Hämeenkatu

The boulevard is roughly a kilometre long, and 28.5 metres (94 ft) wide (driveway and sidewalk) at its widest point.

Hämeenkatu is a boulevard, which begins from the east at the Tampere railway station, continues westward to the Hämeenpuisto park, and is covered with cobble stones for its entire length.

The street also contains the Hämeensilta bridge crossing the Tammerkoski rapids with gorgeous views on both sides.

Eastwards from the railway station, Hämeenkatu is followed by the 700-metre (2,300 ft)-long Itsenäisyydenkatu, which then diverges into Sammonkatu and Teiskontie.

[4] After the 1865 fire of Tampere, the new zoning plan of chief architect Carl Albert Edelfelt in 1868 changed Hämeenkatu to a main street with a width of 30 metres.

This experiment was in preparation for the construction of the Tampere light rail starting in 2017, where Hämeenkatu was fully converted for use of public transport only, and only light traffic, trams, buses, taxis and service traffic are allowed on it.

Hämeenkatu as seen from the railway station
Winter lights
Hämeenkatu in the evening
Hämeenkatu in the early 20th century. A view from the railway station to the west. To the left is the Hotel Bauer, to the right is the Railway workers' house.
Traffic on Hämeenkatu in summer 1940.
The eastern end of Hämeenkatu was converted into use of public transport only in June 2014. Trams on Hämeenkatu in December 2021.