When I started this blog, one of my aims was to present some tourism service providers which I use myself or that I am interested in. So this listing is the first one in the series of presenting excellent service providers at Tampere.
Steamboat Näsijärvi II aka ‘Nässy’
I have spent quite a few hours with this old lady, built in 1929. The steamboat is operated by a voluntary crew (of which I am part, too) and the purpose of this work is to preserve a fine piece of industrial and transport history for the following generations as well. Nässy is owned by an association founded in 2017 and it arranges charter cruises for anyone interested in renting an old steamer. So why would anyone want to charter a steamboat like ‘Nässy’? Well, it is always nice and relaxing to spend time on lake but sailing with a steamboat is even more so. First of all, steam engine makes almost no sound at all (it is abot 120 rounds per minute, compared with diesel engines of over 1000 rounds and in the steam engine steam pressure does the work so there’s no burning (‘explosion’) in the engine). Second, the feeling you get when you are burning birch wood as your fuel (in the furnaces under the boiler) is a bit different from burning oil: and you get the daily exercise when loading that fuel aboard! Third, history is always interesting and with a steamboat like Nässy you can really feel being part of a chain of past generations: it is a living museum. Last, the tourist season is not very short: we made the last voyage of 2018 in the end of October with snow everywhere! It is a totally different experience steaming in cold weather if you happen to be in Finland that time. www.nasijarvi2.fi
Experience and Activity Services Villipihlaja
Villipihlaja offers different activities that are more or less connected to the Finnish nature (and to me due to family and web design reasons). The company is new, founded in 2019, but I got the chance to test one of the activities, “Sense Trail” (direct translation, sorry folks), in its pilot phase. In this activity, you could sense the nature with all of your five senses. What I found most interesting, was tasting different nature tastes eyes blindfolded. The other great thing was walking barefoot on top of a soft ‘moss carpet’. Let’s see how these activity packages are going to sell! Of course, I have to advertise that Villipihlaja also sells steamboat Näsijärvi II as a part of one of its packages for companies!
Nordic skating
A couple of years ago I got really charmed by Nordic skating or tour skating. The first taste was given by the local activity company Hiking Travel, Hit which has rental equipment available for Nordic skating (and other activities as well) next to the skating lane on lake Näsijärvi. Hit also arranges skating tours for people with not that much skating experience. But I have to say that the skating lane—as wonderful as it is—was just the beginning in my journey to the world of skating. The ‘big world’ really opened up when I joined the Finnish Nordic Skating association. After that I have been on many wonderful skating tours on lakes at and around Tampere. The Finnish winter provides excellent possibilities for Nordic skating (if it isn’t snowing too much). Other skating lanes besides the one on lake Näsijärvi (at/near Tampere): – Tohloppi – Saarikylät
Kauppi Forest
The forests at Kauppi park are a place where I can really let got and get relaxed. It is wonderful that 10 minutes walk from home you can find yourself in a place which reminds you of national park. I especially like the trails next to the lake Näsijärvi. With a lot of tree roots on trail, beautiful scenery and few people one can feel being part of the surrounding nature.
But I think now the first part of my Tampere articles is at its end. I’ll continue next with slightly different activities, saunas!