The Pyynikki observation tower ( fi, Pyynikin näkötorni) is a 26 meter

observation tower An observation tower is a structure 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 ...

Pyynikki Pyynikki ( sv, Pynike) 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 Pispala is a city area 2.5 km from the centre of Tamp ...

Tampere Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclo ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...

. 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 Pyynikki Esker (or the Pyynikki Ridge; fi, Pyynikinharju) is the tallest longitudinal esker in the world, located in Pyynikki, Tampere, Finland.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 in ...

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 Georg may refer to: * ''Georg'' (film), 1997 * Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) George is a surname of Irish, English, Welsh, South Indian Christian, Middle Eastern Christian (usually Lebanese), French, o ...

, 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 heaviest of all the Finnish Civil War battles. Today it is particular ...

. 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 aimed at foreign tourists, leaving Pyynikki mostly for local visitors and other Finns 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 ( fi, Museovirasto, sv, Museiverket), 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 ...

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