Tampere – a small town in a large city
Tampere is the third largest city in Finland. It is famous for its lakes, gravel eskers, lively cultural and scientific life and openness toward those moving in the city from elsewhere.
Tampere was officially founded in 1779. The shores of the Tammerkoski rapids, which flow from Lake Näsijärvi to Lake Pyhäjärvi, have been populated since the Middle Ages, but since the beginning of the 19th century, textile industry and mechanical workshops found their place around the rapids.
The old red brick factory buildings are currently used as offices or house cultural and commercial spaces, but they are still an essential part of the milieu designated as one of Finland’s national landscapes.
Tampere is a hospitable city
Tampere and its residents have always been hospitable, and the habit has also been taken on by those who have moved from elsewhere. The spirit of the city is open and relaxed, and it is easy to find a place to live here.
Tampere residents are also happy to chat, even with strangers. You might notice this at cafés, marketplaces and grocery stores.
Tampere is a large enough city to provide excellent services but still has a good atmosphere reminiscent of a small town. Living costs are also reasonable on the Finnish scale.
Tampere has good schools, and it is easy to combine work and family life. In general, the educational opportunities are very good: there is a university, a university of applied sciences and diverse vocational education in different fields. Educational institutions are well connected with business.
Cultural life is also bustling, and the city is known for its theatre events, an international short film festival and rock music. Different cultural events, large and small, take place everywhere in the city, and it is worth keeping an eye out in case something interesting is coming near you.
Tampere is green
Public transport works well in Tampere and the preconditions for bicycling and walking are continuously improved. You won’t even need a bicycle of your own; you can use affordable public city bikes.
The express tramway, which started operating in 2021, has gained great popularity and streamlined traffic between the city centre and suburbs. Tampere aims to be a pioneer in the green transition.
Nature around Tampere is unique even in Finland. Between two great lakes, Lake Näsijärvi and Lake Pyhäjärvi, lies a narrow isthmus punctured by the Tammerkoski rapids. This is where the city centre is located. At the western end of the isthmus, two kilometres from the city centre, stands the world’s tallest gravel esker, the forested Pyynikki ridge rising 162 metres above the sea level and 85 metres above the level of Lake Pyhäjärvi.
There are around 160 lakes within the city limits, and you can get some fresh air in the forest even near the city centre. The general appearance of the city is green.
Watching ice hockey while eating black sausage
Tampere is also a well-known sports city. The absolute number one sport is ice hockey, but local teams have also found success in basketball, football, volleyball, athletics, floorball, boxing and Finnish baseball, the national sport of Finland. Many Finnish national teams often play in Tampere.
The famous local delicacy of Tampere is black sausage, a relative of blood sausages known in many places around Europe. In addition to food counters at grocery stores, you can get it fresh at the grills in the Laukontori and Tammelantori marketplaces, the preferred way of many locals.
Another characteristic Tampere food is a fairly flat white bread, “rievä”, made here since the 1850s. Tampere has even been called “Rieväkylä”, the town of rievä.
You can explore a wide range of hobbies from outdoor activities to indoor sports, dance, music and visual arts. Library services are also free of charge in Tampere and elsewhere in Finland. If there is no library near you, check whether a mobile library stops in your area.
Network through work and hobbies
Those moving to the city from abroad should learn Finnish and also network as efficiently as possible. Tampere has several communities for immigrants, which will help you get started with networking.
If you cannot find a job immediately, you can meet locals by volunteering. The Tampere event calendar also provides information not only on events in Tampere but also on hobby opportunities.
International House Tampere offers services and guidance in fourteen languages as well as in plain Finnish for immigrants who already know some Finnish but feel that they don’t know it well enough to use official services.
The links below provide more information about Tampere and tips for networking.