Pirkanmaa is a province in the Finnish Lakeland.

Cities

• 1 Akaa
• 2 Ikaalinen
• 3 Mänttä-Vilppula
• 4 Nokia
• 5 Orivesi
• 6 Parkano
• 7 Sastamala
• 8 Tampere
• 9 Valkeakoski
• 10 Virrat
• 11 Ylöjärvi

Municipalities

• 1 Hämeenkyrö
• 2 Juupajoki
• 3 Kangasala
• 4 Kihniö
• 5 Lempäälä
• 6 Pirkkala
• 7 Punkalaidun
• 8 Pälkäne
• 9 Ruovesi
• 10 Urjala
• 11 Vesilahti

Other destinations

Lempäälä - 20km from Tampere lies Finland's biggest shopping centre, Ideapark. - Lempäälä has golf range "Hiisigolf" and hotel restaurant vaihmalan hovi. - Visitors can use Mäyriä sauna in Lempäälä, for 2€/adult. Sauna is open every tuesday and thursday 16 - 20 in the summer. see www.lempaala.fi for more info.

Get in

Tampere airport is Ryanair's destination in Finland so there are a couple of direct flights to odd airports in Europe, in addition to some flights to Scandinavian destinations.

If you fly in from abroad, you can fly to Helsinki (HEL ^IATA) and continue by bus or train. Turku has some international flights, most of them operated by Wizz Air.

Tampere is well connected to the southern, western and northern parts of the country and roughly hourly buses and trains to Helsinki and Turku. To get in from eastern Finland you will in most cases need to transfer in Jyväskylä (train, bus) or Lahti (bus).

Get around

Trains of national operator VR are possible to use for travelling inside province.

Matkahuolto has a dense bus network covering most of the province.

Onnibus offers discount bus service by few routes.

Google Maps includes timetables of trains, long distance buses and local transport of many cities and towns. Other useful route planners are Matka.fi for trains and local buses and Matkahuolto Reittiopas for regional buses.

By taxi

• Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi, Menevä

See

• Enjoy the view from the ridges near Kangasala.
• The 19th century industrial buildings of Tampere, "Finland's Manchester".
• The Spy museum, Lenin museum and other special museums in Tampere.

Do

• Go on a spa holiday in Ikaalinen or Nokia.
• Watch a local ice hockey derby in Tampere.
• Hike in the "Lake of Hell" - Helvetinjärvi National Park in Ruovesi.
• Taste the infamous blood sausage "mustamakkara" in Tampere.
• Go on a shopping spree in IdeaPark in Lempäälä.

Festivals

• Kirjazz & Blues: 6–7 July 2018 Valkeakoski. A jazz & blues festival in Kirjaslampi, Valkeakoski. (date needs updating)
• Aitoon Kirkastusjuhlat: 7–9 July 2018 Pälkäne. Music festival in for the whole family in Aitoo, Pälkäne (date needs updating)
• Työväen musiikkitapahtuma: 26–29 July 2018 Valkeakoski. The Workers' Music Festival in Valkeakoski is yearly gathering of the left-leaning folk (date needs updating)
• Hämyvestarit: 3–4 August 2018 Hämeenkyrö. Hämyvestarit is arranged in the Hämeenkyrö ice hall grounds. (date needs updating)
• Gösta Jazz: 13 August 2018. Jazz happening in the Serlachius Musem's park in Mänttä-Vilppula. (date needs updating)

Stay safe

Pirkanmaa is a safe place.