Tampere plans nearly 400-hectare nature reserve
Sunday 11th October 2026 on 08:01 in
Finland
Tampere plans to establish a nearly 400-hectare nature reserve in the Kauppi-Niihamaa forest and recreation area near the city centre in early 2028, Yle reports. The reserve would be unusually large for an area so close to a city centre, according to Tampere environmental director Kati Skippari.
The proposed reserve covers about 391 hectares, though its boundaries will be refined during preparations. It will include the existing Soukonvuori reserve, which will be expanded by 45 hectares. The city executive board approved the expansion in March, and the regional vitality centre will decide on establishing the reserve after receiving the city’s application.
The area includes broadleaf woods, spruce-dominated forests, rocky forests, springs, streams and wooded wetlands. Its boundaries will also include stretches of shoreline on lakes Näsijärvi, Alasjärvi and Niihamajärvi, as well as several small islands in Näsijärvi. Threatened species recorded there include crested tits and slender knotweed.
The proposal followed a citizens’ initiative submitted in May 2024 by the Pirkanmaa district of the Finnish Association for Nature Conservation and 10 other organisations and civic groups. They called for protection of the entire forest area, which covers more than 800 hectares. Two further initiatives seeking protection for city-owned forests were submitted in January 2025, with support from more than half of the city council. Tampere owns 660 hectares of Kauppi-Niihamaa.
Kauppi-Niihamaa is a popular place for outdoor recreation. Existing uses, including skiing, orienteering, trail running, mountain biking, hiking and horse riding, are to be accommodated. Ski trails, the Niihama recreation hut and the disc golf area will remain outside the reserve.
The city plans to begin building hiking routes and rest stops in 2027. Plans include a six-kilometre trail-running route and a 1.3-kilometre health forest trail.
Kauppi-Niihamaa will be Tampere’s second-largest nature reserve, after the roughly 600-hectare Kintulammi reserve in Teisko, and the largest within the city area. The city has also approved 22 other new reserves. Together, the 23 new areas are expected to double Tampere’s protected land to more than 2,300 hectares.