Tampere Life and Visitor Travel Tips

(Tampere, Pirkanmaa, Western Finland, Finland)

Originally a prominent market place, which was always based around the winding Tammerkoski River, life in Tampere has changed greatly over the years and what was an important Finnish industrial centre is now quite different. Many of the riverfront factories and warehouses have now been transformed into trendy apartments, offices and restaurants.

Tampere has also grown greatly in size and what was once a relatively small city has engulfed many of the surround areas, which have now become suburbs and a definite part of today's city. Today, more than 200,000 people call Tampere their home and this leading urban centre continues to welcome large numbers of tourists each year.

Further picture of the rapids and river

Useful Contact Details

If you are planning to sightsee whilst staying in Tampere, then a visit to the city's tourist centre (Tampereen Kaupungin Matkailutoimisto) will be time well spent. Here you can pick up free city maps and all kinds of different leaflets, to help you plan you day. Multi-language staff are on hand to provide assistance and answer your questions if required.

To book various packages, tours, cruises, camping sites and excursions around the Tampere area, then either the neighbouring Kangasala Travel Agency or Kauppatori Travel Agency are worth searching out and extremely well equipped to meet your demands. Within the city of Tampere itself, a number of travel agencies reside along the Hämeenkatu and include STA Travel and Viking Line.

Tampereen Kaupungin Matkailutoimisto (Tampere Tourist Centre)
Address: Verkatehtaankatu 2, Tampere, FI-33101, Finland, FI
Tel: +358 03 565 611
Website: www.tampere.fi
Email: touristbureau@tampere.fi
Open hours: September to May, Monday to Friday - 08:30 to 17:00; June to August, Monday to Friday - 08:30 to 20:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00

Kangasalan Matkailurengas (Kangasala Travel Agency)
Address: Angasalantie 1108, Kangasala, FI-36200, Finland, FI
Tel: +358 03 377 7111
Website: www.kangasala.fi/matkailu
Email: jaakkola@dnainternet.net

Valkeakosken Matkailu (Kauppatori Travel Agency)
Address: Kauppatori 9, FI-37600, Finland, FI
Tel: +358 03 584 6997
Open hours: September to May, Monday to Friday - 08:30 to 17:00; June to August, Monday to Friday - 08:30 to 20:00, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00

Image of the city's university campus

Language and Dialect

Most people in Tampere and all over Finland speak the language of Finnish, although a small number do also speak Swedish. Signposts in Tampere are written in Finnish and may be difficult to interpret without knowing the language, although the universal images will help. Consider purchasing a good Finnish phrase book and try to communicate with the residents in their own language. Here are a number of basic Finnish phrases for you to start with:

Good day - Hyvää päivää
Good evening - Hyvä iltaa
How are you? - Mites menee?
Where are you from? - Mistä olet kotoisin?
Can you say it once again? - Sanotko uudelleen?
Excuse me - Anteeksi
What is the time? - Mitä kello on?

Dos and Don'ts / Tourist Traps

Dining With a View - the revolving restaurant (Ravintola Näsinneula) at the top of the Näsinneula Tower combines good food with spectacular views across Tampere, and is a definite highlight in the Särkänniemi Park
Exchanging Your Currency - Euros may be obtained at banks and Forex currency booths, although cashpoints are hard to beat for sheer convenience
Pickpockets - always keep your personal items close at hand, particularly in crowds and when leaving the train station, although pickpocketing is no more prevalent in Tampere than in other worldly cities and should not be a problem if you are careful with your belongings
Souvenir Shopping - if you are looking for gifts and postcards, there is plenty of choice around the city centre, although the best value souvenirs are to be found at department stores, such as the City Sokos or the Stockmann
VAT Refunds - when shopping in Tampere, look out for shops displaying signs which say 'Tax Free for Visitors', since goods over a certain price may be eligible for VAT refunds when you fly out of the country