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In time of ice and snow, Tampere is your winter wonderland. You don’t have to leave the city centre to enjoy winter sports; the smoothest ice skating rinks and sled hills are just a walking distance away! You can also try your hand e.g. at skiing and snowshoeing, just a stone’s throw away from your hotel.

Please bear in mind that weather conditions affect the activity possibilities, remember to check the updates on conditions from the destinations and don’t venture out on thin ice!

Ice skating

On a beautiful winter’s day, pretty much nothing can beat Nordic ice skating on natural ice. When the ice is thick enough there will be a skating track ploughed on the lake, with a possibility to enjoy refreshments and a bite to eat out in the open air on many winter days. There is a possibility to tour skate on natural ice on lake Tohloppijärvi in the Tohloppi district in Tampere. There is also a café and a tour skate rental shop. Tohloppi also has a lit track in where you can skate at ease in the dark, too.  You can rent tour skates also at Hiking Travel’s rental shop at Bikini Bar on the tour skating track of Näsijärvi lake.

You can also ice skate on the artificial ice rink at Sorsapuisto park and go ice skating during the public hours at the ice rinks (e.g. in Koulukatu, in Pyynikki area).

Cross country and downhill skiing

The closest locations to the city centre to do cross-country skiing are Kauppi sports park and the Pyynikki area and altogether there are about 80 kilometers of lit skiing tracks in Tampere. If you want to replace the cross-country with downhill, there are slopes for downhill skiing in Mustavuori, Tampere. Sappee Travel Resort in Pälkäne and Ellivuori Ski Center in Sastamala, less than an hour’s drive from Tampere, offer a great variety of slopes as well as the best location for your dream cottage holiday with family or friends. 

Ice swimming

The ultimate must-do thing in Tampere is ice swimming! The city situated between two large lakes offers excellent possibilities to take a dip in the frozen lake, for example in the Rauhaniemi or Kaupinoja saunas. After bathing in the heat of the sauna, you can plunge into the refreshing water through a hole in the ice, and let the lake cool you down. A bit more extreme and a bit closer to the city centre, in Mältinranta, you can try ice swimming without the sauna! In the city centre you can have a sauna and dip yourself in lake Pyhäjärvi at Sauna & Restaurant Kuuma.

Sled hills

For those looking for speed,  we have listed all the favourite sled hills in Tampere to this article.

Ice Fishing

If you want to test ice fishing, it’s possible in Tampere Region. JPH Fishing & Outdoor organizes guided ice fishing tours as well as Hiking Travel, Hit.

Husky safaris

Husky safaris, really, here in Tampere? Well yes! Gegwen Getaways organizes husky picnics during winter season if we have enough snow.