Since I was a small child I have enjoyed bathing in saunas & swimming. During the cold water season, you can go take a dip in the lake, but if you really want to swim for exercise, there are three public indoor pools in Tampere, all with seperate sauna sections for men & women.

The one I like most is just a short walk from my home. It is situated in the area of Tesoma in western Tampere, and you can easily reach it by taking a bus from the centre. You can swim in a 25-meter pool, dip yourself in the cold water pool, jump in the deep water pool, relax in the jacuzzi and get a shoulder massage from the shower by the children’s pool. Remember that you should wear tight, lycra swimming suits or trunks inside pools – loose beach shorts won’t do.

In Tesoman uimahalli, the lockers for clothes are in an area that is open for both men & women, so you should change in one of the small lockable dressing booths. The shower and sauna sections are separate and there you will have to meet one very Finnish and for the locals very natural custom: for hygienic reasons you should take a shower and go to the sauna without your swimwear. For us this is totally normal, but only with our own gender. If you are from abroad, you can take this as a test of how local you can be!