10 Great Things to do in Tampere

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Tampere: An Industrial Looking City in the Middle of Nature

Tampere is known to be the third largest city in Helsinki. Just two hours north of Helsinki, surrounded by forests and lakes, stands Tampere. And while at first glance it appears that there is not much to do in the city, Tampere offers a variety of museums, parks, activities, and even an amusement park. There's something for everyone. So when heading to Finland, Tampere is definitely worth checking out. Here's why:

Old Power Station

10. Old Power Station: right in the city center, the towers of the power station can be see. But this seems to be one of the unofficial images of the city, since most people picture this when they think of Tampere. But what makes it so nice is there there is a man-made damn, or waterfall and a park so it is a great place to sit down.

9. Spy Museum: Tampere has got a variety of museums, and the spy museum is one of the most interactive. This museum is famous because it is considered the first spy museum of the world. You can even test your knowledge and see if you can qualify as a secret agent.

8. Lenin Museum: there are plenty of communist museums in the world, but a museum about Lenin in Finland seems odd. Well not so much since Lenin did spend some time in Finland. The museum was even built in partnership with the Soviet Union in 1946, so you can imagine that it would have an interesting points of view.

Alexander Church

7. Kaleva Church: this unique church built in the 1960s. It was built around a few concrete towers, so you can image just how tall this building is. And its style is complete different than traditional Finnish style, making it unique to Tampere and worth the detour to check it out.

6. Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame: Finns love hockey, it is no secret. And many Finnish players have come to the US and Canada to play as well. There are even some Finns on my home team (go Sharks?) So of course checking out the Hockey Museum is a must. Why not learn more about the Finns' unofficial favorite pastime?

5. Tampere Old Church: this church, sitting next to the City Hall and the Main Square is a great place to hang around. There is always something to do in the Main Square, and with the backdrop of the beautiful yellow Old Church, this always makes for charming moments.

4. Moomin Museum: part of the Tampere Art Museum is the Moomin Museum. If you don't know anything about Finland, you should know that the Moomins are very popular. These cute little cartoon characters are one of Finland's biggest exports and something that they are most proud of. So why not check out this museum to get to know the love behind these little Moomins.

Old Church and Main Square

3. Nasinnuela Observation Tower: based on the Space Needle in Seattle, this tower is apparently the tallest of the Nordic countries. So you can imagine just how far out you can see on a clear day. And since Tampere is surrounded by forests and lakes, you can get quite a few.

2. Southern Park: this park on the southern end of the main part of the city is a great break from busy city life, not that Tampere is very busy. It is nice to take a stroll along the banks of the lake, sit near the small forest on a bench, and enjoy life. It is almost as if the city is completely cut off and you are alone in nature.

1. Pyynikki Observation Tower: although a little shorter than the Nasinnuela Tower, this one is a bit older as it was built in the late 1920s. Using the local resources, this red brick tower stands in the middle of one of the many parks of Tampere. And at the bottom is what people have voted the best munkki in all of Finland, which are basically doughnuts!

Southern Park