Welcome to Tampere

Tampere is the third largest city in Finland, and the centre of its region Pirkanmaa. The city is located between two lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi and it is divided in two halfs by Tammerkoski rapid. Tampere Stadium, the venue of the European Athletics U20 Championships,  is located south of the city center, where the Tammerkoski flow into Pyhäjärvi.

Tampere is within easy reach by plane, train, bus or car. It is 170 km from Helsinki to north and there is easy and quick train connection from Helsinki airport. Check the website of VR (the railway company) for tickets and timetables: https://www.vr.fi/en.

In the city most hotels and attractions are within walking distance from each other and easy to reach. In case you don’t want to walk, Tampere public transportation takes you where ever you want go within the region. Public transport in Tampere: https://www.nysse.fi/en/.

Emergency number

General emergency contact number is 112.

Water

Note that it’s safe to drink tap water in Finland.

Electricity

The electric current for use in homes and hotels, as in most of Western Europe countries, is 230 volts (50 Hz) and the plugs used are two round pins.

Currency

The Finnish Currency is the Euro (€) which is made up of 100 cents. There are coins of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents and 1 and 2 euros. Bank notes are of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. All the major international credit cards are accepted in hotels, shops and restaurants (Visa, Mastercard, Eurocard, American Express).

Finland applies rounding rules under which retail payments are rounded in principle to the nearest 5 cent with cash payments.

See and do

  • Sauna Capital of the World: In the region, nearly 70 public saunas to relax and getting know Finnish sauna culture.
  • Särkänniemi amusement park: The second most popular amusement park in Finland features an aquarium, a planetarium, an art museum and an observation tower Näsinneula, which could be seen from almost anywhere in the city.
  • Museums: Tampere is known for its interesting museums and the World’s only Moomin museum is located in Tampere.

Nature

  • Lakes and ridges brings the nature to the city: take a walk to Pyynikki Ridge, which was formed by the action of ice and sea more than 10 000 years ago, and see the stunning views to both lakes.
  • Forests are always close in Finland: one of the best ways to relax is take a short walk in quiet forest and prepare a food on a campfire.

Food

  • The food culture of Tampere is versatile and highly valued. The nice way to get to know the city is to head to one of the lovely restaurants and idyllic cafés. Make sure you also visit the beautiful old Market Hall and experience the local atmosphere and flavors
  • Local treats: black sausage, world’s best doughnut at Pyynikki Observation Tower Café

Tipping

Tipping in Finland is not very common. The price of a product or service has service and taxes always included. So i’s normal to pay the bill as it is.

If you like to tip anyway, it is totally acceptable. You can sometimes find a tipping jar at a bar. You can also round the bill up to nearest convenient figure.

Accommodation

  • You can spend the night overlooking the rooftops of the city or in a cozy cottage enjoying the peace and quiet of the nature. Find the place that fits your style from a wide selection of hotels, B&B’s, apartments and camping areas.
  • More information about accommodation and everything else related to Tampere in Visit Tampere website: https://visittampere.fi/en/accommodation/.

Information and part of the texts from Visit Tampere website: https://visittampere.fi/en/.

Pictures: Visit Tampere / Laura Vanzo