Winter season
Have you ever taken a walk on a frozen lake? Or swum in one? In Tampere, you can.
A true winter wonderland, the city offers excellent opportunities for skiing, skating, snow shoeing and other wintry amusements.
Cross-country skiing
Downhill skiing
Ice-swimming
Skating
Ice hockey games
Tampere normally sees the first snow in October, but in most years, snow doesn't come to stay until early December. Typically, snow stays until April, but there is annual variation.
The lakes most often freeze in November to December, while in the great lakes, the break-up of ice usually takes place in April or early May.
Cross-country skiing
Within the city limits, Tampere houses hundreds of kilometres of cross-country ski tracks, 80 kilometres of them floodlit, so you can enjoy the sports during the dark winter nights as well.
In the city of hundreds of lakes, one of the favourite leisure occupations is skiing on frozen lakes - in the very heart of the city.
Detailed information on the tracks is available from the city's sports and leisure department:
You can also book a skiing lesson, skiing tour or skiing package from the companies below:
Canoeing at Kaupinoja
Equipment rental, canoeing and paddling guidances at Kaupinoja. Further information on paddling at Kaupinoja in summer 2010 and other activities on Hiking Travel's web site.
In the vicinity of Tampere, there are also a couple of larger ski centres with bigger slopes. Ask for more information from the tourist office.
Next to the city centre, the best place to swim in a hole in the ice is the lakeside Rauhaniemi sauna. On the website below, check out the ice swimming video and click "Valokuvia" for more pictures!
Winter swimming
The city also houses dozens of skating and ice hockey rinks for free use outside the physical education lessons of local schools.
For the public skating hours at the ice halls, please ask from the Tourist Office.
Skating rinks
Tickets are available from Lippupiste ticket service tel. 0600 10 800 (box offices at Stockmann and Sokos department houses, Tampere Hall, Lielahti Citymarket, Turtola Citymarket and Suomalainen kirjakauppa bookshop, Hämeenkatu 18) and also from the entrance 1.5 hours before the game. Local bus lines 17, 25 and 27 take you to the venue.
In advance, find out about the magic of the small black puck here.
