Twin cities
Tampere signed its first twin city agreements in 1950's, and since then, the twin city network has grown to cover 18 cities in different parts of the world. In addition to the traditional twin city cooperation, Tampere is a very active player in bilateral city collaborations and partnerships, where mutual benefits can be found to tackle common challenges or develop new solutions.
TAMPERE TWIN CITIES
Brasov, Romania
City of Brasov is located in the central part of Romania approximately 170 kilometres north from capital city Bucharest. Brasov is one of the major cities in Transylvania County, which is famous worldwide as the home of Dracula. Known as a city of culture and education, Brasov is also one of the most important industrial and commercial centres in Romania with approximately 250 000 residents.
Brasov and Tampere became twin cities in 1981.
Chemnitz, Germany
Chemnitz is one of the fastest growing cities in Germany and a major industrial centre and traffic hub in the state of Saxony. It's located near the borders of Czech Republic and Poland. By the population its almost equal to Tampere with approximately 250 000 residents. Chemnitz has also been called the "Manchester of Saxony" in comparison to Tampere's earlier nickname "Manchester of Finland".
Tampere and Chemnitz established twin city relations in 1961.
Essen, Germany
Essen is one of the major cities in Germany, and fourth largest city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with a population of 590 000. Essen is an important industrial city and also known for its impact on arts through well-known educational institutions. Essen was a European Capital of Culture in 2010, and the European Green Capital in 2017.
Essen and Tampere started twin city cooperation in 1961.
Guangzhou, China
The latest addition to Tampere twin city network is located by the coast of the South China Sea, approximately 180 kilometers northwest from Hong Kong. Guangzhou is the capital of Guangdong province in Southern China and a very important port for a foreign trade. It's a historically and culturally significant city with a history of more than 2000 years. Guangzhou's estimated population is around 10 million inhabitants.
Tampere and Guangzhou became twin cities in 2008.
Kaunas, Lithuania
Kaunas is the second-largest city and the former capital of Lithuania. It's a major educational hub with almost 40000 students studying in 13 higher education institutions. Kaunas has a population of approximately 350000 residents, and its located in the central part of the country surrounded by the two largest rivers of Lithuania, the Nemunas and the Neris. Kaunas was elected as the European Capital of Culture in 2022.
Tampere and Kaunas signed twin city agreement in 1997.
Kyiv, Ukraine
The capital city of Ukraine has been Tampere's twin city since 1954. Located by the banks of river Dnieper, Kyiv is a major port city, but also an important commercial and industrial center. Famous as being one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, a major part of Kyiv is occupied by parks and gardens. One of the major European cities has a population of 3 million people. There is a well-known Kyiv Park (Kiovanpuisto) in the center of Tampere, whereas a Tampere street is located near river Dnieper in Kyiv.
Klaksvik, Faroe Islands
Klaksvik is the second largest city of the Faroe Islands after capital city Torshavn, which is only 26 kilometers distance apart. A regional capital of Nordoyjar has a population of approximately 4500 inhabitants, and it is an important center of fishing industry. The nature and sceneries of Klaksvik provide an unforgettable experience for any visitor. Klaksvik belongs to the Nordic twin city network together with Tampere, Norrköping, Trondheim, Kópavogur and Odense.
Kópavogur, Iceland
Kópavogur is located right next to Iceland's capital city of Reykjavik and is the second largest residential center in the country with approximately 31 000 citizens. As an important city of industry and trade, Kópavogur also has become well-known for its arts education. "It is good to live in Kópavogur" is the city's slogan made famous by one of the former Mayors of the city.
Tampere and Kópavogur became twin cities in 1964.
Linz, Austria
Linz is the third largest city in Austria after Vienna and Graz with a population of around 200 000 inhabitants. It's a significant hub for steel and chemical industry, with a strong tradition in cultural life. Linz was selected a European Capital of Culture together with Vilnius in 2009. Linz has become particularly famous for the Linzer torte, which is said to be the oldest cake in the world, with its first recipe dating back to 1653.
Linz and Tampere established twin city connections in 1961.
Łódź, Poland
Former Polish capital city of Łódź is the third largest city in Poland with approximately 720 000 inhabitants. It's located right in the center of the country, 130 kilometers southwest from Warsaw. Equally to Tampere, Łódź used to be known as the ‘Manchester of Poland’ because of the booming textile industry in 1900s. In addition to textile industry, Łódź is an important producer city of machinery, chemicals and various metals. Łódź is also an important city of education with eleven higher education institutions in the city.
Tampere and Łódź have been twin cities since 1958.
Miskolc, Hungary
Miskolc is Hungary's fourth largest city with approximately 170 000 residents. Known for its heavy industry, there are large iron and steel factories in the city, as well as machine and motor vehicle industry. Moreover, Miskolc is a significant wine producer and the several caves of the region are used as wine cellars. The area of Miskolc has been inhabited since ancient times, since the archaeological findings prove human presence for over 70 000 years.
Tampere and Miskolc signed twin city agreement in 1963.
Mwanza, Tanzania
Mwanza is a port city located at the southern edge of Lake Victoria. It's the second largest city in Tanzania after capital city Dar Es Salaam with a population of approximately 800 000 inhabitants. Most important products of a dynamic commercial city are fish, coffee, tea and cotton.
The cooperation between Tampere and Mwanza has focused on various forms of development cooperation.
Norrköping, Sweden
Norrköping is located roughly two hours south from Stockholm in the county of Östergötland. The population of 140 000 inhabitants makes it one of the larger cities in Sweden. The city of Norrköping has medieval foundations and likewise Tampere, it was founded around a stream (Motala) to use the falls and rapids to power local mills. With a strong industrial background, Norrköping has nowadays become a significant centre of technology and education.
Tampere and Norrköping have been twin cities since 1956.
Odense, Denmark
Odense is Denmark's third-largest city and the main city of the island of Funen. Odense has a population of approximately 190 000 residents. Odense's main industries are steel and metal with also a strong emphasis on gardening products. Above all, Odense is famous for being the birthplace of author Hans Christian Andersen. Odense is also a very international city, since 164 different nationalities of the world have chosen to make Odense their home.
Tampere and Odense began twin city cooperation in 1966.
Olomouc, Czech Republic
Olomouc is the sixth-largest city in Czech Republic and a centre of Moravia, that has always been attractive to artists, intellectuals and businessmen alike. Olomouc has nowadays a population of roughly 100 000 inhabitants. Despite being located in the middle of green and lush countryside, Olomouc has developed into an industrial city, whose factories provide steel, machinery and electrical equipment among other things. According to world-renowned tourist guide Lonely Planet, Olomouc is the most beautiful town in Czech Republic.
Tampere and Olomouc created twin city partnership in 1986.
Syracuse, United States
Syracuse is located in the state of New York and is known as a regional hub for entertainment while being a home to plenty of museums, art galleries, performance spaces and such. Syracuse city has a population of roughly 150000 residents, while the metropolitan area houses approximately 660 000 inhabitants. National Geographic has named Syracuse as one of America’s top 20 green cities, whereas Forbes named it one of America’s best places for business.
Tampere and Syracuse have been twin cities since 1981.
Tartu, Estonia
Tartu is Estonia’s second-largest city with about 100 000 inhabitants. The oldest city in the Baltic States has long traditions and high competence in electronics, information and biotechnology. Tartu is also a very important city of culture, and it was chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2024. Tampere and Tartu have accomplished plenty of collaboration projects together over the years. Tampere has also renovated its own culture centre Tampere Maja to the city of Tartu.
Tampere and Tartu established twin city connection in 1992.
Trondheim, Norway
Trondheim is Norway’s third-largest city after Oslo and Bergen with approximately 210 000 inhabitants. Founded already in 997 as a trading post, the former capital of Norway and agricultural center has developed into a significant hub of technological education and research. Nowadays Trondheim is called the technology capital of Norway. Local football club Rosenborg is the most successful club in Norway and reached success also in European competitions.
Tampere and Trondheim tied twin city relations in 1963.