Tampere - A rugged beauty bursting with energy

By reputation, Tampere is a rugged beauty between two lakes. Here the heritage of an old industrial city intertwines with the new, energetic trends of a modern university city, and the nobility of a cultural city with the charms of a city with a young population.

For tourists Tampere offers plenty to see and experience: our latest addition is a new, state-of-the art Nokia Arena for sports, music and events right in the city centre, easily accessible by train from all over Finland.

So where would I take a visitor in Tampere? We would start by walking along the banks of the Tammerkoski rapids, admiring the flowing water and the red-brick buildings on its edge. The city was founded in 1779 on the banks of the Tammerkoski rapids as a city that granted free trade rights to craftsmen, merchants, and entrepreneurs. In the 19th century, the small village grew into the largest industrial city in the Nordic countries, a city of cotton and linen weavers, shoemakers, and machine builders.

Only one of the factories remain in its original use, namely the TAKO paper mill on the banks below the rapids. Other factory buildings boast activities typical of the 21st century Tampere: culture, cafés, movie theatres, museums, galleries, and companies in the media and creative sectors.

From the “old city” of Tammerkoski, I would take my visitor to the bustle of Hämeenkatu Street and its surroundings to enjoy a selection of department stores and boutiques. We would also visit the university campus and Tampere Hall, home to Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra the world’s first Moomin museum.

Today, Tampere is a busy city of trade, culture, and education that has a population of 250,000. According to a recent study Tampere is the most attractive city to move to, so we expect the figure to grow! While the universities and other educational institutions bring students and young people to our city, also the diverse business sector attracts employees to the region. While we have a large number of companies operating in the ICT, health and wellbeing, and creative sectors, some manufacturing industry operators remain, for example mechanical engineering companies.

A good tour includes a peaceful break, so next I would probably take my visitors to the Tampere Cathedral to enjoy the atmosphere and admire the frescoes of Hugo Simberg. The tour would continue to the Saturday market in Tammela for coffee or black sausages, a local delicacy.

From the market we would hop on our new tram, and travel towards the slopes of Pyynikki and Pispala to enjoy a walk and see what the world’s highest gravel esker looks like, and to admire the beauty of Lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi. The alleys of Pispala also show a different side of Tampere, with its old cottages and the unique and lively community of the locals.

After strolling around the city, I would take my visitor to one of our excellent theatres or to enjoy some art at Sara Hildén Art Museum. If the weather allows, we could also stop by the Särkänniemi Amusement Park. In the event that my visitor is a sports fan, we would go to a football match or to an ice hockey match in the new Nokia Arena.

In any case, our tour would end with an excellent meal in one of the city centre’s many fine restaurants. And after that, we could continue to a club to enjoy good music and the beautiful sunset over the rapids and the lakes of Tampere.

Anna-Kaisa Ikonen Mayor of taMPere