Things to do in Southwestern Finland
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Panimoravintola Plevna
Inside the old Finlayson textile mill, this big barn of a place offers a wide range of delicious beer, cider and perry brewed on the premises, including an excellent strong stout. Meals are large and designed to soak it all up: massive sausage platters and enormous slabs of pork in classic beer-hall style as well as more Finnish fish and steak dishes. Vegetables here mean potatoes and onions, preferably fried, but it’s all tasty, and service is fast.
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Kauppahalli
This intriguing indoor market is one of Finland’s best, with picturesque wooden stalls serving a dazzling array of wonderful meat, fruit, baked goodies and fish. There are good cafes, and, at No 50, Teivon Liha, the best place to try cheap mustamakkara with berry jam.
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Tampere Cathedral
Intriguing Tampere Cathedral is one of the most notable examples of National Romantic architecture in Finland. It was designed by Lars Sonck and completed in 1907. The famous artist Hugo Simberg was responsible for the frescoes and stained glass; once you’ve seen them you’ll appreciate that they were controversial at the time. A procession of ghostly childlike apostles holds the ‘garland of life’, the garden of death shows graves and plants tended by skeletal figures, while another image shows a wounded angel being stretchered off by two children. There’s a solemn, almost mournful feel about it; the altarpiece, by Magnus Enckell, is a dreamlike Resurrection in similar sty…
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Vakoilumuseo
This popular but off-beat spy museum under the Finlayson centre plays to the budding secret agent in all of us, with a large and well-assembled display of the devices of international espionage, mainly from the Cold War era. As well as histories of famous Finnish and foreign spies, it has numerous Bond-style gadgets and some interactive displays - write your name in invisible ink, tap a telephone call, intercept an email, or measure the microwave emissions of your mobile.
There are folders with English translations, but they are slightly unsatisfying. When it's busy, there are more activities for kids, who can take a suitability test for KGB cadet school.
reviewed
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Vanha Rauma
Vanha Rauma, the World Heritage-listed Old Town in the heart of modern Rauma, is not a museum but a living centre, with low-key cafés, hardware shops, residences and a smattering of artisans and lacemakers working in small studios.
Most of the low wooden buildings of Vanha Rauma were erected in the 18th and 19th centuries. There are some 600 houses and 180 shops, and each building has a name - look for it on a small oval sign near the door. You can spend a pleasant half day wandering around Vanha Rauma's cobbled streets and visiting its shops and museums. The tourist office has an excellent pamphlet detailing a self-guided walk.
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Lenin Museum
Admirers of bearded revolutionaries won’t want to miss the small Lenin museum, housed in the Workers’ Hall where Lenin and Stalin first met at a conference in 1905. His life is documented by way of photos and documents; it’s a little dry but it’s fascinating to see, for example, his old school report (a straight-A student) or a threadbare couch that the man slept on. One note, penned shortly before his death in 1924, recommends Comrade Stalin to be ousted from his position as General Secretary. There’s a crazy gift shop where you can buy Lenin pens, badges, T-shirts and other souvenirs of the Soviet era.
reviewed
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Vakoilumuseo
The offbeat spy museum under the Finlayson centre plays to the budding secret agent in all of us, with a large and well-assembled display of devices of international espionage, mainly from the Cold War era. As well as histories of famous Finnish and foreign spies, it has numerous Bond-style gadgets and some interactive displays – write your name in invisible ink, tap a telephone call, intercept an email or measure the microwave emissions of your mobile. The folders with English translations are slightly unsatisfying though. For a little extra, the kids can take a suitability test for KGB cadet school.
reviewed
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Vapriikki
Tampere’s premier exhibition space is Vapriikki, a bright, modern glass and steel gallery in the renovated Tampella textile mill. As well as regularly changing exhibitions on anything from bicycles to Buddhism, there’s a permanent display on Tampere’s history from prehistoric times to the present as well as a small but cluttered ice-hockey museum, with memorabilia of the players and teams that star in Finland’s sporting passion. There’s also a museum of shoes – Tampere was known for its footwear industry – and a pleasant cafe.
reviewed
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Pohjanmaan Museo
Pohjanmaan Museo is a dynamic modern museum with plenty of opportunity for interaction. Downstairs in the Terranova section there’s a brilliant evocation of natural history including information on the nearby Kvarken area. Upstairs there are exhibitions about daily life in yesteryear Vaasa and the Hedman collection (named for the museum’s great patron who donated much of this collection), which includes a Tintoretto, a pair of Luca Giordanos, and a round Botticelli Madonna. There are also coins and ceramics.
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Bodega Salud
Though no budget bargain, this Tampere favourite is enduringly popular for its cosy atmosphere and good salad, fruit and cheese bar (included with main courses). It styles itself as Spanish and certainly does a decent paella, but most dishes have a distinctly Finnish feel, with salmon, reindeer and creamy sauces all present and tasty. More adventurous are snails, gnu steak and Rocky Mountain oysters. You get a certificate if you eat the latter – shellfish are scarce in Colorado, but rams have been heard bleating in countertenor tones.
reviewed
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Pyynikki Ridge & Observation Tower
Rising between Tampere's two lakes, this ridge is a forested area of walking and cycling trails with fine views on both sides. It rises 85m above the shores of the lake; this is an Everest by Finnish standards and claims to be the highest gravel ridge in the world. There's an old stone observation tower on the ridge, which also has a great café serving Tampere's best doughnuts.
You can easily walk or drive to the tower, or take westbound bus 15 to its terminus and walk back from there along the ridge.
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Särkänniemi
On the northern edge of town, this promontory amusement park is a large complex with several attractions, including a good art gallery and an aquarium. There’s a bewildering system of entry tickets and opening times depending on what your interest is, and it is cheaper to book online. A day pass is valid for all sights and unlimited rides, while €8 will get you up the observation tower, and into the gallery and farm zoo. To get to Särkänniemi, take bus 4 from the train station.
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Hämeenkatu
Cobbled Hämeenkatu is Tampere's broad main street, running east-west from the train station to Hämeenpuisto, and it's along (or just off) here that you'll find most of the city's top restaurants, cafés, bars and the kauppatori (market square), where you can sample Tampere's scary speciality, mustamakkara (blood sausage). Also here is the kauppahalli (market hall), but in Tampere it's indistinguishable from the rest of the streetscape.
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Wistub Alsace
This small, authentic spot specialises in Alsatian cuisine and accomplishes it well. The seasonal menu offers a small selection of quality dishes, including an always-delicious fish of the day, as well as pizzalike tartes flambées (€14 to €16). Presentation is excellent; deliciously aromatic Alsatian white wines are available, as well as cheaper choices by the glass or jug. Desserts are original and scrumptious; a small terrace offers more casual dining.
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Tammerkoski Rapids
A walk along the banks of the Tammerkoski rapids gives a good feel for Tampere's industrial past. From the tourist office, cross Hämeenkatu and walk north along the west bank of the river passing another set of man-made rapids before crossing the bridge at the Finlayson Centre and wandering up to the old Tampella mills and Vapriikki Centre. Return along the east bank, past the Sokos Hotel Tammer and through Koskipuisto, a popular riverside park.
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Poet's Way Lake Cruise
The SS Tarjanne, a steam ship, departs from Mustalahti quay. The route, from Tampere to Ruovesi and Virrat, is known as the Poet's Way and is one of the finest lake cruises in Finland. For an additional charge per person, you can sleep in this old boat before or after your trip, and get free day-use of the cabin. Bicycles can be taken on board for a small fee. You can book a day-trip to Virrat or Ruovesi, with one of the legs made by bus.
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Kauppatori
The Kauppatori is in the heart of Old Rauma. It's a typically lively market square teeming with food and craft stalls, buskers and tourists. On the south side is Rauma's most imposing building, the Vanha Raatihuone (old town hall), built in 1776. It now houses the Rauma Museum, with exhibits relating to seafaring and the city's lacemaking heritage, including model ships, paintings, baroque furniture and lace costumes.
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Hakametsä Ice Stadium
Tampere has two ice-hockey teams in the national league - Ilves and Tappara - both of which are among the best in the country, and the city is generally regarded as the home of the sport. Finland's first artificial hockey rink was opened here in 1955. The Hakametsä Ice Stadium, about 2km east of the train station, is the venue for matches on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from September to March.
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Tallipiha Stable Yards
In the attractive Näsinpuisto park, Tallipiha Stable Yards is a restored collection of 19th-century stable yards and staff cottages that now house artists and craftworkers making handicrafts, chocolates, ceramics and shoes. Traditional Midsummer and Christmas celebrations are held here and you can ride in a horse-drawn carriage or recharge your batteries at the Russian-style Café Vatruska.
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Juselius Mausoleum
Very much a family affair, Juselius Mausoleum was built by FA Juselius, a wealthy businessman, as a memorial to his daughter who died of tuberculosis at the age of 11. The original frescoes were painted in 1898 by Finnish artist Akseli Gallen-Kallela (who had just lost his own daughter). The present ones were painted by Akseli’s son, Jorma Gallen-Kallela, after his father’s death.
reviewed
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Finlayson Centre
The Finlayson Centre is inside a rejuvenated cotton mill founded by Scot industrialist James Finlayson in the 19th century; it was the first building in the Nordic countries to boast electric lighting, which went on in 1882. Although the massive red brick building remains intact, the interior has now been converted into a modern complex of restaurants, bars, shops, exhibition spaces and a cinema.
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Church of the Holy Cross
North of the kauppatori is the bold stone Church of the Holy Cross, a 15th-century Franciscan monastery church set by the Raumanjoki. It has early-16th-century frescoes and several beautiful painted panels, a fine Prussian triptych from the 15th century and an ornate pulpit. On the north wall is Finland’s oldest votive painting, an image of Margareta, a former mayor’s daughter.
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Teatteriravintola Tillikka
In the Tampere Theatre, this old-style restaurant has classically elegant decor and views over the Tammerkoski. The outdoor tables are popular for buffet lunches, while the evening choices include smoked moose on a tasty appetiser platter for two, and traditional Finnish mains. The building also has a bar-cafe with a great terrace on the main square, perfect for catching the evening sun.
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Rajaportin Sauna
Traditional Rajaportin Sauna is Finland’s oldest operating public sauna. It’s a great chance to experience the softer steam from a traditionally heated sauna rather than the harsher electric ones. It’s a couple of kilometres west of the centre; buses 1, 13, 18, 19 and 26 head out there. There’s a cafe onsite, and massages can be arranged. Take a towel or rent one there.
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Finlaysonin Palatsi
This grand centenarian residence behind the Finlayson centre has gardens and grounds and houses a classy restaurant offering elaborate dishes with classically Finnish ingredients such as pike-perch with crayfish sauce. The relaxing terrace (open noon to 9pm Monday, 11am to midnight Tueday to Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, 2pm to 9pm Sunday) has meals plus a range of cheaper snacks.
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