Tampere

  
Hello!

So I haven't been able to update for a while since my internet connection SUCKS. Now im gonna try so that this blog doesn't become dead before i have even began with it.

Well life has been quite normal recently except the fact that ive managed to get some kind of a summer flu – and been sick sor a week now. I hope ill get better soon because i dont wanna spend my last weeks of holiday being sick.

But now the point of this post. Ive already told a bit about Helsinki, the capital of Finland (and i will tell more in the future), but now i wanna tell about another big city of Finland – Tampere. I spent the previous weekend in Tampere because me and my family were invited to a wedding. We spent the night in a very nice hotel called Tammer, not the cheapest one, but i wasnt the one who paid for it :D

the view from our hotel room window

So, I dont know if you have heard about this city before, but it's the third most-populous city in Finland. It is situated in inner land, southern Finland in a region called Pirkanmaa (1,5 hours from Helsinki by train, 2 hours by car). Its also located between two quite big lakes that are linked by Tammerkoski (streaming through the city). In the past Tampere used to be the big center of Finland industry.

In the region of Tampere there are two universities and two polytechnics (total amount of students: about 40 000). Actually I applied to one of the polytechnics an year ago but i didnt get in. The degree programme I applied to was an international degree programme implemented in English. I thought I would apply there again this spring but i didnt because im quite content with my current study place.

If you are a person interested in culture, art or architecture, you should definitely visit Tampere if you happen to come to Finland. Together with Helsinki (and maybe Turku) I guess it's the richest city, culturally. It has old theatre traditions and an international theatre festival is also held in Tampere every August – Tampere Theatre Festival. There is also an international short film festival which is held in Tampere every March. Music is also important part of the city's culture (especially rock music) – Tammerfest is held every July (urban rock festival, maybe the most popular music festival in the city), Tampere Jazz Happening each November and a few a bit smaller happenings. There is also a big art museum in Tampere.

Spots or places to see/visit:

• Särkänniemi amusement park (the main tourist attraction), there is also a dolphinarium and a landmark calles Näsinneula tower
• Tampere Cathedral
• Tammerkosken silta (the bridge over the « rapids » thats streaming through the city)
• The Vapriikki Museum Centre, including the Natural History Museum of Tampere
• The Muumilaakso Museum (if you are familiar with the most popular children's creatures in the nordic countries, Moomins)
• Finland's largest glass sculpture, installedin the lobby of the KoskiKeskus (a shopping mall) – the sculpture is called « Pack Ice / The Mirror of the Sea »
  

Well there's something to begin with when going to Tampere. Personally ive been there just less than ten times in my life even though it's near and one of the nicest cities in Finland. I also got a lot of new information when writing this because i had to search information from the internet – no, i didn't already know all of this! :D Maybe i have to go to Tampere soon now that i also know a bit more about it... let's see.