Tampere, Finland

Welcome to Tampere, an international city of culture, science and commerce! The home of the famous black sausage was born as a factory town but has grown to be a lot more than that. Tampere leaves nobody cold.

Tampere is an inland city, the biggest in the Nordic countries, but the importance of water ways is greater and more physical than in many coastal cities. The unique location of the city centre on an isthmus between two lakes means you are never far from water. A special attraction is the Tammerkoski rapids, essential to the birth and development of the city, flowing through its heart like a giant aorta.

The location also results in the peculiar shape the city takes on the map. Since the lakes cover the greater part of the northern and southern directions, most city districts and suburbs have spread east and west in a bowlike form. The knot of the bow, embracing the rapids, is the city centre, where the main action in cultural and commercial life is concentrated.


The Lakes

The importance of the two large bodies of water—and the rapids connecting them—for the city of Tampere can hardly be overestimated. The water of the rapids flows through the centre from north to south, descending 18 metres on its route from Lake Näsijärvi to Lake Pyhäjärvi. The lakes used to be essential for the transportation of people and goods, and nowadays this tradition of lake cruising is enjoyed by tourists. In summer, southbound Suomen Hopealinja boats to Hämeenlinna depart from the Laukontori , and on Lake Näsijärvi the old steam ship Tarjanne sails the Runoilijan Tie to the north.

Since Lake Pyhäjärvi lies in the south, it always glitters when observed from the city in sunny weather. According to many locals, the lake is at its best in March, when its snowy surface bathes in the bright spring sun. The popular summer resort Viikinsaari is a few kilometres away, the boatride from the city taking only 15 minutes. The international airport of Tampere is located in Pirkkala , to the south of the lake.

Lake Näsijärvi, or the part of it close to Tampere, can best be seen from the top of Näsinneula . This tower, indisputably the number one landmark of the city, is the highest building in the Nordic countries. Perhaps providing a revealing example of the local sense of humour, there used to be a rumour that the tower was built from the top to the bottom.


Tampere is not something that can be explained exhaustively. Embraced by the lakes, this city of science, art, and industry continuously reveals new fascinating sides of itself. The Tammerkoski waterfront invites everyone to visit, and it is an invitation worth accepting.