Tampere is the industrial capital of Finland and at the same time an important university center. It lies on the isthmus between the lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi and you can see here old factory complexes, industrialist villas and the Moomin Valley theme park.
The city began to develop intensively at the beginning of the 19th century, when the first industrial plants began to be established here. Today, enterprises from the new technologies and electronics sector dominate here, and the university is considered one of the most innovative in Northern Europe.
The Tampere buildings were created as the city grew as an industrial center. Today, the oldest Finlayson factories in the center have been converted into shopping and entertainment centers. At the Central Market you can see a wooden Lutheran church from 1825 and a Neo-Renaissance town hall.
The most important church of the city is the neo-Gothic stone cathedral from the beginning of the 20th century. In its vicinity there are many nice, eclectic and Art Nouveau villas of industrialists. In turn, on the northern outskirts of the city you can see a workers' housing estate from the late nineteenth century consisting of small wooden houses, which later settled Finnish poets and artists.
Tampere is known for its museums and recreational facilities. The most important museums include the Lenin Museum, Ice Hockey or the Museum of Espionage. Entertainment for the whole family is provided by the Moomin Museum together with a theme park, in which the Moomin Valley has been recreated, and the Särkänniemi recreation park with an amusement park and a 168-meter panoramic tower, which is the symbol of Tampere.
