Experience the best of Tampere

Tampere sits on a narrow strip of land between two lakes, Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, joined by the Tammerkoski rapids that once powered Finland's biggest textile mills. Those red-brick mill buildings now hold museums, cafés and offices, and a bridge across the rapids is lined with statues. The city's National Romantic cathedral is decorated with Hugo Simberg's frescoes, among them The Garden of Death and The Wounded Angel.

Pyynikki Ridge, a long wooded esker west of the centre, has an observation tower and a café famed for its doughnuts. The Hatanpää arboretum and the lakeshore parks are close at hand, and Tampere's saunas range from lakeside wood-fired cabins to a public sauna dating from the early twentieth century. Beyond the city lie the lakes and forests of the Pirkanmaa region.

Mustamakkara, a black blood sausage eaten with lingonberry jam, is the local speciality, and the market hall sells smoked fish, rye bread, cheese and fresh pastries. Summer nights stay light until late and the lakes are warm enough for swimming; in winter people dip into holes cut in the ice after a sauna.