Särkänniemi

Tampere, Finland

“Location location location. This matters for theme parks as well.”

During my stay in Helsinki, I made a day trip to Tampere. This seems to be the most populous inland city in the Nordic Countries, but I’m sure you aren’t interested in these kinds of Wikipedia facts. You’re here for… theme parks and roller coasters, right? Luckily, Tampere is home to one of Finland’s most famous amusement parks: Särkänniemi.

ROLLER COASTERS

Särkänniemi’s most impressive coaster is without a doubt Tornado, one of the few Intamin inverted coasters. The ride is surprisingly good. It’s smooth, it’s intense and the 4th inversion delivers the most unexpected coaster moment in Northern Europe. I really liked Tornado and thanks to a nonexistent queue, I was able to ride it a few times. It’s neighbour, however, doesn’t need any repeat rides. Trombi is literally one of the worst roller coasters on Earth. This torture device was constructed by Zamperla and although they consider it as a flying coaster, I’d rather call it pure hell. So just skip the credit, because your coaster bingo certainly isn’t worth so much pain.

The park’s other coasters are called Vauhtimato (Zierer Tivoli Small), Half Pipe (Intamin) and MotoGee. MotoGee is a transportable Zamperla MotoCoaster and it really isn’t that special. Still, I will always remember this simple family ride as my 400th coaster credit. It’s not the fabulous ride I had in mind for this accomplishment, so let’s hope I do better for the 500th credit.

ANYTHING ELSE?

Särkänniemi offers the rides you’d expect from a medium-sized amusement park. There are two water attractions, a good amount of thrilling flat rides and a large children’s area. However, the park’s most beautiful aspect is its location. Särkänniemi can be found at the shores of a lake and it’s surrounded by dense forests. Stunning views of this unique location are guaranteed if you board a lift to the top of the Näsinneula Tower. A visit to this 120-metre tall panorama platform is included in a ride wristband, so definitely take a moment to go there.

WORTH A VISIT?

Yes, it is. The park has a stunning location and Tornado is a magnificent coaster, so I’d definitely visit this place again. Keep in mind that it’s not exactly near Helsinki, but Finnish trains make it a pleasure to travel to Tampere.

PHOTO GALLERY

Have you ever ridden a Zamperla Volare? Did you hate it just as much as I did? And do you think that Särkänniemi is one of the most beautifully located amusement parks in the world? Share your opinion in the comments at the bottom of this page.