A city beautiful for both man and Mother Nature’s contributions; Tampere offers the visitor plenty of photo opportunities and aesthetically pleasing sights.

Hatanpää Arboretum Park
Tampere’s Arboretum is a botanical garden featuring an impressive collection of flora with about 500 different species available for viewing. The beautiful rose garden is the favourite for many visitors while the manor with its Museum of Dolls and Costumes; gets the thumbs up from a good many others.

Lenin Museum
Housed within the hall where Russia’s most famous revolutionary held important meetings with his counterparts, the Lenin Museum in Tampere is a fitting tribute to the life of this prolific communist politician and founder of the Leninist ideology. An exhibition entitled ‘Lenin’s Life’ looks at aspects of his life and work in Russia while an alternate exhibition entitled ‘Lenin and Finland’, concentrates on his achievements on Finnish soils. Furniture, photographs, diaries and political writings are among the exhibits available for viewing at the museum.

Näsinneula (Observation Tower)
Standing 169 metres high, Näsinneula is the tallest tower of its kind in all of the Nordic countries. Visitors can ascend to the observation deck which is 124 metres up, from where they can get some fantastic views over the city. A revolving restaurant on this level makes for an interesting place to grab some lunch or dinner.

Pispalanharju Ridge
Commonly known just as Pispala, this old working class neighbourhood is still home to traditional wooden houses from the late 19^th century and a visit there is a little like taking a step back in time. Aside from the traditional dwellings, visitors can get magnificent views of Lake Pyhajarvi and Lake Nasijarvi by ascending the many stone staircases that connect the various different tiers of this region.

Pyynikki Park and Tower
Located just 2kms from the city centre is the older of the city’s two observation towers housed in the pleasant Pyynikki Park. The tower is visibly a much older construction than its successor and indeed it offers no lift or assisted ascent so a trip to the top is achieved by nothing more than a good hard climb up a lengthy winding staircase. From the top, some good views are available and you’ll appreciate them so much more after all that effort!

Tuomiokirkko
Otherwise known as the Cathedral of Tampere, Tuomiokirkkois a church known internationally for its daring artworks by Hugo Simberg, which caused great controversy at the beginning of the 20^th century. The church is a working religious facility used by the Cathedral Congregation and the Diocese of Tampere so visitors wanting to venture in and see the infamous frescoes should make sure there are no services in progress before doing so.

Sample some Mustamakkara, a type of traditional sausage made in Tampere and loved by the locals. Comprised of pig’s blood and barley and all wrapped up in animal gut, this delicacy is served with lingonberry jam and can be eaten at any time of the day. It can be bought from the city’s market or from vendors on the waterfront and is a must for anyone wanting to sample one of the city’s old-fashioned gastronomic delights.

Go skiing. With the winter resorts of Ellivuori, Himos and Sapee within easy driving distance of the city, a day or weekend trip for a spot of skiing or snowboarding is a realistic possibility. If you have a hire car, getting there will be a whole lot easier and you’ll have no problem carrying the ski equipment that you rented in the city either. Enjoy night time skiing on the floodlit slopes of Ellivuori and check out pistes of varying difficulties at all three resorts.

Visit Särkänniemi with its selection of five themed areas is guaranteed to have something to offer all visitors irrespective of their background. Young children will love the zoo while kids and adults of all ages will enjoy the rides in the adventure area; the sea life in the aquarium; the shows at the dolphinarium and the glimpse into outer space offered at the planetarium. The Näsinneula observation tower is also located within the grounds of the park.

Take a lake cruise. With so many lakes in and around the Tampere area, it’s no wonder that cruises are a popular pastime both for the city’s permanent residents and its visiting population also. In summer time, what better way to spend the day than relaxing on a boat and enjoying a leisurely trip to Virrat, Hameenlinna or Vilkinsaari. Cruises vary in length depending on the destination with the longest trip lasting a full eight hours.