Tampere in a nutshell

from Tampere Times 1/2020

Green green grass of UEFA European Championship

Written by Anna Eloaho

Prehistory

The bedrock of the Tampere and Pirkanmaa region is part of one of the oldest chain of mountains on earth. The last ice age resulted the birth of a long line of ridges, as the melting ice drifted large amounts of gravel and soil. The ridge of Pyynikki rose from the Yoldian Sea and created pools of sweet water on both sides of the ridge. Those pools are now known as the two lakes outlining Tampere: Pyhäjärvi and Näsijärvi and the rapid caused by land rising higher in the north side of the ridge is known as the Tampere Rapids or Tammerkoski in Finnish.

The first signs of permanent living in the area date to the 7th century. By the 13th century the area had developed into an important market place. In the Middle Ages, the Tampere region was inhabited by the Pirkka tribe. This feared tribe of hunters and trappers collected taxes as far north as Lapland.

In 1779 Tampere was granted full township status by King Gustav III of Sweden. As a free city, rather small town with approximately 200 inhabitants was given major privileges on matters of tax and duty. It was the industrial revolution, along with the Tampere Rapids, that made the big wheel turn in Tampere. Among the first foreign investors was Scotsman James Finlayson, who founded the first large-scale industrial enterprise in Finland, namely the Finlayson cotton mill in 1820. Finlayson’s name became synonymous with the six-storey factory he built at the water’s edge. The factory was the first in Nordic countries to have electric light and the brand name Finlayson still lives in the Finnish textile industry.

During the latter half of the 19th century almost half of Finland’s industrial labour was situated in Tampere. Tampere gained its nickname “Manchester of the North” due to its industrial nature. Tamperenians call their beloved city “Manse” for short.

The traditional chimney pipe industrialism began to vanish from the city centre in the late 1980’s and today the Rapids supply hydroelectric power.

Tampere today

Population: Tampere is the third largest city in Finland with over 235,000 inhabitants in the city region and over 375,000 inhabitants in its Metropolitan area.

Education: Two universities and two polytechnic institutions result every fifth person in Tampere to be a student.

Culture: Tampere is a city of theatre with its 10 professional theatres. The annual Tampere Theatre Festival (est. 1968) is the main theater festival in Finland and the oldest theatre festival in the Nordic countries. An international short film festival Tampere Film Festival is held every March. Tampere is also famous for writers depicting the lives of working-class people and for a special music genre known as “Manserock”. s

C ITY OF TAMPERE

Restaurants, Bars, Pubs, Night Clubs and Cafés

Brewery Master's Beer Room .........26 Dining 26 ..........................................33 Hella ja Huone .................................30 Ihku Night Club & Karaoke ..............8 Manhattan Steak House .................29 Periscope Restaurant ......................32 Piemonte – Italian Wine Bar & Restaurant ....................................28 Plevna Brewery Restaurant ...........25 Purnauskis Cat Café .........................9 Tallipiha Stable Yards Cafe ............24 Teerenpeli ...........................................6 Zarillo – Western & Tex Mex ....... 27*

Hotels & Hostels

See pages 18–19 and 20.

Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions

Amuri Museum of Workers' Housing ..........................102 Finnish Museum of Games (Vapriikki Museum Centre) ..................... 13 Ice Hockey Museum (Vapriikki Museum Centre) ..................... 13 Kimmo Pyykkö Art Museum ......20 Lenin Museum .............................22 Mobilia – Automobile and Road Museum .......................19 Moomin Museum ......................... 15 Museum of Minerals (Vapriikki Museum Centre) ..................... 13 Museum of Natural History (Vapriikki Museum Centre) ..................... 13 Post Museum (Vapriikki Museum Centre) ..................... 13 Police Museum ............................. 18 Rubriikki Media Museum (Vapriikki Museum Centre) ..................... 13 Shoe Museum (Vapriikki Museum Centre) ..................... 13 Sara Hildén Art Museum .............14 Serlachius Museums (Mänttä) .......23 Spy Museum ................................. 17 Steam Engine Museum (Werstas) ... 21 Tampere Art Museum ........................39

Textile Industry Museum (Werstas) ........................................... 21 Vapriikki Museum Centre ........... 13 Werstas – The Finnish Labour Museum (in Finlayson area) .. 21

Events and Activities

See pages 2–3. More events and Tampere info: visittampere.fi.

Shopping

You will find the numbered green dot in each advertisement on the map on pages 18–19.

Other Services & Sights

Central Post Office of Tampere ...........1 Finlayson area ............................2*|1 First Aid Unit Acuta (Tampere University Hospital) ....................... 3 Haihara Art Centre ..............................64 Hatanpää Arboretum ..............30*|1 Laikku Culture House ........................65 Laikunlava Stage .................................... 5 Laukontori Market Place .....................6

SELECTED SERVICES AND PLACES IN TAMPERE AREA. Locations are marked on the map (pages 18–19) with the numbers below. Our advertisers are marked below with green text and on the map with a green, numbered dot.

Main Library Metso ...............................7 Market Hall ..............................................8 Näsinneula Observation Tower in Särkänniemi .....................................34 Police Station ...........................................9 Pyynikki Observation Tower .. 10*|1 Ratina Festival Park.............................. 12 Seitseminen National Park and Nature Centre ........................................14 Tallipiha Stable Yards – Shops Open ...............................24 Tammelantori Market Place ............. 16 Tampere Cathedral .............................. 17 Tampere Exhibition and Sports Centre (Pirkkahalli) ..................... 18 Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra (Tampere Hall) .............................................19 Tampere Congress Hall and Concert Centre .............................19

Children and Families

Moomin Museum ......................... 15 Pikku Kakkonen Playground (Pikku Kakkosen puisto) ...............................36 Rulla Children's Cultural Centre ..... 21 Särkänniemi Amusement Park (See also Näsinneula) ...................................20 Traffic Park for Children ....................22 Vapriikki Museum Centre ........... 13

Sports

Flow Park Varala – adventure park (Varala Sports Institute) ...........................7 Hakametsä – Tampere Ice Stadium ......................23 Tampere Stadium Ratina ..................24

Swimming and Sauna all year round

Eliander Beach ......................................25 Kaupinoja – sauna bathing by the lake ..................................4*|1 Laukontori Sauna Pavilion .....43*|1 Pyynikki Beach .....................................26 Pyynikki Swimming Hall ..................27 Rajaportti Sauna .......................11*|1 Rauhaniemi Beach and Public Sauna ..................... 13*|1

Spa

Holiday Club Tampereen Kylpylä – a spa hotel ...........................................28 Scandic Eden Nokia ............................29

Transportation

Hopealinjat (Silverlines) – Lake Cruises and Restaurant Services (See also Laukontori Market Place).............. 5 Tampere City Transport Office ........40 Tampere-Pirkkala Airport ................ 31 Tampere Bus Terminal ......................32 Railway Station .....................................33