"The "Manchester of the North"" a Tampere Travel Page by brazwhazz

Tampere is the largest inland city in Northern Europe. We were surprised to find that it reminded us of our home: both Tampere and Montreal have an important industrial heritage which dates back to the 19th century and which is linked to the presence of a body of water: whereas Tampere's industrial sector was built around the Tammerkoski Rapids, Montreal's industries flocked around the Lachine Canal after its construction in 1824.

We came to Tampere for the Sauna Open Air Festival, a three-day celebration of hard rock music, but we also managed to visit some of its original museums as well as the enchanting Pispala district and Pyynikki Ridge. Tampere is also home to two teams in the Finnish Hockey League, and the rivalry between the two (Ilves and Tappara) is said to be very intense. My only regret is to have visited this place during the summer when there is no hockey...