Tap into the Finnish happiness in Tampere

When it comes to location, few places can beat Tampere, for Finland's second city sits on a narrow isthmus between two lakes, water cascading through the old industrial quarter of factories and mills. Packed with museums, bars and restaurants, laid-back Tampere is the place to chill out. Surrounding the city, the Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi lakes and forests offer great hiking, boating and fishing. With exciting programmes of music, film and theatre in 2024, Tampere beckons...

Soak up the sauna culture

It’s official – Tampere’s the Sauna Capital of the World – and that’s in a country where there are more saunas than cars. It's not just about the numbers however; it’s all about the experience. Tampere’s atmospheric saunas, many lakeside, are places to hang out, meet friends, relax, bathe and recharge the batteries. Slip into the past at Rajaportti Sauna, tucked into the old workers’ area of Pispala. The oldest surviving public sauna in Finland, this rustic ribbed building with its red roof was constructed in 1906. Sweat it out, cool off on the outdoor deck, crack open a beer and enjoy. Almost as old as Rajaportti Sauna, Rauhaniemi Folk Spa was built in 1929 beside Lake Näsijärvi. There are two traditional Finnish saunas and swimming areas. Enjoy an ice-cream from the kiosk in summer or a spot of ice-swimming in winter. Just over a kilometre east, you’ll find Kaupinoja Sauna, also on the lake. Join in with a great Finnish tradition and grill sausages over the sauna coals. Southeast of the city, Kaukajärvi Sauna is renowned for its fierce heat, but never fear, the cold clear waters of its lake will cool you right down. Sauna Restaurant Kuuma not only offers both a traditional wood-heated sauna and smoke sauna, but its location in the city centre on the shores of Lake Pyhäjärvi means you can also have a swim in both summer and winter. After soaking up the heat, enjoy the delicate flavours of Kuuma’s Nordic kitchen.

Tread the Finnish wilds

Tampere’s culturally vibrant city is surrounded by serene nature, offering the best of both worlds. You’ll find parks and waterside trails, lean-to shelters and campfire sites in the heart of the city. There are umpteen lakeside beaches, some with saunas and swimming facilities as well as kilometres and kilometres of jogging and hiking trails. For true wilderness explore the national parks beyond the city. Jump on tramline 3 from Tampere to the Hervantajärvi hiking area, where 10km of hiking trails weave through the thick forest of the Makkarajärvi-Viitastenperä nature reserve and skirt the banks of the Makkarajärvi and Hervantajärvi lakes. Tampere sits close to several of Finland's wildest national parks. Hike the otherworldly gorges of Helvetinjärvi, carved out by glacial activity at the end of the last Ice Age,  and keep a keen eye out for beavers as you walk among the wooded hills and valleys of Isojärvi. The primal forest, glassy lakes and marshes of Seitseminen National Park is a thrilling immersion in Finland's backwoods and the park's nature centre means you can learn more about its flora and fauna. Just 20 kilometres north of the city, Kintulammi Nature Reserve offers around 18km of marked hiking trails, duckboards leading through forest and alongside the lake. Four of the six campfire sites here feature a naturally designed shelter complex with a woodshed and dry toilet.

It’s not just summer that provides outdoor adventure in and around Tampere. In winter, when the ice is thick enough, ice-skate and cross-country ski over the frozen and snowbound lakes. You can also ski along the tracks that weave their way through the forests that surround the lakes. Alternatively, hire some snowshoes or an e-fatbike and head out onto the forest trails. The lakeside sauna culture is even more magical in winter. From the heat of the sauna, plunge straight into an ice-hole. You’ll never feel more alive!

More outdoor adventures

With so much water surrounding Tampere, you can have just as much fun on the lakes as on dry land. How about stand-up paddleboarding? You can hire boards at multiple places throughout the city , take lessons or go on a guided tour. Or how about yoga paddleboarding or nighttime supping as the sun goes down? For even more thrills and spills, you can try the latest water craze: flyboarding, wakeboarding – supported by cables – or water-balling inside a transparent ball. Jet skiing and waterskiing pack in more adrenalin-packed adventure.  Alternatively, travel more sedately by kayak, canoe or rowing boat, taking in the tranquillity of pine-scented nature.  For longer trips, follow the kayaking routes, serviced with docks and wilderness huts. For the ultimate in relaxation, experience water floating on the Kuokkalankoski river in Lempäälä.

Besides the two main lakes, there are over a hundred more in and around the city. Most of them have a beach or lawned swimming area, some with changing facilities and places to eat. Tampere’s outdoor swimming centre has four separate pools, while the more natural environment of Pyynikki offers a sandy beach, grassed area and rocky shoreline between forest and lake. You can also combine a beachside swim and sauna in places like Rauhaniemi and Kaupinoja. For the ultimate water and sauna experience, take a sauna boat cruise on the lake of Pyhäjärvi or Näsijärvi.

Fuel up on fine Finnish food

Claiming the largest outdoor market in the Nordic world, you can sample the flavours of the Finnish wilderness at Market Hall from freshwater fish to forest berries. Apart from the food stalls, it’s home to several mouth-watering restaurants offering everything from succulent burgers and spicy chicken wings to sushi and seafood. With so much choice in Tampere, you might feel all at sea. Take a food tour of Tampere and allow a local expert to introduce you to the best local flavours.

If going it alone, Tampere has its fair share of quirky cafés. There’s even a cat café! Check out Pyymäen Oma bakery, coffee house and lunch café, or the romantic Kahvila Runo, serving up books, poetry and coffee in cosy surroundings. Don’t miss out on the waffle cafes or the famous Finnish doughnuts and cinnamon buns. The Tallipiha Stable Yards is a mix of boutique gift shops, artisan workshops and a café, all of which have been restored to reflect its 1880s heyday when it was home to the Finlayson factory owners' horses.

Looking for restaurant ambience? The red-brick brewery pub Plevna is housed in the former Finalyson cotton mills, and the charmingly rustic Pispalan Pulteri serves dishes full of local flavour overlooking Lake Näsijärvi. For fine dining, check out the four or six-course menu at Restaurant Bertha. The upmarket Kajo or Nonni restaurants both focus on fresh, seasonal and organic ingredients. Finish the night at the Moro Sky Bar with dizzying views over the city or at Restaurant Periscope’s rooftop terrace. Dance the night away in one of the music bars or sample Tampere’s craft beers in one of the inhouse breweries.

Feeling inspired?

For more information, head to the official Visit Tampere website.

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