The most hard-core amusement park I have been to so far.

7am, 9th August 2020.

Me and Hoang – my cousin – were still half asleep when Sankar arrived at our flat’s parking area. We had a field trip that day to Särkäniemi amusement park, which is located in Tampere, almost three hours away by car. Thus, we must depart early.

It takes more than 3 hours to drive to Tampere from Lappeenranta

There are five of us leaving Lappeenranta together – Me, Hoang, Sankar, Thu, and Vilma. The other team, with Benni, Tomi, and Laura, will travel from Helsinki to Tampere by bus.

We have known each other for two years now. Even though each has his or her private, busy lifes, every now and then we would call each other for a trip. Finnish schools start in mid August, so these first weeks are the best time to go to an amusement park – not too many guests, with the summer vibe still at its best.

I have my concerns before the trip started. First off, I have a much bigger and exhausting trip waiting for me on the follwing Monday, so 6-hour drive to Tampere may drain my stamina beforehand. But at the same time, this may be the best and last time of this year I can meet these good friends before leaving Finland. Also, Tampere is on my to-visit list – as well as many other Finnish cities I haven’t been able to observe.

So, why not? Just do it.

Arrived at Särkäniemi

We got there around 11am. Tampere greeted us with its extended highways, multi tram railways along the street, and historical buildings every here and there. Being recognized as the most popular inland city of the Nordics, Tampere shone brightly under the August sun – a great city vibe to experience.

Särkäniemi stood out from that great complex – a colorful combination of games, houses and towers by the lake.

Entrance ticket costs €39, including all the games you can play, without the zoo and other galleries entrances.

Customers will receive a yellow wristband, noting that you have purchased the entrance ticket

Exotic games

Have you ever watched Hollywood movies about teenagers, there will always be a part when they enjoyed the games at an amusement park, from the terrifying roller coaster to the romantic Ferris Wheel. Fright, Happiness, Love…whatever the emotion was, it can’t be denied that the time at amusement parks are usually the best and unforgettable for generations.

For me, Särkäniemi was the same. We went to (mostly) terrifying games and survived. Never in my life have I been to a more extreme amusement park than this one.

From “Boom” that kept throwing us up and down…

To “Hype” – the game that would literally break your neck if you didn’t hold it straight forward

We went through a really bad spinning wheels that made half of the team sick. My cousin Hoang threw up at one point. This is the first time ever I felt that sick with amusement park games

Sankar and Vilma went to a waterfall ride that made them soaking wet. But the heat from our best summer day quickly dried them up.

There are lots of upside-downs, high-speeds and mouth-drops, so think twice whether you have the guts to conquer Särkäniemi

For me, I’m not so terrified upon exotic games. I just don’t like those spinning ones that make me sick. Overall, Särkäniemi was a great place to experience good games.

At the end of the trip, we went to the top of Tampere observation tower, just inside Särkäniemi, to witness the place from above.

This is Särkäniemi from above. The shadow is our Observation Tower

And around is Tampere – the beautiful inland city of Finland

Summary

If you want to find an exciting place to test your guts, chill with friends or loved ones, and near enough for a one-day trip, then Särkäniemi is for you.

We at Särkäniemi, August 2020

Khanh Tr.