City of Tampere

Tampere is the third-largest city in Finland and one of the most rapidly developing regions in the country. Currently there are around 220,000 inhabitants in Tampere and close to 500,000 inhabitants in the greater Tampere area that covers the city and the neighboring towns.

Tampere was founded in 1779 on an isthmus between the great lakes Pyhäjärvi and Näsijärvi; the scenic Tammerkoski rapids connecting the two lakes runs through the city center. In addition to the two major lakes, the city’s landscape is marked by 200 smaller lakes.

Tampere is a city of culture, education and sports as well as a center of technology, research and business. Three universities make Tampere one of the most vibrant and youthful cities in the country. Tampere is also one of Northern Europe’s hotspots in the fields of information and communications technology, biomedical engineering and biotechnology, automation and mechanical engineering.

One of the main assets of Tampere is its central location. About two thirds of the Finnish population live within 200 kilometers from the city. The distance to Helsinki is around 170 kilometers, and other urban centers within that range include Hämeenlinna (75km), Pori (110km), Lahti (130km), Jyväskylä (150km), Turku (160km) and Seinäjoki (180km). Several highways and railway lines intersect in Tampere, making it a major transportation hub.

In three surveys carried out in the 2010s comparing the image of the largest cities in Finland, Tampere has come in first every time. It also came in first when the survey participants were asked which cities they would consider moving into.

More information: www.tampere.fi/english/index.html