Entertainment

Tampere may seem a bit dormant at a first glance but on these latitudes it is not surprising: The long, dark winters certainly have an effect on the outlook but under the surface the city seethes with possibilities. In downtown for example, there are over 149 restaurants/pubs/bars from which to choose, and without fail people take advantage of this—you could say they have become very skilled in breaking the tedium in these parts.

Nightlife

Vanha Monttu (Old Hole), is a good place to indulge in your pioneer spirit. It is definitely one of the easiest and most feasible places to get acquainted with the local atmosphere. It also serves very well as a general introduction to what exactly you are in for. You can forget about success rates here, or the dangers of tempting fate; all you need is time. If you want to pick up the pace, leave the locals with their odd ways behind and join another set of oddities but this time as a certified member of the crowd, you can follow the trail over the bridge and enter the world of Paapan Kapakka—a live jazz pub that defies any descriptions that can be provided here. This peculiar establishment is packed to brim every night with energy, sounds and interesting people—it can get quite cramped in there at times but that is part of the attraction. In case this is still too lame for you, moving further East until theTampereen Rautatieasema is recommendable. At the station you will find a place called Ale Pub Pikajuna, an establishment where the atmosphere comes close to that of a bunker. Behind the station, in the Hotel Villa building, you can have a go at Ellun Kana; this especially if you are running low on cash but still feel the need to venture deeper into the unknown.

Aside from offbeat establishments, there are many generic pubs and bars to choose from. These places are perfect for sitting still and grabbing some down time; in other words, the usual damage control. One of the best of this kind is definitely Wanha Posti on the main street, Hämeenkatu, about half a kilometre from the railway station. This pub boasts an impressive selection of beers. So, if you are determined to find your favourite brand in Tampere, or take your time to find a new one, you should probably come here. Also, Fall's Cafe and Terrace down by the river in Kehräsaari is worth checking out. In addition to curiosities and generics, there are the Irish- and British-style pubs that might constitute a home away from home for some of you. One of these is O'Connell's, an Irish bar near the railway station. This is as close as one can get to an original Irish Bar in Tampere, unless you happen to like Pub Pikilinna better. Both of them are typically Irish in their decor and selections. But if you are really up for an adventure, you can take your chances by moving East on Itsenäisyydenkatu until you reach Salhojankadun Pub—as to finding this place, a good rule of thumb is to turn left as soon as you begin to think to you have gone far enough. Salhojankadun Pub is actually the oldest pub in Finland, and definitely worth checking out, especially if you are into British-style pubs and massive quantities of rare beers.

As to music clubs, Sputnik is for people who crave for an atmosphere that is as far away from the top 10 hits as Tampere is from the Equator. This amiable deviant from the mainstream is open from 8pm to 3am every day, so finding time to fit it in the schedule should not pose problems. Another degenerate, Rusty Angel, the area's official metal bar, wallows on a completely different level compared to most places in town—the place is heavy, so don't leave your attitude at home. Pulse and Nite Train, on the other hand, are for those who find it appealing to sustain severe dance beats from early evening until the wee hours of the night. These two establishments are by no means hardcore in any musical sense but atmospherically they might fit the category. Nite Train is famous for its foam parties, and unless you are willing to get in deep and join the general profligacy the going may seem a touch too rough. On some nights, when the music is over, the place bears an eerie resemblance to a public spa—hence foam party.

Last but not least a place where you can put an end to a night with style—Doris. The best way to define Doris in this context is to call it a hybrid, something in between Sputnik and Nite Train. On the surface, it defies good taste with its dismal plastic/metallic decor but in the end it is guaranteed to get under your skin like a disease—students at least seem to find this club irresistible. Whether the lure of this joint is a consequence of the otherwise so menial student existence, or simply traditions, is a mystery to many.

Music

The obvious choice for any music lover is Tampere-talo (Tampere Hall). It offers international as well as national music experiences with styles ranging from classical to popular music. This impressive-looking architectural feat creates a strange, yet somehow very pleasant contrast to the surrounding Sorsalammi Park. If you are pressed for time and still want to enjoy good music, Tampereen Kaupunginorkesteri (Tampere City Orchestra), led by famous conductors and visiting artists, has concerts at Tampere-talo every Friday at 7pm. Or, if you do not want to bother with the etiquette so much and still enjoy good music you can go to Tampere Conservatory instead. This is a good place to see upcoming talents perform. Tampere Cathedral also offers interesting concerts, usually on Sunday nights.

This is by no means the end of musical experience in Tampere, this is where it gets varied. What Tampere-talo is to the classical fan, the legendary Tulliklubi is for the rock/pop fanatic. Here you can catch both nationally as well as internationally acclaimed artists and bands in action. Yo-Talo, Räpä Rällää and Music Bar Amadeus also offer varied musical experiences. If you are in search of something special, the missing link, as it were, maybe these three can help. In some cases, though, the establishment itself can prove out to be an overpowering experience, regardless of the music.

Theatre/Cinema

Theatre has always had a big influence on the cultural atmosphere in Tampere. There are about 18 well-known theatre groups/theatres to choose from, Tampereen Työväen Teatteri and Tampereen Teatteri being the two most influential of them. These two are more than just theatres; they are landmarks that have an essential role to play in the overall scheme of things. The schedules are easy enough to acquire from Tampere Tourist Centre. For real theatre enthusiasts there are many choices; groups such as Ahaa Teatteri and Legioonateatteri spring to mind.

If you would rather watch acting on a big screen, there are 17 cinemas in downtown Tampere and most of them show the latest Hollywood features, as well as national. Hällä, a cinema on the main street, is one of the biggest and oldest in town. Plevna, in the old Finlayson building, and Cine Atlas in Koskikeskus are excellent choices if you are looking for the latest feature films. Niagara, on the other hand, is a smaller cinema that offers a more specialised selection of films—smaller productions, as well as some older Hollywood films.

Festivals

Tampere Film Festival that was held for the 30th time in March 2000 brings people together from all over the world. For five days the city lives and breathes film in all of its forms. Mindtrek media festival, on the other hand, introduces the latest breakthroughs in digital media and attracts multimedia professionals and enthusiasts from all over world. Even though both of these festivals are important for enthusiasts and professionals in the particular fields, they may not affect the average person the same way as for example Tampereen Valoviikot (Tampere Illuminations) in October-January. Valoviikot is an annual tradition when the city streets are dressed up to look like a great big symmetrical Christmas tree with lights of all colours and hues. The feeling never fails: the otherwise so gloomy succession of days in the depth of winter might be too much to take without those bright-coloured lights and the warmth they reflect on the city streets.

Tampere Jazz Happening in November is also one of those events that bring light and change to the city when it needs them the most. Dark and snow-ridden city streets, icy landscapes, clubs filled with hectic jazz music by the top artists from all over the world may not be the most common combination—still, that is what separates the festival from the rest.

Amusement

Särkänniemi Adventure Park offers limitless ways to break the tedium. Kids, especially, will have their fun in the Amusement Park with all kinds of contraptions, ranging from hideous pendulums and swerving mechanical monsters to arcades - the latter have always been topnotch in Särkänniemi. Dolphinarium, Aquarium, Planetarium and Children's Zoo are all part of the fun. Parents and other, more mature visitors, have means to enjoy themselves here, too: There are many restaurants and terraces in the area where to enjoy the atmosphere and watch others climb on wild rides tempting nausea. If you feel riding and screaming in roller coasters is too much, you still have many options left. The best option by far is Näsinneula, the tallest outlook tower in Finland with a revolving restaurant at the top, 124 metres up in the sky. This tower of steel and concrete shoots up in the skyline Tampere with a presence that leaves no one cold.

Curiosities

This category is supposed to cover the weird things you might come across in Tampere; if you have not already considered the above as such, don't worry, there are still some oddities left. Muumilaakso (Moominvalley) may not constitute the weird, at least in any classical sense. Based on the original idea of Tove Jansson, Moominvalley offers an opportunity to meet the whole Moomin family in an authentic setting. This place is definitely something you can only come across in Tampere, Finland. Spy Museum, on the other hand, can very well be called an anomaly, even among oddities. The secrets of espionage, its dangers and breakthroughs—not forgetting the gadgets—are all disclosed within the walls of this ominous museum. Strap your friends on a lie detector and learn the truth... The last curiosity does not need much introduction, for the name says it all: Lenin Museum. Vladimir Iliych Lenin took part in a conference in these premises some 95 years ago, so the museum is by no means the usual collection of dusty artefacts and documents; rather, one could say the museum itself is a document of a man and an era that inarguably changed the world.