Tampere to Virrat by Boat

The trip from Tampere to Virrat by boat takes about eight hours. The distance by road, via Teisko, is 120km/75mi. This route, renowned for its scenic beauty, is known in Finland as the "Poets' Way" and will introduce visitors to a stretch of very typical Finnish scenery.

From Tampere (Mustalahti, to the north of the town) the ship sails north up the Näsijärvi with its many bays and inlets. On the east side of the lake is the village of Teisko, with the Maisansalo leisure center (tennis courts, saunas, boating harbor, etc.). In about 2.5 hours the ship reaches the Murole Canal (lock). While it is passing through the lock there is time to see the Murole Falls, a short distance away to the right. The canal leads into the next lake, Palovesi, and the ship then continues through narrow channels and the open Jäminselkä to the Kautu Canal (swing bridge) and along this into the Ruovesi. On a crag to the left can be seen a house once occupied by the well-known Finnish painter Akseli Gallén-Kallela (1865-1931).