The Pyynikki observation tower () is a 26 meter

observation tower An observation tower is a tower used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, and woo ...

Pyynikki Pyynikki () is a district and a nature reserve in Tampere, Finland. It is located in the Pyynikinharju ridge, between the city center and the western district of Pispala. Pyynikinharju is the highest esker in the world, rising 85 meters above t ...

Tampere Tampere is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Pirkanmaa. It is located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Tampere is approximately , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately . It is the most populous mu ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. It was completed in 1929 by the design of the city architect Vilho Kolho, and built using local red granite. The tower stands 75 meters above the level of the adjacent lake

Pyhäjärvi Pyhäjärvi (1993–1995 ''Pyhäsalmi'') is a town and municipality in the south of Northern Ostrobothnia region, Finland. Pyhäjärvi also borders the Northern Savonia and Central Finland regions. The town belongs to the subregion of Nivala–H ...

(152 meters above the sea level) on the ridge crest of the Pyynikki Esker. The top can be reached by a

lift Lift or LIFT may refer to: Physical devices * Elevator, or lift, a device used for raising and lowering people or goods ** Paternoster lift, a type of lift using a continuous chain of cars which do not stop ** Patient lift, or Hoyer lift, mobile ...

, but walking up the stairs offers various observation windows. The open top offers a clear view of the city of Tampere as well as lake

Näsijärvi Näsijärvi () is a lake above sea level, in the Pirkanmaa region of southern Finland. Näsijärvi is the biggest lake in the Tampere area at in size. The city of Tampere was built along the Tammerkoski rapids, through which the lake drains int ...

on the north and lake Pyhäjärvi in the south. Entrance to the park and cafe is free but climbing the tower costs 50 cents for children or 2 euros for adults. The Cafe has its own historic donut recipe which has remained unchanged for 80 years.

History

Pyynikki has been a park and place of natural beauty since the 1830s and the first cafe within Pyynikki was opened in 1868. The first observation tower was built in 1888 by the design of the architect Georg Schreck, but it was damaged in the 1918

Battle of Tampere The Battle of Tampere was a 1918 Finnish Civil War battle, fought in Tampere, Finland from 15 March to 6 April between the Whites and the Reds. It is the most famous and the deadly of all the Finnish Civil War battles. Its bloody aftermath saw ...

. Rebuilding plans started from 1925 and the new tower and cafe was opened in 1929 for the city's 150th anniversary. The opening ceremonies were postponed due to the sinking of the steam ship '' Kuru'' which caused the loss of 136 lives. In the late 1960s and 1970s, the city of Tampere built the modern

Näsinneula Näsinneula (; ) is an observation tower in Tampere, Finland, overseeing Lake Näsijärvi. It was built in 1970–1971 and was designed by Pekka Ilveskoski. It is the tallest free-standing structure in Finland and at present the tallest observati ...

tower which replaced Pyynikki's role as a

tourist attraction A tourist attraction is a place of interest that tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited natural or cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, offering leisure and amusement. Types Places of natural beaut ...

aimed at foreign tourists, leaving Pyynikki mostly for local visitors and other

Finns Finns or Finnish people (, ) are a Baltic Finns, Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these cou ...

and as a hidden gem for foreign tourists. Pyynikki observation tower is listed as a Cultural environment of national significance by the

Finnish National Board of Antiquities The Finnish Heritage Agency (, ), previously known in English as the National Board of Antiquities, preserves Finland's material cultural heritage: collects, studies and distributes knowledge of it. The agency is a cultural and research institutio ...

References

External links

Pyynikki observation tower Official Website
{{Tampere Cityscape Towers completed in 1929 Observation towers in Finland Buildings and structures in Tampere Tourist attractions in Tampere Pyynikki Restaurant towers