Tampere

Situated between lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, Tampere has grown thanks in part to the differing in water levels of the lakes, 18 metres, and the channel that links them – the Tammerkoski Rapids. There are at least a dozen museums here, recognised as Finland’s centre for theatrical arts.

There are some wonderful examples of Art Nouveau architecture in the city and some of Finland’s most impressive churches. It is also home to Särkänniemi, one of Finland’s best-loved adventure parks. Although Tampere is still a thriving industrial city, much of the former industrial areas have been recovered thanks to forward-thinking city planners, with a dense hub of restaurants and cafés, shops, theatres and cinemas, galleries, museums, and sports and fitness centres. Visitors to Tampere will find many of the museums conveniently located in the Vapriikki Museum Centre, which is home to the Natural History Museum of Tampere, the Media Museum Rupriikki, the Mineral Museum, the Finnish Hockey Hall of Fame, the Doll Museum, the Postal Museum and The Finnish Museum of Games.

Tampere is also home to the only Moomin Museum in the world, located in the modern Tampere-talo, the largest concert and congress centre in the Nordics, and home to Tampere’s highly regarded Philharmonic Orchestra. Elsewhere in the city, you’ll find Tampere’s industrial past remembered in the Finnish Labour Museum Werstas, Textile Industry Museum, and the Steam Engine Museum. Two unique attractions are the Spy Museum and the Lenin Museum, the only surviving one outside Russia. Art lovers will be impressed by the Tampere Art Museum collections and the exhibitions in the privately run Sara Hildén Art Museum. At the same time, in the nearby town of Mänttä-Vilppula, the Serlachius Museums Gösta and Gustaf combine great art experiences with a beautiful natural setting and excellent dining.