Plenty For Visitors To Do In Tampere In Finland
High Student Population Makes Tampere A Lively City For Visitors
May 6, 2009
Tampere (pronounced ‘Tampa-ra’) in Finland lies on a narrow strip of land between two large lakes. Originally famed for its heavy industries, it has now evolved into a hi-tech centre with two universities and several polytechnics. The high number of students mean that it has plenty of bars and clubs.
Tampere in Finland Is A Lively Place Year-Round
When mornings are dark in winter until around 10am and the sun sets early in the afternoon, everyone needs something to keep their spirits up. So it’s hardly surprising that people in Tampere enjoy eating and drinking. And in summer when daylight lasts until after midnight, the locals don’t feel like going to bed. This makes the city a lively place at any time of year.
Nightlife in Tampere
Tampere has plenty of lively nightspots. The current ‘in-place’ is Omnela (21 Puutarhakatu) which boasts three large dance floors - rock, Finland-pop and disco - and is open from Wednesday-Saturday from 10pm to 4am. Traditionally an evening out starts with several glasses of Caipiroska (vodka and lime).
Eating Out in Tampere
At one time Finland was reputed to have the worst food in Europe, but now its cuisine has a high reputation, especially specialities like wild boar, reindeer and all sorts of berries. One of Tampere’s most famous restaurants is Plevna (4 Itainenkata), part of a brewery, where the menu helpfully recommends which of its twelve beers and lagers goes best with each dish. Another is The Viking (23 Hameenkatu), renowned for reindeer steak - which tastes rather like sweet ham.
Visit Hameenkatu and Hotel Holiday Club Spa
The heart of the city is Hameenkatu, a ½-mile cobbled street with wide pavements where cyclists mingle with the pedestrians. It includes two department stores, but the most interesting place for shopping is the Kaumhalla indoor market. Opened in 1901, it has nearly 200 stalls and is the biggest in Scandinavia.
The city’s leading spa is in the Hotel Holiday Club. Its wide range of treatments includes various peat and seaweed wraps and even ‘Facial repair for men’, a 55-minute facial that ends with the face covered in a shiny bright turquoise mask.
Nude in the Sauna in Tampere and Nordic Walking
Nudity is compulsory in the spa’s saunas which are separate for men and women, though there is a communal steam room. The nudity rule is partly because of the Finns’ belief in getting back to nature - most homes have a sauna - and also, they say, in case the material of swimwear gives off fumes in the heat.
Nordic Walking, using two chest-high poles as walking sticks, is a popular activity around Tampere thanks to the many forest and lakeside tracks on its outskirts. The height of the poles keeps the arms moving and ensures the upper part of your body is exercised as well as the legs.
Tampere Cathedral and the Lenin, Moomin and Spy Museums
For sightseeing, the city has several interesting churches, notably Tampere Cathedral (built between 1902 and 1907) whose rather plain interior is set off by striking modern stained glass windows and enormous wall paintings. One of them, a dramatic picture of twelve young boys carrying a long garland of roses, stretches right round the nave.
There is also a wide range of museums, covering everything from boxing to shoes, from Lenin to the Moomin cartoons. The Spy Museum’s exhibits include bugging devices, lie detectors and even an umbrella that can fire poison pellets.
Eight Ice-Rinks in Tampere
Ice-hockey is Finland’s top sport and Tampere is very proud of having eight ice-rinks, with two teams in the premier league. As the puck races to and fro at up to 100 mph in matches, the swinging sticks and dramatic collisions frequently lead to angry confrontations.
Naked into the Ice
In winter, snow often lies on the ground for three or four months, but the air is always crisp, so it is not a damp cold. Indeed when the lakes freeze, people happily make a hole in the ice to fish or even take a quick dip naked, often straight from a sauna.
But however visitors spend their time in Tampere, the city offers so much variety that their stay is bound to be memorable.
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