Tampere

Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is in the Finnish Lakeland. Tampere's population is about 263,000, while the metropolitan area has a population of about 428,000. It is Finland's 3rd most populous municipality and the second most populous urban area in the country after the Helsinki metropolitan area. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. The urban area has a population of about 370,000. Tampere is considered the most important urban, economic and cultural centre in the whole of inland Finland. Tampere and its surroundings are part of the historic province of Satakunta, but the area belonged to the province of Häme (Tavastia) from 1831 to 1997 and it has often been considered part of that province. For example, in Uusi tietosanakirja, published in the 1960s, the Tampere subregion is presented as part of the then province of Tavastia. Between 1775 and 1870, Tammerkoski rapids formed the border between the former province of Häme and the province of Turku and Pori. The city of Tampere was on the western side of the rapids, but the eastern bank was attached to the city in 1877. Around the 1950s, Tampere and its surroundings began to establish themselves as a separate province known as Pirkanmaa. Tampere became the centre of Pirkanmaa, and Tammermaa was also used several times in the province's early days, for example in the Suomi-käsikirja published in 1968. Tampere is wedged between two lakes, Lake Näsijärvi and Lake Pyhäjärvi, with an 18 m (59 ft) difference in water level, and the rapids that connect them, Tammerkoski, have been an important source of power throughout history, most recently for generating electricity. Tampere is known as the "Manchester of the North" because of its past as a centre of Finnish industry, which has given rise to its Finnish nickname "Manse" and terms such as "Manserock". Tampere has also been officially declared the "Sauna Capital of the World" because it has the most public saunas in the world. Helsinki is about 160 km (100 mi) south of Tampere and can be reached by Pendolino high-speed train in 1 hour 31 minutes and by car in two hours. The distance to Turku, Finland's third most populous urban area, is about the same. The Tampere–Pirkkala Airport is the eighth busiest airport in Finland, with more than 230,000 passengers using it in 2017. Tampere is also an important transit route for three Finnish highways: Highway 3 (E12), Highway 9 (E63) and Highway 12. The Tampere light rail had two lines when it started operating in 2021. Tampere is often rated as the most popular city in Finland. The development of Tampere and its metropolitan area has continued into the 21st century, largely because Tampere is one of Finland's most attractive cities. In 2023, Tampere won the first prize at the Smart City World Congress in Barcelona, competing in the category of enabling technologies, while also receiving recognition for the use of technological solutions for the benefit of residents and businesses.