Tampere Tourism - Travel to Tampere
Tampere or Tammerfors is a town of around 200,000 inhabitants situated on the shore of lake Näsijärvi, some 170 km north of Helsinki.
Tampere by night
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Understand Tampere Tourism
Tampere was officially founded on the 1st of October 1779 by Gustav III, where lake Näsijärvi empties its waters into the Tammerkoski river to flow down to lake Pyhäjärvi in the south. As the city expanded it absorbed some nearby towns, including Messukylä (incorporated in 1947), which is the site of the town's oldest building, the Old Church, completed 1434.
Tampere is a very industrialised town. Its economy used to revolve around the manufacture of metalwork and textiles, but these have now largely been superceded by the electronics, telecommunications and information technology industries, and over half the workforce is employed in these areas. As such the town's skyline is dominated by chimneys and factories.
Tampere has two universities, the University of Tampere and Tampere University of Technology, each of which has about 10,000 students.
Get into Tampere
Tampere has extensive train links, including lines to Helsinki and Turku.
Tampere is serviced by Pirkkala airport, which lies 17 km from the city. Bus services to Tampere are regular and take about 40 minutes, taxis take about 20 minutes.
See Tampere
- Tampere Art Museum http://www.tampere.fi/tamu/english/index.htm
- Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra http://www.tampere.fi/or/
- Särkänniemi amusement park, which includes a dolphinarium and the landmark Näsinneula tower, topped by a revolving restaurant. http://www.sarkanniemi.fi/english/index.php
- Pispala, a hill between lake Näsijärvi and lake Pyhäjärvi, which housed the majority of industrial labour in late 19th and early 20th century. Along with neighouring Pyynikki it forms an important historical area of Tampere.
Sports
Tampere has two ice hockey teams, Tappara and Ilves, which are among the most successful in Finland. Tampere United football club won the 2001 Finnish championship.
Stay safe - Tampere Tourism
In general, Finland is a fairly safe country, and Tampere is no exception. There are no exceptional crime problems or health hazards, although the extreme cold in the winter should be borne in mind by visitors, especially those planning outdoor activities. Whilst in summer the temperature rises to over 20ºC, in the winter months it can drop to around -30ºC.
External Links for Tampere Tourism
