Tampere, Finland is known as the World Sauna Capital
Tampere, Finland’s third biggest city, is home to over 50 public saunas, as well as a rich history and beautiful lakes.
Tampere is Finland’s third-largest city, located around 100 miles north of Helsinki. The area has around 50 public saunas, and the surrounding environment is known as Finnish Lakeland.
It’s a water-based city, located on the Tammerkoski rapids between two big lakes, with green banks giving a contrast to the red brick industrial buildings. When Scottish engineer James Finlayson founded a factory to manufacture heavy machinery in 1820, it marked the start of the Finnish industrial revolution.
By 1828, he’d made the conversion to textiles, and the town was dubbed the “Nordic Manchester.” It had a lot in common with its English equivalent, and the working conditions for tens of thousands of people weren’t much better. The mills are almost all gone now, but the structures have been lovingly restored and are now home to stores, museums, pubs, and restaurants.
The Werstas Museum has the history of the Finnish textile industry with 25 machines on exhibit, hundreds of artefacts and images relating to the history of the factories and things created by the Tampere textile industry in the vast complex that was originally the Finlayson cotton mill. The Sulzer steam engine, which is still in its original location, in the heart of the ancient mill, takes pride of place. It is the largest steam engine ever utilized in Finland, dating from 1900.
Finland gained independence after the Russian Revolution, and the town got embroiled in a horrific civil war between the workers’ movement, the reds, and the conservative landowners and industrialists, the whites. With 300,000 soldiers participating, the Battle for Tampere in 1918 was one of the most crucial military actions of the war.
Black and white images at the exhibition depict the carnage and show areas of the city in ruins. The Whites won the fight and the war with the support of German forces. The employees were the losers, and the tragedy continues to split families today.
Tampere isn’t just about its industrial past. The big, open Central Square at the city’s core was erected during Tampere’s Russian occupation, and the effect can be seen in the architecture.
The Tampere Theatre, completed in 1912, is on one side, and the great neo-Renaissance Old Town Hall, on the other, is still utilized for festive events. The south side is lined with Art Nouveau buildings, and the area hosts a popular Christmas market in the winter.
The seven cupolas of the Byzantine Orthodox church, known locally as the “Onion Church,” echo the city’s Russian heritage, with the inside covered in icons. There is just a small orthodox population, and most churchgoers attend at the adjacent Lutheran Cathedral.
It’s a magnificent example of Finnish national romantic style, and the paintings by Hugo Simberg are particularly remarkable. The Garland of Life, which displays twelve giant-sized nude lads placed around the gallery walls, caused a stir in 1907, and it’s simple to understand why.
Saunas were introduced to Finland almost 2,000 years ago, and there are now over three million of them, or more than one for every two Finns. Tampere is currently known as the Sauna Capital of the World, having been designated by UNESCO as part of the country’s intangible cultural heritage.
There are around 50 public saunas in the area, including Kuuma, which is immediately near to Central Square. A café-restaurant with a patio is located upstairs, while two saunas are located downstairs and are available all year. When the heat becomes unbearable, you may cool down in the Pyhäjärvi Lake’s cool waters, which are contained in a pool area.
Of course, the water drew another industrial complex, this one centered on a paper pulp plant at Mänttä-Vilppula, a lovely lakeside town 90 kilometers north of Tampere. Gösta Serlachius, the founder’s nephew, gathered a remarkable art collection that is currently on permanent exhibit at the Art Museum Gösta on Lake Melasjärvi.
His magnificent manor house houses mostly Finnish artworks, but a gorgeous modern wood pavilion accommodates temporary exhibits, including one devoted to the renowned street artist Banksy. Over a hundred paintings have been loaned from various collections, including well-known examples of the artist’s early work.
Finland contains about 188,000 lakes and 180,000 islands, many of which are found in the Lakeland area, Europe’s biggest of its sort, which encompasses Tampere. Imagine a blue maze of lakes, islands, rivers, and canals, with woods and low-rise hills strewn around.
E-bikes are a great way to get around, and the tourism office has created a number of pathways that connect to ferry services throughout the summer. Day excursions may be taken to either of the city’s two main lakes, Pyhäjärvi or Näsijärvi, where bike trails follow the lakefront. Restaurants and tea businesses ensure that you never get thirsty. Nothing beats a sauna for a truly Finnish experience at the conclusion of a long day in the saddle.
As the evening light sets low over Pyhäjärvi Lake, I go south and arrive in Lempäälä. Mikkola is not your average sauna; it’s a classic smoke sauna that’s been heated for six hours.
Because there is no chimney, smoke fills the room as the wood burns. The fire is put out and the room is aired after it reaches the proper temperature. That’s when I come in to help my tired limbs. I’m quickly at ease as the moist heat and steam rise from the stove, combining with the smells of smoke and tar. But not for long; I’m quickly becoming overheated, and there’s no choice but to hurry out and plunge into the lake — they say it’s healthy for you…
FACT FILE:
Visit Tampere has information about the city.
Visit Finland has information about the country.
FLY: Ryanair will fly direct from London Stansted to Tampere from November 2021.
STAY: Radisson Blu Grand Hotel Tammer is a comfortable base right on the rapids.
SEE: The Finnish Labour Museum has the largest steam engine in Finland.
Serlachius Museum Gösta is accessible by shuttle bus from Tampere and also has an excellent restaurant.
EAT: S auna Restaurant Kuuma has a terrace where you can enjoy their menu.
Ravintola C has a multi-course fine dining set menu.
SAUNA: Mikkola Smoke Sauna is around 20 miles south of Tampere, has space for up to 18 people and serves traditional dishes.
Originally published at TravelPigeons on October 31, 2021.
