Today I’m going to take you on a walk around the Pispala area in Tampere. Tampere is around a two hour drive from Helsinki. It is located between two lakes – Pyhäjärvi and Näsijärvi. Pispala is a unique residential area there where both visitors and locals love to go on walks and admire the quirky surroundings.
Back in the day, the residents of Pispala were mainly railroad and factory workers who were known for their rowdy lifestyles. All has changed since then and what was known as a restless area is now peaceful and favoured by families. Pispala has cute, uncoordinated wooden houses that have been restored with care. On this walk we will climb up to catch the beautiful views of the lakes surrounding Tampere.
Let’s admire the houses first!
Hmmm.. looks like winter surprised these people. Or maybe they want to be prepared for the summer in case it creeps up on them. Even the bbq is right there awaiting warmer weather.
Okay, so now let’s go and see the view Pispala is famous for. These steps do look quite daunting but trust me, it’s worth it.
Phew, we made it!
Such a lovely view of the lake. There’s a playground next to this view, so if you come with kids, they can take a moment to play before continuing on. On the other side of the road, you can see the other lake surrounding Tampere!
After all that walking, it’s time to go back down the stairs to friendly Cafe Pispala for a hearty weekend brunch. They are famous for their fluffy American pancakes.
Now if this photo of my breakfast won’t have you rushing to visit Pispala, I don’t know what will!
Next time I visit, I hope to go to the oldest, still active sauna in Finland – the Rajaportti sauna. Have you been to Pispala? Did you pop in this café on your visit? Have you visited the sauna there?
xx
The Life and Travels of Mrs Suvi 
Ah it is so restful on my eyes to see a snowy day and those gorgeous old houses in their bright happy colours. Was the lake frozen?
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Yes the lake was frozen and covered in snow! At this point I am so ready for Spring but snow in winter is lovely.
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Gorgeous! But I only visit the Arctic and don’t have to live with it for five months every year. But I get quite sick of the heat. So I can relate a bit in that way.
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Never been to Finland but Pispala looks fabulous and that breakfast looks even better. Great photos of a beautiful place.
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Thanks so much for your kind comment! It really is a special place worth visiting 😀
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It was snowy like that when I went up all those icy steps last year. The view from that bench is gorgeous!
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Those steps are good exercise! The bench is a welcome place to rest after all that climbing. I think this location would be great to see in all seasons and to photograph the changes. Maybe someone in Tampere could do that for a fun project! 🙂
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Those pancakes look great!!! I’ve never been to Pispala and I know next to nothing about Tampere!
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Since going I’ve noticed that Pispala is often featured in travellers’ Instagram posts, so it seems to be very popular. If you do go that way, then I also recommend the doughnuts at the Pyynikki Observation Tower – yum!
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Hubby’s gonna like this trip 😉
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That breakfast looks yummy! And the place itself is lovely. I have been to Tampere but not to Pispala.
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Ooh then I really recommend it for your next visit! I would love to go there in summer, the views must be spectacular.
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We love it. It was nice to see Your winter photos from Pispala. Thank You sharing them.
Have a good day!
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Pispala is such a cute place ✨ It is as difficult to walk on the icy roads though! 😅
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Oh, yes! 🙂
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