Only go if you see other people and not just ice-fishers doing so.
Megazone Tampere, Itainenkatu 9 Inside commercial center Siperia. Players wear high-tech vests and are armed with amazing, but harmless, sci-fi laser weapons. The game is a no-contact sport and as such suitable for players of almost all ages.
After a game of Megazone it could be a good idea to head to one of the saunas or spas in the city; it's a real sport.
Rajaportin sauna, Pispalan valtatie 9. Mon, Wed 18-22, Fri 15-21, Sat 14-22. The oldest still-functioning public sauna in Finland. Located in historical Pispala, easily reached with buses 1, 13, 18, 19, 25 and 26. In old days, people who didn't have a sauna of their own went to a public sauna to clean up.
In addition to seeing a piece of history, you can experience one of the best quality saunas in the world: the stove is three cubic meters in size and contains over a ton of stones that are heated literally glowing red with burning logs.
After simmering for couple of hours, the sauna is ready for the customers, and it doesn't get any bigger or better than this! Adults €5 (Fridays until 17 and Mondays €3), children (7-16) €1.
Ravintolalaiva Tampere. Restaurant ship Tampere makes lunch and dinner cruises on lake Pyhajarvi. Departs from Laukontori harbor. Lunch €19, dinner €26 including the cruise, food buffet and entertainment.
Spa Hotel Rantasipi Eden, Paratiisikatu 2, Nokia In the neighboring town of Nokia. Tropical pool department 1500 m² in size, Finland’s longest water slide, bubbling hot and ice-cold pools, a flowing river, a games area, a golf simulator, a gym, a bowling alley, different types of sauna and pampering treatments.
Sarkanniemi Adventure Park. Lakeside adventure park on the edge of downtown. Rides are open between May and September, and other attractions year round.
The park includes a modern art museum Sara Hilden Art Museum, a children's zoo with mainly domestic animals, a planetarium, a dolphinarium, an aquarium and the landmark 168-metre Nasinneula observation tower, topped by a revolving viewing deck and a fine dining restaurant serving high quality Finnish cuisine.
It also has the new Angry Birds Land opened in 2012, based on the Finnish Angry Bird game. On a clear day, the views of the surrounding forests, lakes, ridges and the city are awesome.The best of the classics and new works.
One of the largest symphonic orchestras in the Nordic countries plays in Tampere Hall. Entrance free, single ride ticket €5, day pass €36 includes entrance.
Tulenkantajat Bookstore, Hameenpuisto 25. Lot of poetry readings and book launches, also in English. Finnish novels and poetry translated to English. Finnish comics. Anarchistic atmosphere. Free coffee and young lazy poets hanging around. Also a small Author's Museum hidden inside of the store.
Viikinsaari Island. On a sunny summer day take a 20-minute boat trip from Laukontori few blocks south of the central square to Viikinsaari Island.
There are beaches for swimming, playgrounds for kids, places for barbecuing,buy food beforehand, there is no store on the island and a restaurant with a dance pavilion on the island.
However, most of the island is a nature reserve, and there is a short nature trail around the island. Price for the boat: adults 10€, seniors and students 8€, and children (4-17) 5€, family 25€.
City buses offer a cheap and convenient way to get to know off beaten path locations. All the bus lines depart from the central square. Few interesting lines worth traveling include:
Pyynikintori square - Tammela - Rauhaniemi: A midtown line which takes you to Tammelantori market place, Lapinniemi spa (and Naistenlahti marina) as well as to Rauhaniemi beach / public sauna[185]. Departures every 15-20 min.
Lahdesjarvi - Central Square: A midtown line which takes you to idyllic Petsamo garden suburb, with deep woods in Kauppi great for hiking, stargazing and other outdoor activities and allotments nearby. Departures every 30 min.
10 Pispalanharju - arvensivu: A relatively short line from the must-see Pispalanharju ridge and Pispala workers' district through nearly-untouched Pyynikki ridge with the observation tower.
Then it descends through the upper-class Pyynikki with luxurous villas and palaces and an art museum Villa Mac, arrives to Laukontori market square / harbour, also a must-see destination.
Eastbound from the Central Square, it continues under the railway station and by the university to Jarvensivu, a light edition of Pispala. Departures every 30 min.
20 Pyynikintori Square - Railway stn. - Hermia – Hikivuori: Westbound, takes you from the railway station, drives through the main street, then turns right to the Pyynikintori Square.
Eastbound, it's a rather boring commuter line to Hermia technopolis,if you really want to see where Nokia used to develop their mobile devices.
Also a line for architecture enthusiasts. It goes by every post modern buildings of Tampere designed by the famous architect couple Reima and Raili Pietila. When the bus leaves Pyynikki square, the next stop is at Metso, the city library resembling a capercaillie above.
Then at the end of Itsenaisyydenkatu street which begins from the railway station tunnel is a very prominent Kaleva church, also known as the silo of the souls. From Kaleva the line continues along a boring highway to Hervanta.
In Hervanta the whole central axis is planned by Pietilas, namely from the old part of Duo mall and the public buildings surrounding the bazar and piazza west from the mall. Departures every 20 min.
21 Tesoma – Lielahti - Hatanpaa - Turtola: A devious and long line. Southbound from Central Square: the line continues southbound to Hatanpaa Arboretum, and then all the way through some boring suburbs to Turtola hypermarket area.
There's however a nice pasture with cows, owned by Ahlman farming school along Veisunkatu road, just between the apartment blocks. You can buy raw milk, carry your own can and other locally produced foods from Ahlman.
Westbound from Central Square, see the ugliness of suburban Finland. Line goes through Paasikiventie strandway, Lielahti shopping district with big-box stores, a few bigger malls etc. and dormitory Ikuri suburb before arriving to another mediocre shopping hell of Tesoma, where the line terminates. Departures every 30 min.
25 Tahmela – Central Square – Sammonkatu – Janka Western terminus near to line 10 Pispalanharju terminus, but dozens of meters below. It curves through picturesque lower Pispala, or more specifically Tahmela and continues along a narrow road made in the ridge wall, just like in Monaco.
The line goes by Rosendahl hotel and the Pyynikki summer theatre and passes some nice villas and palaces like the line 10. You may use also this line to the Pyynikki Tower, but the walking distance is somewhat longer.
Eastern terminus is in Janka suburb, the route there goes through a rather nice and livable Sammonkatu high street. At the end of that street is Prisma-Centre or Sarvijaakonkatu bus stop, which is a megalomaniac mall together with some big-box stores. Departures every 20/30 min.
61 Pyynikintori square - Airport,travelling to airport crosses the city border, so you need to buy a specific ticket onboard (4.60 €). Traveling within the city limits is possible with the Tourist Card.
The line to use to and from the airport. Departures every now and then, about once an hour. Much cheaper than taking a cab which can easily exceed 30€ to city center.
70 Nokia - Central Square - Kangasala,travelling to Nokia or Kangasala crosses the city border, so you need to buy a specific ticket onboard. Traveling within the city limits is possible with the Tourist Card. If you are eager to see a town called Nokia, use this line or lines 71 and 79 westbound.
There's nothing special or worth to see. The paper mills along Nokia river are the origin of the contemporary Nokia corporation, but the mobile phone firm has no longer any activities in Nokia town. Nokia manor is however still owned by the corporation.
Eastbound to Kangasala, there's much more to see. The line passes the long Kaukajarvi lake, which has served as a world-championship paddling stadium.
There's two well-equipped and popular swimming beaches along the line, particularly in the west end of the lake Kaukajärvi swimming stadium and in the east end Liuttu beach a half kilometre from the bus stop.
The lake offers also some great views to Kaukajarvi suburb, with recumbent skyscraper apartments on the opposite shore. They are of wow especially at night, when the windows are lit.
The line then proceeds to Kangasala with some ordinary industrial and residential areas and then the bus arrives to Kangasala bus station. There's a small market place at the bus station, some local cafes and very nice hiking routes along the roads or the ridge.
Further away there's some observation towers which offer great views. One of them has inspired the 19th century poet Z. Topelius, who wrote the poem A Summer's Day in Kangasala. Departures every 20-60 minutes.
90 Pyynikintori square - various termini in Teisko area. The bus routes to various parts of the vast rural areas incorporated in the city of Tampere, with city fares. The ultimate experience available with your Tourist Card.
The common route for all the variations is the same as for the city line 28, from Pyynikintori square to Sorila. Recommended for adventurous backpackers or bored exchange students.
If you want to see some oldest fossiles on Earth, the 2 billion years old carbon bags hiilipussit, take the Aitoniemi-bound feeder bus 91 in Sorila.
If you want to experience the hillbilly scene of Tampere, take the Kammenniemi/Teralahti/Kaanaa-bound bus and leave at Kammenniemi the first proper village after Sorila.
There's somewhat legendary Kessan baari, the local pub in a former gas station. Near Kammenniemi there's also a winery called Teiskon Viini with a wine kiosk bus stop "Värmälä", road address Saaksniementie 76 Even further north is Teralahti, the northernmost village in Teisko area with any services.
There's though only a small grocery store and a library with irregular opening times, so it's more for hikers than shoppers. The final terminus within city limits is in Kaanaa, and there's practically nothing there.
Feeder line 92 in Sorila takes you to deep woods of Viitapohja and some nice rural views by the longest known inland fjord Paarlahti.
Most festivals are held during summer, but events are always organized somewhere throughout the year. Some national holidays, such as May Day, are also celebrated like festivals, and others, such as Midsummer, may offer other special events.
Tampere Film Festival. Five days and nights of celebrating filmic art in Tampere! The thematic special programmes include interesting documentaries, animations, experimental films and short fictions alike.
Tampere Biennale. Tampere Biennale introduces the most important phenomena in Finnish contemporary music – today’s leading composers and the latest compositions.
Tampere Kuplii Comics Festival, Tampere Kuplii Comics Festival is a five-day comics festival merryment in Tampere bringing together comics makers and entuisiasts from around Finland. The festival hosts exhibitions, sales tables, talk shows, Cosplay-competition and comics signings.
Mukamas, International Puppet Theatre Festival, Pispalan valtatie 30, Tampere. May 2014. Mukamas Theatre has organised the international puppet theatre festival in 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 in Tampere.
It is the biggest international puppetry festival in Finland and it has established its position as an important developer of Finnish puppet theatre.
May Day's Eve fills the streets with party people and sparkling wine. A large market is held in Keskustori with vendors selling cheap carnival paraphernalia.
On May Day hungover picnicers flock to the green areas all over downtown to recover with baskets full of snacks and drinks. There are also parades in Hameenkatu,communists, christians, tech students carrying crazy large and completely useless thingemabobs.
A fun Tampere tradition is that on May Day the freshmen of Tampere University of Technology are dipped in Tammerkoski rapids with large baskets and cranes.
Blockfest. Big urban music festival that brings a wide variety of rappers and hiphop artists to Tampere.
Pispala Schottische – International Folklore Festival. International folk dancing festival Pispala Schottische gathers together folk dancers and players from all over the world to Tampere. International and domestic folklore-groups perform in various parts of the city.
Pispala Schottische Dance Mania. Pispala Shcottishce Dance Mania is an event of contemporary folk dancing as well as musical training and concerts, where the past and the present come together
Saarihelvetti. The most recent entry to the Tampere's metal festivals is Saarihelvetti, literally Island Hell. Saarihelvetti is a little bit smaller scale festival, but well liked by the city's heavy metal scene.
Event is held in Viikinsaari and getting to the site requires a boat trip from Laukontori harbor. For 2016 the event has so far booked Turmion Kätilöt and Shining.
South Park Tampere. Finland is a well-known heavy metal country and this fact is well reflected in Tampere's festivals and night life. The most prominent and the biggest metal festival in Tampere these days is South Park Tampere.
The name comes from the fact that it is being arranged in Etelapuisto, literally South Park but apparently officially Southern Park. Southern Park provides very atmospheric and Finnish environment for a metal festival with lots of trees and lake always right next to you.
The only downside to the location is, that if weather is rainy, the ground can become a little bit muddy. For its 2016 iteration, the event has so far booked Slayer, Bullet For My Valentine and Soilwork.
Tampere Guitar Festival. Enjoy spectacular concerts by the world’s greatest guitarists at Tampere Guitar Festival! During the annual festival week there are various concerts, international master classes, a guitar camp.
Tampere Metal Meeting. summer 2016. One more Open Air metal festival held in Tampere. Tampere Metal Meeting is held at Ratinanniemi within immediate vicinity of lake Pyhäjärvi a week before midsummer. Confirmed artists for 2016 are Deströyer 666, Tiamat, Nocturnus AD and Finntroll.
Triennial of Pirkanmaa. summer 2015. The Triennal offers a view to contemporary arts in the Tampere region every three years.
The cardinal exhibition venues are TR1, Mältinranta Art Center, the Finnish Labour Museum Werstas and Gallery Saskia but the exhibition also stretches to the Lenin museum, Hiekka Art Museum, Housing Fair of Vuores, Mediatunnel and various city landscape.
Midsummer is traditionally celebrated by fleeing the city to countryside or summer cottage where thousands of bonfires are lit on dusk. If you come during Midsummer, you may mistake Tampere for a ghost town.
Tammerkosken Sillalla, [61]. A Tampere city festival for everyone. The Festival tent of Central Square and clubs all over the city central of present more then 30 events, half of which are free if charge.
TammerFest. The biggest city festival in Finland. 80 000 people gather annually to see bands and musical shows in more than 20 different stages in downtown area.
Tampere Flamenco Festival. Tampere Flamenco festival is the largest and oldest flamenco festival of the Nordic countries.
Tampere Floral Festival. The Floral Festival decorates the downtown with a huge amount of flowers. There are also a lot of free events and performances.
Tampere Theatre Festival. Tampere Theatre Festival is one of the top festivals in Europe, thanks to the fresh and influential programme it offers.
Tampere Theatre Festival is also the absolute forum for professional meetings and discussions. The repertoire consists of the Main Programme, Programme Tent, Club Festival Encorebaana, OFF Tampere, The Great Nocturnal Happening and numerous seminars and workshops.
The Great Nocturnal Happening Tapahtumien yo is a night filled with arts and culture. Museum stay open until late.
World of Tango. International cross-cultural tango festival World of Tango is designed to recall the roots and starting points of tango art, as well as to create space for the new expressions of other types of urban folk music.
Monsters of Pop. Monsters of Pop is a three-day festival concentrating in indie-music.
Lost In Music. The aim of Lost In Music is to showcase a cornucopia of new and rising pop-, rock-, indie and metal bands, hiphop and world music not forgeting the more experimental side.
Tampere Jazz Happening. Every year the international programme of Tampere Jazz Happening gathers together top names of international jazz and pioneers of the future.
Youth Theatre Festival MURROS. The goal of the festival is to offer a high-quality international theatre festival open to all. The performances at the event are mainly by young people aged 13–20.
Tampere Christmas Market open up in Keskustori in mid-December. It doesn't really live up to its central European counterparts, but is worth visiting nevertheless.
New Year's eve fills the air with fire crackers, rockets and the smell of gunpowder. There's a large fireworks show in Ratina stadium downtown.
Circus Ruska Festival. Circus Ruska Festival is the oldest contemporary circus festival in Finland.
In January 2012 the festival will have its 8th anniversary in Tampere. The festival brings together new contemporary circus acts, where the circus techniques go hand in hand with new expression methods.
Festivals in Tampere
Exploring Art. How are artworks made and what kind of people artists actually are? Exploring Art is an annual happening, which presents the whole range of artists working in the Tampere Region.
Orivesi Summer Festivals, Tampere Region, Orivesi. This annual celebration encompasses several events, with concerts and literary events at Orivesi College of Arts, an exhibition at Purnu Art Centre, the Ronni Open Air Theatre programme, regular dance evenings from May to September at Rönni Entertainment Centre and Reikareuna Film Festival.
The Mänttä Music Festival, [74]. Mänttä Music Festival seeks to promote especially young pianist generation in addition to bringing international top musicians to the stage at Mäntän Klubi and in the nearby churches.
Mantta Art Festival.
Musiikkia. Ruovesi Chamber Music Festival. The chamber music conserts take place in the small and picturesque Murole church, Pekkala Manor former stables and Sofia Magdalena Church, famous for its' acoustics.
The Days of Old Literature. The Days of Old Literature is a nationally significant literature event that annually gathers nearly 20 000 visitors to Sastamala. The festival if free of charge with programme including seminars, book auctions, exhibitions, poetry and an atmospheric tent restaurant.
Sata-Hame Soi Accordion Festival. Ikaalinen transforms from an idyllic small town into a metropolis of music, as thousands of festival visitors and countless musicians meet each other at the Sata-Häme Soi Accordion Festival.
Sastamala Gregoriana – XVIII Early Music Festival. One of the most delightful festivals in Tampere Region summer – Sastamala Gregoriana – brings out the voice of the Middle Ages, renessaince and baroque.
Sastamala medival stone churces of St. Mary’s and St. Olaf’s, both of which have special acoustics, milieu and atmosphere, act as unique venues for showcasing old music.
Workers’ Music Festival. The Workers’ Music Festiva is held at Valkeakoski in a factory and museum milieu, offering a great setting for the annual four-day festival at the end of July.
The festival features top musicians as well as up-and-coming artists, exhibitions, activities for children and teenagers, nocturnal sing-alongs clubs, open-air dances, open debates and classic tunes of from the world of workers’ music.
Pentinkulma Literature Festival. Pentinkulma Festival, in Urjala, offers everything a devoted culture consumer may wish for: seminars, courses, discussions, poetry readings, children’s events and interesting guests.
This versatile literary programme will undoubtedly satisfy even the most demanding of cultural tastes.
Although Tampere is lacking some of the international high end boutiques and brand stores, there are still lots of shopping opportunities from small specialized shops to malls.
As Finland is generally quite an expensive country, one would do best to concentrate on finding high quality Finnish products, such as textiles, clothes, glassware, design and home decor.
Notably, the legislation controlling opening hours of shops in Finland was overruled in the beginning of 2016, which means that shops can these days be open even on Sundays. Check case by case.
Grocery stores in Tampere and in Finland are usually quite easy to find. There are grocery departments in the bottom floors of all three department stores downtown. In addition, look for e.g. K-market,, K-Supermarket, S-market, Sale, Siwa, and Lidl for small to mid-size grocery stores.
Hypermarkets,Prisma, Citymarket are large stores located outside the city centre, and you can buy a range of different products e.g. food, clothes, electronics there. For for exotic hours, mall Siwa grocery store at Tammelan Puistokatu 29 in downtown has the best hours: 06-24 every day.
In case of emergencies you can find comparable small grocery store available 24 hours a day in the same location with ABC chain of gas station at Automiehenkatu 39, but it's clearly outside of city center and can require a little bit of planning to reach with bus.
Alcohol, however, can only be sold from 09-21. Wine or strong liquor are only sold at Alko stores that are closed on Sundays and open depending on a store, Mon-Thu 09-20 or 09-18, Fri 09-20, Sat 09-16 or 09-18.
They are usually located next to larger grocery stores and the three department stores. There is one Alko store however, in Tammela Kullervonkatu 11, that is the only one in Tampere that is separate from a bigger grocery store.
Stockmann, Hämeenkatu 4. Upscale department store right next to the railway station. The top floor sells high quality Finnish glassware and home furbishments.
Sokos, Hameenkatu 21. Large department store in the middle of the main street.
Koskikeskus, Hatanpaan valtatie 1. Midsize, 2012 renewed, mall at the riverbank, at the foot of Hotel Ilves.
Tullintori, Tullikatu 10. Smallish mall behind railway station, next to Hotel Villa. More interesting architecturally than shopping-wise: the mall and surrounding buildings are built in modernist style.
Ideapark, Ideaparkinkatu 4, Lempaala. Mon-Fri 10-20, Sat 10-18, Sun 12-18. The largest mall in the Pirkanmaa region with a special focus on furniture, interior decoration and clothing.
Has a few cheap dining options. Located along the Tampere-Helsinki motorway in Lempäälä south of Tampere, frequent bus/coach connections exist.
Market Hall (Kauppahalli), Hämeenkatu 19. Fresh food and other shopping in a historical market hall built in 1901. It is said to be the second biggest market hall of its kind in the world.
Laukontori, South end of Aleksis Kiven katu. Marketplace at the shore of Lake Pyhäjärvi. In addition to few booths, many cruises depart from the tiny harbour right next to the market. Here you can get a taste of the Tampere specialty, mustamakkara black sausage, look for Tapola sign.
From Laukontori you have also a good view of one of the last remnants of the city's heavy industrial past: a fully-functioning cardboard factory at the middle of the city.
Tammelantori, Tammelan puistokatu. Busier marketplace surrounded by rather dull-looking 60's and 70's apartment flats. There's also a booth that sells proper mustamakkara sausage. The market closes already at 2:30PM.
Tallipiha Stable Yard, Kuninkaankatu 4. Unique arts and crafts products in quaint atmosphere next to Finlayson. Find traditional Finnish handicrafts, design, decorations and handmade chocolate to take home. There's also a cafe, and frequent events and exhibitions.
Kids can take a pony ride around the stables, workshops and boutiques.
Kehrasaari. Small and genuine art and crafts shops, restaurants, an arthouse cinema, and a souvenir store in historic factory buildings right next to the rapids.
Keittioelamaa, Aleksis Kiven katu 13. Small shop filled with culinary delights, both edible and inedible.
Marimekko, Hameenkatu 19. Probably the best known Finnish fashion company. By September 2011 there were 84 stores across the world. They are particularly noted for brightly-colored printed fabrics and simple styles, used both in women's garments and in home furnishings.
Finlayson factory store, Kuninkaankatu 3. Mon-Fri 10-17.30, Sat 10-15. While the historic Tampere factory is no more operational, you can still feel their rich heritage of manufacturing quality textiles since 1820 in a factory store located in the premises.
The place to buy textiles, towels, bed concepts, duvets, pillows and mattresses.
Supermukava, Otavalankatu 3A. Mon-Fri 11-18, Sat 11-16. Finnish contemporary design by young designers, jewelry, shoes and other fun stuff. Look for items under the brand Vintage Garden, as well.
Design Boulevard, hatanpaan Valtatie 6. Mon-Fri 10-18, Sat 10-16, December Sun 12-16. Stylish things for your home. Textiles, lamps, watches, furniture etc
Akateeminen kirjakauppa, Hameenkatu 6. Tampere's best selection of both Finnish and English language books, especially well stocked with international newspapers, magazines, non-fiction and university course books. Located temporarily in Stockmann department store.
Verkkokauppa.com, Saapastie 2, Pirkkala. Very large home-electronics located 8 km from Tampere center. The best spot for electronics, computers, digital cameras, mobile phones, etc. in Tampere.
Tampere is famous for its black sausage or mustamakkara), a sausage made of blood and barley. The most authentic way to sample it is from one of the stalls at the Tammelantori or Laukontori markets which will serve it with a dab of lingonberry jam and a carton of milk on the side.
Order by price, not weight: two euros will get you a nice hefty chunk. Both markets close by 2PM and are closed Sundays too. If you can't make it to the stalls, go to the Market Hall, or as a last resort, to the food sections of any of the three department stores.
Even though it's an imported idea, Tampere is also well-known as the chicken wing -capital of Finland. Historically speaking chicken wings in a hot sauce, Buffalo Wings in America, were brought to Tampere in the very beginning of 1990s by SiipiWeikot, a restaurant claiming to be the first chicken wing restaurant in Europe.
Professional ice hockey players returning from NHL to Tampere liked the idea of being able to eat chicken wings also in Finland and the PR from this led to public success for SiipiWeikot and these days many competing chicken wing restaurants, such as Captain Hook in Kehrasaari.
It's said that half of the chicken wings in Finland are eaten in Tampere.
There are no Michelin star restaurants in Tampere nor are there any Michelin restaurants outside Helsinki at all - even though some claim that e.g. Bertha and C could compete in that category.
This goes hand in hand with the positive side of pricing; there are no really expensive restaurants in the city at all.
Where ever you spot a restaurant that seems interesting to you, you could and should just hop in if you think you can handle a bill of approximately 30 euros for a tenderloin steak,the famous steak index.
Quality wise there are no really avoidable restaurants in the city either; some kebab joints can be a little bit disappointing, but at least the Finnish hygiene laws make sure that there's nothing wrong with the food per se. Tap water is safe to drink anywhere in Tampere and in Finland.
For inexpensive fast food, local fast food chains Hesburger which is McDonald's with added mayo and Kotipizza pizzeria which are actually rather good, they win international pizza contests on regular basis and have restaurants everywhere.
Ethnic pizza and kebab restaurants can be found throughout the city, and they are usually even cheaper than the fast food restaurants. Some restaurants stay open as late as 5am in weekends.
Many of the more pricey restaurants also have lunch specials under €10 during weekdays, most notably the lunch at Ravintola C is a steal at 10-12€.
Lunch can also be bought in several places inside Kauppahalli market hall in Keskustori central square, and in University restaurants located on downtown campus.
Gopal, Ilmarinkatu 16, Rongankatu 6 and Kuninkaankatu 15. M-F 11-16, Sat 12-16. Excellent vegetarian food in three different locations. While not an actual Indian restaurant, the food is seasoned in Indian style. For the best burgers in town head down to Rongankatu branch at dinner time. €2/100g.
H&H Deli, Rautatienkatu 27 inside train station. Mon-Fri 6.30-20.00, Sat 10.00-18.00. Fine dining restaurant Hella ja Huone hosts a tiny fast food place that serves coffee, salads and tasty subway sandwiches.
Early hours and the location in the train station make it a great place to grab a breakfast sub to a train when heading out of town.
Kauppahallin kotilounas, Hameenkatu 19 Inside Kauppahalli market hall. Mon-Fri 10-16, Sat 10-14.30. Simple home cooking for lunch only.
Pyörykkäbaari, Hameenkatu 19 Inside Kauppahalli market hall. Mon-Fri 8 - 18 Sat 8 - 16. A local favorite serving meatballs hence the name Meatball bar and sausages by the pound. Be sure to have their famous creamy pepper sauce on the side. It's a treat.
Tampereen Rokanystavat, Hämeenkatu 19 Inside Kauppahalli market hall. Mon-Fri 10-16, Sat 10-14.30. Gritty soup bar with a daily soup on tap. Interestingly, they also feature a soup co-developed by the Finnish Nobel Peace Prize winner, former president Martti Ahtisaari.
Tapolan mustamakkarabaari, Harjuntausta 8 7km west of downtown. M-F 7-18, Sa 9-17. Get the freshest possible black sausage straight from the Tapola factory's oven at their black sausage bar. Take bus 27 from Keskustori and tell the driver you're going to the Tapola factory.
Pancho Villa, Hämeenkatu 7 and others Immediate vicinity of Omenahotelli Tampere II. Mon-Thu 11-22, Fri 11-24, Sat 12-24, Sun 12-20. Mexican food. Affordable hamburger meals in calm atmosphere.
Other locations of the same restaurant are at Hameenkatu 23, Tammelan Puistokatu 34 and Satakunnankatu 22. It's grown these days into a restaurant chain with over 20 locations in Finland, but to justify visiting it.
It's originally from Tampere and the first restaurant is the one found at Tammelan Puistokatu 34. Big dishes and their remoulade sauce is heavenly. It's no fine dining, though. Kahvila Lettunen, Itsenäisyydenkatu 25. M-F 10-18, Sat 11-17.
Amazing and affordable sweet and salty crepes. Also have great tea options. Try the black tea with ginger. There's also a shelf with books and games to keep you occupied on a rainier day.
4 vuodenaikaa Les 4 Saisons, Hameenkatu 19. Weekdays 11-16, Saturdays 11-15. Authentic french food in Kauppahalli market hall. This delightful lunch bar/restaurant is one of the best kept culinary secrets in Tampere.
Affordable and delicious, topped with a unique market hall atmosphere. Easily one of the best lunch offers in town. Lunch only from €8 to €18.
Antika, Vainolänkatu 1. Tu-F 11-14 and 16-23, Sat 12-23, Sun 13-20. Greek neighborhood restaurant located in Tammela district close to main railway station. Very cosy atmosphere and friendly staff. Main courses from €11 to €22.
Bodega Salud, Tuomiokirkonkatu 19. M-F 11-, Sat 12-, Sun 13-. Spanish restaurant catering to carnivores and vegetarians. Serves also more exotic courses such as Rocky Mountain oysters, horse, gnu, and kangaroo. Main courses from €16 to €30.
Classic American Diner, Itäinen katu 9-13 Siperia. M-W 11-21, Th-F 11-23, Sat 12-24, Sun 12-22. American-themed burger joint. Serving sizes range from mid-size meals to towering behemoth burgers. Burgers from €10 to €35.
Coussicca, Nyyrikintie 2. M-F 11-22, Sa-Su 12-21. The oldest neighborhood restaurant in Tampere located in Tammela district. Known for its large breaded pork escalope, or Coussican vinkkari. Main courses from €13 to €25.
Finlaysonin Palatsi, Kuninkaankatu 1.Tu-F 11-24, Sat 12-24. Beautifully located restaurant at the mansion of Finlayson factory complex. Main courses from €15 to €26.
Pizzeria Napoli, Aleksanterinkatu 31. M-Th 11-23, Fri 11-24, Sat 12-24, Sun 13-23. The oldest and most loved pizzeria in Tampere. Pizzas vary from ordinary to exotic for example, ostrich meat, or Finlandia vodka with fried game. Also pizza and pasta options for vegetarians. Pizzas from €10 to €13.
Gastropub Tuulensuu, Hameenpuisto 23. Su-F 17-24, Sat 12-24. Moody gastropub serving super tasty Belgian food. Astounding selection of mostly Belgian beers, French ciders, wines and cigars. Friendly and competent staff. Food from €5 to €17.
Henriks, Satamakatu 7. Tue-Fri 17-23, Sat 13-23. A modern Finnish restaurant in a beautiful historic building. They also serve a vegetarian menu and a small supper at 18€. Menus 26€-87€ up to ten course surprise menu.
Hook, Kehrasaari 101. M-Th 16-24, Fri 16-01, Sat 14-01, Sun 14-22. Hot chicken wings and other deep-fried dishes. Local favourite, prepare for a queue. 12 chicken wings €6.70.
Maruseki, Hameenkatu 31. Tu-Th 11-21, Fri 11-22, Sat 11-21. Japanese restaurant and tea house founded and owned by Marjo Seki, who lived 20 years in Japan as a teacher and interpreter.
Maruseki had the first tea house in Finland, and you can experience real Japanese dinner kneeling in front of a kotatsu-table wearing a kimono. Sushi and warm dishes from €6 to €20.
Nanda Devi, Nasilinnankatu 17. M-Th 11-22, F-Sa 11-23, Sun 12-22. An excellent Indian curry restaurant. A popular buffet lunch on weekdays. From €12 to €19.
Plevna, Itainenkatu 8. Mon 11-23, Tu-Th 11-01, F-Sa 11-02, Sun 12-23. Brewery restaurant with more sausages and sauerkraut than you can shake a mug at. Not only do they brew their own beer, but they distill their own spirits as well. Located in an old factory building.
Tiiliholvi, Kauppakatu 10. M-F 11-15 and 17-24, Sat 13-24. Located in the basement of a beautiful 19th century building is this very attractive red-brick restaurant. Menu consists of classic french with a scandinavian twist. Main courses from €20 to €26.
Wistub Alsace, Laukontori 6B. Tu-F 16-22, Sat 15-22. Hearty Alsatian restaurant in the heart of Tampere. All the traditional Alsatian meals are represented on the menu. Tarte flambee from €12 to €14, other main courses from €18 to €20.
Heinätori, Pyynikintori 5. Tue-Fri 12-22, Sat 13-22, Sun 13-17. Seasonally changing menus from 37€.This stylish restaurant was formerly a weighting station of hay stacks the locals were buying for feeding the horses.
Now the restaurant serves Finnish dishes with an European twist, local ingredients. main courses from €15 to €26.
August von Trappe, Verkatehtaankatu 2. Mon Closed, Tue - Thu 5 PM-11 PM, Fri 4 PM-midnight, Sat 2 PM-midnight, Sun noon-6 PM. Belgian bistro-type restaurant owned by probably the best-known Finnish chef Hans Valimäki. Very well known locally for their sunday brunch.
The bar section of the restaurant has huge selection of continental beers available.
Bertha, Rautatienkatu 14 Near the central railway station. Tu-F 16.30-, Sa 13-. Started in fall 2010 but became very popular almost right away. Received the Chaine des Rotisseurs badge after only six months.
Fixed-price menu updated frequently - during the first seven months of operation, the menu was updated a hundred times. Reservation is usually needed on Friday and Saturday. Excellent price/quality ratio.
Hella ja Huone, Salhojankatu 48. Tu-Sa 18-. Fancy, experimenting and surprising French-Scandinavian fusion cuisine next to Duck Park. Menus from one to eight courses €26-€82.
Huber, Aleksis Kiven katu 13. Mo 16 -24 Tu-Fr 11-14 & 16-24 Sa 13–24. Steak restaurant with large dishes. Also the only place in Tampere which takes burgers seriously. There are tasty burgers elsewhere too, for sure, but here it's just something different. Main courses from €25 to €50.
Masuuni, Hatanpään valtatie 1 Hotel Ilves. M-Th 18-23, Fri 18-24, Sat 17-24. Local ingredients turn into fancy but still comfortably laid-back dishes at the bottom level of Hotel Ilves. Main courses from €22 to €28, menus from €44 to €50.
Näsinneula, Särkänniemi. 11-23.30. Revolving restaurant atop the sightseeing tower with amazing views. Needless to say, it's expensive, but they specialize in Finnish ingredients and the results are above average.
It could be said that Nasinneula is the place in Tampere if you're looking for the classiest fine-dining the city has to offer. Food is very good, but from pure culinary perspective there might be places that pass it on the list. Main courses from €20 to €30.
Ravintola C, Rautatienkatu 20 Near the central railway station. Tu-F 11.30-14 lunch, Tu-Sa 17-24. An excellent restaurant that values great ingredients, uses a lot of local, seasonal ingredients, and is well known for its wine list. Awarded with the Finnish Restaurant of the Year award in 2011. e
Stefan's Steakhouse, Kehrasaari. M-Th 16-23, F 16-24, Sa 13-24, Su 14-22. A steak restaurant opened up by American-Finnish Stefan Richter, an American Top Chef finalist who was born and spent his childhood in Tampere and who owns a couple of restaurants in Santa Monica. Serves also Wagyu beef steaks.
Amurin helmi, Satakunnankatu 49. Every day from 10 to 17 during summer from 10 to 18. Cosy atmosphere in a historic wooden building which is part of Amuri museum of workers' housing. They serve Tampere specialities and homemade bread to go with the brew.
Arnolds, Tullikatu 6 Tullintori. M-F 09-20, Sat 10-17. Tasty doughnuts baked on location. Arnolds is a chain restaurant with locations in all Finnish cities, so it might not be an unforgettable experience, but the donuts are good. Regular coffee from €1.60 to €2.20, doughnuts from €1.70 to €2.30.
Brander, Hallituskatu 13. Mon-Fri 9-18, Sat 9-16. Family-owned Tampere institution has 90 years of experience in the fine art of confectionery.
The view to a parking lot is not something to remember, but instead you can rest your eyes on the decor from the good old times. Try some of the traditional Finnish sweet pastries or cakes.
Cafe Europa, Aleksanterinkatu 29. Quirky cafe bar with interesting decor including antique sofas and weird paintings all over the walls. Europa is hugely popular hangout among artsy students and foreigners both early and later in the evening.
Kahvila Runo, Ojakatu 3. M-Sa 09-20, Sun 10-20. A cute, medium sized cafe with a good selection of tea. The name translates into Cafe Poem and probably has something to do with the heaps of mostly poetry books laying around which form an essential part of the decoration.
The cafe also features a small, changing art exhibition.
Kauppahallin kahvila, Hameenkatu 19. Mon-Fri 8-18, Sat 8-16. A central location within Kauppahalli market hall provides ample opportunities for people watching in moody surroundings.
Mokkamestarit, Verkatehtaankatu 9. Mon-Fri 10-18, Sat 10-16. The closest thing to heaven in Tampere if you're really serious about your coffee or tea.
You can enjoy a cup of your favourite in the shop or buy something to take with you from the selection of tens of different coffee beans or ground and tea varieties.
Pyynikki Observation Tower Cafe, Näkötornintie. Every day from 09 to 20 (21h in the summer, 01.06. to 17.08.). Serves sugar coated donuts praised best in town by locals.
The observation tower is only 26 meters high, but since it is on top of Pyynikki ridge, it offers a surprisingly good view of Tampere and the surrounding lakes. It costs two euros to climb up the observation tower.
Pyynikin Munkkikahvila, Keskustori 1. Mon-Fri 07:30-20, Sat 09-20, Sun 10-19. Now'a'days Pyynikki Observation Tower Cafe has a side location at the Central Square in the city center, of course you won't be able to enjoy the views but if you're feeling a bit lazy and want to experience their famous sugar coated donuts, this is the easy way.
Vohvelikahvila, Ojakatu 2. M-Sa 09-20, Sun 10-20. Cozy cafe located in the smallest stone building in Tampere. The name means Waffle Cafe and that's what you'll get, in both sweet and savoury versions. Newly opened a new place in Tuomiokirkonkatu 34.
Tea Shop Veistrom, Kuninkaankatu 24. Offers quality tea without any artificial flavours. During the summer there's a small terrace and you can also taste tea inside the little tea shop. They even have halal tea.
There's no shortage of nightlife in Tampere, and better yet, it's all concentrated to a very manageable area downtown. Virtually all the noteworthy establishments are located either on the main street Hameenkatu or on the adjacent streets.
Therefore, pub crawling is ridiculously easy and there is virtually no fear of getting lost even on the morning hours.
As anywhere in Finland, most pubs close at 02, but nightclubs stay open until 04, at least on weekends. People enter the clubs quite early by central European standards, and the queues are the longest around 11 PM.
Most clubs have an entrance fee of 3-10€ plus an added mandatory service fee of 2-3€. The legal drinking age in Finland is 18, but some places have even more strict limit at 20 or 22.
Dresscode is rather informal even in the highest end clubs,one might even say that there are no high end clubs in Tampere, but locals still often try to dress to impress.
Bartenders in night clubs are usually not very knowledgeable and drinks are almost always poorly made, if available at all. This is probably because of the hardcore alcohol laws in Finland that ban all drinks with more than 4cl of strong alcohol.
On the other hand, there might be a rather good selection of shooters at clubs and Finnish and foreign beers in pubs. While the standard big brewery Finnish lagers are rather bland, new and exciting microbrews are popping up every year.
Be sure to give them a try somewhere along the way. Nearly every decent pub has some of them nowadays, but you won't find them in clubs.
Also, a kind of Finnish drink speciality are ciders and long drinks gin and grapefruit flavoured mild drink which are flavoured with sometimes exotic artificial essences. The ciders do not bear a strong resemblance to their Continental European counterparts.
Cafe Europa, Aleksanterinkatu 29. More of a mainstream cafe bar. Popular among younger students and foreigners. Sometimes live music or DJ on weekends.
Gastropub Nordic, Otavalankatu 3. Su-F 15-02, Sat 12-02. Scandinavian style beer house with plenty of Nordic microbrews, Scandinavian pub food, Nordic style light fare, and Nordic pop music. Very knowledgeable staff. Food from €3 to €14.
Gastropub Soho, Otavalankatu 10. English pub with good selection of bitters, ciders and bar food. They also show sports events on screens. Food from €8 to €20.
Gastropub Tuulensuu, Hämeenpuisto 23. Su-F 17-24, Sat 12-24. Moody gastropub serving super tasty Belgian bar food. Astounding selection of mostly self-imported Belgian beers, French ciders, wines and cigars. Very knowledgeable staff. Food from €5 to €17.
Gastropub Praha, Itsenäisyydenkatu 11. A little smaller czech-styled pub with good selection of czech beer and good enough pub food menu. Only 100 meters from the train station, but to the opposite direction than the city center. Food from €3 to €11.
Inez Tapas Bar Sidreria, Pellavatehtaankatu 19. Spanish tapas bar in Tampere. Also a noteworthy selection of spanish beers and ciders.
O'Connell's, Rautatienkatu 24. Open every day 16-02. Irish pub near the railway station. Many staff members and owners are Irish. The chicken basket is huge for its price, at least in Finnish standards.
Olutravintola Konttori, Verkatehtaankatu 5. Quaint and easy-going beer house that has an old office theme. A good selection of beers and malts.
Panimoravintola Plevna, Itainenkatu 8. Plevna Brewery Pub & Restaurant is a true Tampere institution located at an 135-year-old weaving hall that also saw the first electric light bulbs in Nordic countries in 1882.
The pub is named after a Balkan town where men from Finlayson cotton mills fought alongside Russian troops in the Russo-Turkish War. They serve hearty traditional meals accompanied with their own delicious microbrews.
Try, for example, the arguably best Finnish beer, Siperia Imperial Stout, with a serving of one of Plevna's two most classical dishes; Plevna's Stir Fry traditional Finnish pyttipannu or Currywurst.
Teerenpeli, Hameenkatu 25. Teerenpeli offers a variety of home-brewed and imported beers and Finnish style ciders. A good selection of malts, and as the newest addition, a home-brewed whisky is available also.
Vinoteca del Piemonte, Suvantokatu 9. Stylish wine bar with light Italian fare and views to the Orthodox church.
Doris, Aleksanterinkatu 20. Fri-Sat 22-04, Tue-Thu, Sun 23-04. Small and quirky, but popular night club frequented by university students. Lovingly nicknamed Dorka or Idiot. Plays mostly indie rock and pop with occasional gigs on Fridays.
Fat Lady, Hameenkatu 10. Tue & Sun 23-04, Wed-Sat 22-04. Three-storey night club in the center of the city. Plays top40 hits. Frequented by twenty somethings.
Gloria, Hameenkatu 24. Fri-Sat 22-04. Night club with karaoke bar for adults. Has a decent pub on street level.
Ilona, Verkatehtaankatu 3. Sun-Thu 22-04, Fri-Sat 21-04. Large night club for a more mature crowd. Classics and Finnish hits.
Ilves, Hatanpaan valtatie 1. Wed-Sat 21-04. Quite popular hotel night club. Music mostly from top hits to club. Classy, you have to dress up a bit to blend in.
Klubi, Tullikamarinaukio 2. Mon-Tue 11-22, Wed-Fri 11-04, Sat 15-04. A bar/night club in the old customs house built in 1901. Live music presented often. Entrance fee depends on performers.
Vastavirta-klubi, Pispalan valtatie 39. One of Finland's most prominent underground music clubs with a punk spirit. Beautifully located on top of Pispala ridge. Features gigs of various genres, usually from Wednesday to Saturday.
Yo-talo, Kauppakatu 10. Disco, clubs, and live music in a beautiful student union building from the early 20th century. Type and age of the crowd depends heavily on the program. Frequented mostly by students.
If you think about camping:
Harmala Camping, Leirintäkatu 8. Camping area about 3km from the city centre. Open only in summer.
Omena Hotel Tampere, Hämeenkatu 7 near train station. The local branch of a budget hotel chain, centrally located on the main street. A self-service hotel,no reception desk here. The usual first choice for Finns for domestic budget travels, thus should be a good choice.
Room for 1-4 persons from €36 price changes by the date of booking and occupancy rate.
Dream Hostel & Hotel, Akerlundinkatu 2 opposite Tampere-talo. The only thing in Tampere that is close to what you'd expect from a hostel elsewhere. They do, however, have a hotel section in their building as well. Dorms €22-27, twin rooms €59.
Hotelli Ville, Hatanpaan valtatie 40. A budget self-service hotel located less than 2 km from the city center, on a street that has regular bus routes to the center. Single room with shared bathroom €32, double room with shared bathroom €36, single room €45, double room €52.
Hotel Kauppi, Kalevan puistotie 2. A budget hotel about 1,5 km from the city center, near Kauppi recreation forest. Single room €57/€72, double room €72/€89.
Homeland Tampere, Kullervonkatu 19 A. Apartment hotel located near Tammelan tori, about 5min walk from the railway station. Single room €74, double room €84.
Hotel Hermica, Insinoorinkatu 78. Hotel located in neighborhood of Hervanta, far away from the city center, near Tampere University of Technology. Price changes according to the season. Single room €60, double room €70.
Mango Hotel, Hatanpaan puistokuja 36. A budget self-service hotel located 2 km from the the city center.
Located in industrial area and has a bit offbeat interior design,fake antique with hints of hindu/indian, but due to lack of budget choices in the city and Mango Hotel still being within walking distance from the city center even at nighttime.
It's still an adequate option. Single room, with a bathroom shared with another room €49, double room €69.
Cumulus Hämeenpuisto, Hämeenpuisto 47. Located on a boulevard at a southern part of the city.
As a specialty Cumulus Hämeenpuisto shares some of its space with one of the biggest gyms in the city GoGo Hameenkatu boasting spinning, squash, instructor-led classes and wide variety of gym equipment, offering a possibility for their customers to visit the gym for 7,5 euros.
Cumulus Koskikatu, Koskikatu 5. Located in the center of the city next to the riverside park.
Holiday Club Tampereen Kylpyla, Lapinniemenranta 12. A hotel/spa next to a marina, about 1 km from the city center. Built into an old cotton mill with high rooms. Can be a bit pricey for only accommodation and wouldn't warrant a mention in this list if it wasn't the only spa in the city.
Scandic Tampere City, Hämeenkatu 1. Located right across the street from the railway station, on the main street.
Sokos Hotel Villa, Sumeliuksenkatu 14. Built into an old grain storehouse, located right behind the railway station in the city centre. Interior renovated quite recently, however as a minus you need to walk through the garage into neighbouring hotel Torni for the breakfast.
Scandic Hotel Rosendahl, Pyynikintie 13. Located in a beautiful lakeside location right under Pyynikki ridge. As a downside, is not very close to the city centre.
Sokos Hotel Ilves, Hatanpaan valtatie 1. Tampere's best known hotel, centrally located next to the riverside park.
Sokos Hotel Tammer, Satakunnankatu 13. Historical 1920's style hotel, formerly Grand Hotel, centrally located next to the riverside park.
Not as expensive as you might expect, especially considering the comfortable rooms, good service, breakfast buffet, a nice lounge with a children's corner well-stocked with toys, etc. The interioir alone is worth a visit to the bar if not staying at the hotel.
Sokos Hotel Torni, Ratapihankatu 43. Tampere's most recent high class hotel, that opened its doors in October 2014. One of the tallest buildings in Finland, and has a skybar Moro on the top floor offering nice views of the City.
Moro is somewhat known for their cocktails and has also couple of local beers from Pyynikki Brewery available.
Finnish is the language spoken in Tampere. English is also widely spoken in Tampere, particularly by the younger people. Swedish, while not as universally spoken as in Helsinki, Turku or Vaasa, is still spoken to a considerable degree.
Other European languages mainly German, French, Spanish and Russian may also be understood by hotel staff and people in tourist profession, and also by many students at the academic level.
The local regional dialect can be recognized by the strong trilling "r"s, as in the greeting Moro, and the use of maa and saa instead of ma and sa for me and you. There is a stereotypical belief that the word naas or you see is widely used in the area, but it's quite rare in reality.
There are two universities in Tampere; the University of Tampere, and Tampere University of Technology. The former has about 15,000 students and the latter about 10,000 students. Tampere has also two universities of applied sciences, the TAMK and PIRAMK, each of which has some 5,000 students.
City of Tampere runs the Adult Education Centre that offers rather cheap courses for everyone.
Internet cafes are not very common in Finland, and Tampere makes no exception. If you have your own laptop or a smartphone, most cafes offer free wi-fi or WLAN as it is commonly called in Finland.
In the city center and some other locations around town, there is the Wireless Tampere network. The tourist office and main library as well as the several side libraries also offer free Internet access. There is a free wifi all around the Shopping Mall Koskikeskus.
As Finland in general, Tampere is one of the safest cities on Earth. Though, on weekend nights, intoxicated people wandering around city streets may be an annoyance, especially during big summer festivals such as May Day's Eve, which is the most important beer-drinking festival in the Finnish calendar.
Warm summer nights always gather a drunken crowd downtown. Intoxicated Finns tend to be rather noisy in stark contrast to sober Finns and admittedly sometimes picking a fight with just about anyone.
Just use your common sense, and steer clear of overly loud groups of young men. As Tampere is not a big tourist destination, pickpockets and common hustlers are rare.
The extreme cold in the winter should be borne in mind by visitors, especially those planning outdoor activities. Whilst in summer the temperature rises occasionally to 30ºC, in the winter months it can drop to around -30ºC for a week or two. Dressing up accordingly is a must.
Watch out for slippery sidewalks in winter. Thousands of people fall down and hurt themselves every winter. Winter-time driving needs also special caution as the roads may be very slippery with ice and/or snow.
Risks you you should avoid while in Tampere:
Crime or violence is Low.
- Drunk people on weekend nights should be avoided.
- Corruption is Low
- Nightclub bouncers might be rude and/or violent if provoked.
- Roads covered with snow and ice are extremely slippery. Moose and deer sometimes wander onto roads and cause accidents. Heed the warning signs and be extra careful when driving during dusk and dawn.
- Cold mid-winter weather warrants appropriate clothing.
- Large animals that may live in the outskirts are very cautious of people. Mosquitoes and horseflies can be a small nuisance at summer if traveling out of downtown. Use repellent.
Yliopiston Apteekki Pharmacy, Hameenkatu 16 at Keskustori central square. Open daily 7-12. The main pharmacy with the most central location and the best hours.
ACUTA, Teiskontie 35 from Teiskontie to Kuntokatu to Ensitie. 24/7. Emergency room at the Tampere University Hospital.
The national emergency number is 112.
Helsinki, the coastal capital of Finland is well worth visiting for anyone, and it is only 170km or 90 minutes by train to the south.
Turku, another coastal city, is the historic capital of Finland located 165km to the south-west from Tampere. It makes an interesting day trip by train or car.
Hameenlinna is a mid-size town 80km south most famous for its small medieval castle.
Seitseminen National Park 70km north of Tampere offers a good view to the Finnish nature. Forests, mires and eskers alternate in the landscape. There are guided hikes in summer.
Helvetinjarvi National Park 85km north of Tampere encases wild forests and deep gorges that were formed by faults in the bedrock running through the area. Special features of the area include deep rifts, steep-sided lakes and small forest ponds.
Sappee 50km east of Tampere, and Himos 95km north of Tampere are small downhill skiing stations in the region.
Lapland is some 800km north from Tampere, but is reachable by train or direct flight from Tampere operated only during winter season.
Another option is to travel to Helsinki and catch a plane there. Needless to say, there are plenty of attractions year round in this magical region.
Tourism Observer
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