Reasons Why You Should Visit Tampere At Least Once

When visiting Finland, most tourists focus their time on the capitol of Helsinki on the south coast or Lapland in the far north, neglecting everything in-between. They are missing out on the gorgeous countryside and magnificent cities such as Tampere, which differs greatly from Helsinki. These are a few top reasons to make a day trip to Tampere:

Large yet compact

Tampere is Finland’s third largest city, yet with only around 200,000 inhabitants, it can be considered rather small compared to other cities. This means that it benefits from the best of both worlds; it is filled with things to see and do yet it’s still compact enough that you can experience them all in one day without having to travel far or rely upon public transport.

Beautiful countryside

Unusual museums

Tampere’s museums are highly different than the standard fare found in Helsinki, and are known for being incredibly quirky. The Spy Museum is particularly popular, showcasing real spy gadgets with plenty of interactive displays to try out, including a real lie detector test. Most unusual of all is the Lenin Museum, the only one left in the world, located in the building where Lenin and Stalin met in 1905. It offers a fair and balanced history of Lenin and of Finland’s relationship with the Soviet Union, including real historic documents.

Fascinating history

Each of these museums tells a piece of the story of Tampere’s history, which is highly different from most of Finland. Tampere grew up as an industrial town during the Victorian period and served as the centre for Finland’s industrial revolution. In the 20th century, it became one of the world’s first cities to rely largely upon water power. Today, most of the former factories have been renovated and the technology industry is more prominent.

Lake cruises

The lakes surrounding Tampere, particularly the famous Tammerkoski rapids, helped to build Tampere during the industrial period, as they were useful for transportation of heavy goods and providing water power. The best way to see the beautiful lakes is on a cruise. There are many options available throughout the summer, or you can even rent a boat. During the winter when the lakes freeze over, you can still enjoy Nordic walking or ice fishing. Lakeside saunas can also be visited at any time of year.

The Nordic’s highest observation tower

An essential stop in Tampere is the Näsinneula Observation Tower, which at 168m (560ft) tall is the highest tower in the Nordic countries and has become the unofficial symbol of the city. Not only does it offer amazing panoramic views of the city and its surrounding lakes but it also contains a revolving restaurant with highly rated food.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.